I  B  RAR.Y 

OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY 

or  ILLINOIS 

977.354 


P83& 


ILLINOIS  HISTDRICAl  SURVEY 


/  y* 


RECORJD 


Tazewell  and  Mason  Counties, 


•{•      ILLINOIS,     -f 


Containlnn  Biographical  Sketches  of 


Prominent  and  Representative  Citizens  of  the  Counties, 

Together  with  Biographies  and  Portraits  of  all  the 

Governors  of  the  State  and  the  Presidents  of  the  United  States, 


CHICAGO: 
PIOGRAPHICAL  PUBLISHING  CO. 

» 1894, 


FIE  greatest  of  English  historians,  MACAULAT,and  one  of  the  most  brilliant  writers  of 
the  present  century,  has  said:  "The  history  of  a  country  is  best  told  in  a  record  of  the 
lives  of  its  people."  In  conformity  with  this  idea  the  PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAI 
KEIORD  of  this  county  has  *;3en  prepared.  Instead  of  going  to  musty  records,  and 
taking  therefrom  dry  statistical  matter  that  can  be  appreciated  by  but  few,  out 
corps  of  writers  have  gone  to  the  people,  the  men  and  women  who  have,  by  then 
enterprise  and  industry,  brought  the  county  to  rank  second  to  none  among  those 
comprising  this  great  and  noble  State,  and  from  their  lips  have  the  story  of  their  life 
struggles:  No  more  interesting  or  instructive  matter  could  be  presented  to  an  intelli 
gent  public.  In  this  volume  will  be  found  a  record  of  many  whose  lives  are  worthy  .the 
imitation  of  coining 'generations.  It  tells  how  some,  commencing  life  in  poverty,  by 
industry  and  economy  have  accumulated  wealth.  It  tells  how  others,  with  limited 
advantages  for  securing  an  education,  have  become  learned  men  and  women,  with  an 
influence  extending  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  It  tells  of  men  who 
have  risen  from  the  lower  walks  of  life  to  eminence  as  statesmen,  and  whose  names  have 
become  famous.  It  tells  of  those  in  every  walk  in  life  who  have  striven  to  succeed,  and 
records  how  that  success  has  usually  crowned  their  efforts.  It  tells  also  of  many,  very 
many,  who,  not  seeking  the  applause  of  the  world,  have  pursued  "the  even  tenor  of  their  way,"  contend 
to  have  it  said  of  them  as  Christ  said  of  the  woman  performing  a  deed  of  mercy — "they  have  done  what 

-  they  could."     It  tells  how  that  many  in  the  pride  and  strength  of  young  manhood  left  the  plow  and  the 
anvil,  the  lawyer's  office  and  the  counting-room,  left  every  trade  and  profession,  and  at  their  country's 

-;  call  went  forth  valiantly  "to  do  or  die,"  and  how  through  their  efforts  the  Union  was  restored  and  peace 
once  more  reigned  in  the  land.  In  the  life  of  every  man  and  of  every  woman  is  a  lesson  that  should  not 
be  lost  upon  those  who  follow  after. 

Coming  generations  will  appreciate  this  volume  and  preserve  it  as  a  sacred  treasure,  from  the  fact 
that  it  contains  so  much  that  would  never  find  its  way  into  public  records,  and  which  would  otherwise  be 
inaccessible.  Great  care  has  been  taken  in  the  compilation  of  the  work  and  every  opportunity  possible 

*  given  to  those  represented  to  insure  correctness  in  what  has  been  written,  and  the  publishers  flatter  them- 
selves that  they  give  to  their  readers  a  work  with  few  errors  of  consequence.     In  addition  to  the  biograph 
ical  sketches,  portraits  of  a  number  of  representative  citizens  are  given. 

The  faces  of  some,  and  biographical  sketches  of  many,  will  be  missed  in  this  volume.  For  this  the 
publishers  are  not  to  blame.  Not  having  a  proper  conception  of  the  work,  some  refused  to  give  the 
information  necessary  to  compile  a  sketch,  while  others  were  indifferent.  Occasionally  some  member  of 
the  family  would  oppose  the  enterprise,  and  on  account  of  such  opposition  the  support  of  the  interested 
;  one  would  be  withheld.  In  a  few  instances  men  could  never  be  found,  though  repeated  calls  were  made 
at  their  residence  or  place  of  business. 

July,    1894.  BIOGRAPHICAL  PUBLISHING  Co. 


portraits  and  J||iographies 


OF  THE 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINIOS, 


AND    OF    THE 


Presidents  of  the  United  States. 


LIBRARY 
Of  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 


HE  Father  of  our  Country  was  born  in  West- 
moreland County,  Va. ,  February  22,  1732. 
His  parents  were  Augustine  and  Mary  (Ball) 
Washington.  The  family  to  which  he  belonged 
has  not  been  satisfactorily  traced  in  England. 
His  great-grandfather,  John  Washington,  emi- 
grated to  Virginia  about  1657,  and  became  a 
prosperous  planter.  He  had  two  sons,  Lawrence 
and  John.  The  former  married  Mildred  Warner, 
and  had  three  children,  John,  Augustine  and 
Mildred.  Augustine,  the  father  of  George,  first 
married  Jane  Butler,  who  bore  him  four  children, 
two  of  whom,  Lawrence  and  Augustine,  reached 
maturity.  Of  six  children  by  his  second  mar- 
riage, George  was  the  eldest,  the  others  being 
Betty,  Samuel,  John  Augustine,  Charles  and 
Mildred. 

Augustine  Washington,  the  father  of  George, 
died  in  1743,  leaving  a  large  landed  property. 
To  his  eldest  son,  Lawrence,  he  bequeathed  an 
estate  on  the  Potomac,  afterwards  known  as  Mt. 
Vernon,  and  to  George  he  left  the  parental  resi- 
dence. George  received  only  such  education  as 
the  neighborhood  schools  afforded,  save  for  a 
short  time  after  he  left  school,  when  he  received 
private  instruction  in  mathematics.  His  spelling 
was  rather  defective.  Remarkable  stories  are 
told  of  his  great  physical  strength  and  develop- 
ment at  an  early  age.  He  was  an  acknowledged 
leader  among  his  companions,  and  was  early 
noted  for  that  nobleness  of  character,  fairness  and 
veracity  which  characterized  his  whole  life. 

When  George  was  fourteen  years  old  he  had  a 
desire  to  go  to  sea,  and  a  midshipman's  warrant 
was  secured  for  him,  but  through  the  opposition 
of  his  mother  the  idea  was  abandoned.  Two 


years  later  he  was  appointed  surveyor  to  the  im- 
mense estate  of  Lord  Fairfax.  In  this  business 
he  spent  three  years  in  a  rough  frontier  life, 
gaining  experience  which  afterwards  proved  very 
essential  to  him.  In  1751,  though  only  nineteen 
years  of  age,  he  was  appointed  Adjutant,  with  the 
rank  of  Major,  in  the  Virginia  militia,  then  being 
trained  for  active  service  against  the  French  and 
Indians.  Soon  after  this  he  sailed  to  the  West 
Indies  with  his  brother  Lawrence,  who  went  there 
to  restore  his  health.  They  soon  returned,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1752  Lawrence  died,  leaving  a 
large  fortune  to  an  infant  daughter,  who  did  not 
long  survive  him.  On  her  demise  the  estate  of 
Mt.  Vernon  was  given  to  George. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Robert  Dinwiddie  as  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor  of  Virginia,  in  1752,  the  militia 
was  reorganized,  and  the  province  divided  into 
four  military  districts,  of  which  the  northern  was 
assigned  to  Washington  as  Adjutant-General. 
Shortly  after  this  a  very  perilous  mission,  which 
others  had  refused,  was  assigned  him  and  ac- 
cepted. This  was  to  proceed  to  the  French  post 
near  Lake  Erie,  in  northwestern  Pennsylvania. 
The  distance  to  be  traversed  was  about  six  hun- 
dred miles.  Winter  was  at  hand,  and  the  journey 
was  to  be  made  without  military  escort,  through 
a  territory  occupied  by  Indians.  The  trip  was  a 
perilous  one,  and  several  times  he  nearly  lost  his 
life,  but  he  returned  in  safety  and  furnished  a  full 
and  useful  report  of  his  expedition.  A  regiment 
of  three  hundred  men  was  raised  in  Virginia  and 
put  in  command  of  Col.  Joshua  Fry,  and  Maj. 
Washington  was  commissioned  Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel. Active  war  was  then  begun  against  the 
French  and  Indians,  in  which  Washington  took 


20 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 


a  most  important  part.  In  the  memorable  event 
of  July  9,  1755,  known  as" Braddock's  defeat," 
Washington  was  almost  the  only  officer  of  dis- 
tinction who  escaped  from  the  calamities  of  the 
day  with  life  and  honor. 

Having  been  for  five  years  in  the  military  serv- 
ice, and  having  vainly  sought  promotion  in  the 
royal  army,  he  took  advantage  of  the  fall  of  Ft.  Du- 
quesue  and  the  expulsion  of  the  French  from  the 
valley  of  the  Ohio  to  resign  his  commission.  Soon 
after  he  entered  the  Legislature,  where,  although 
not  a  leader,  he  took  an  active  and  important 
part.  January  17,  1759,  he  married  Mrs.  Martha 
(Dandridge)  Custis,  the  wealthy  widow  of  John 
Parke  Custis. 

When  the  British  Parliament  had  closed  the 
port  of  Boston,  the  cry  went  up  throughout  the 
provinces,  ' '  The  cause  ot  Boston  is  the  cause  of 
us  all!  "  It  was  then,  at  the  suggestion  of  Vir- 
ginia, that  a  congress  of  all  the  colonies  was 
called  to  meet  at  Philadelphia  September  5, 
1774,  to  secure  their  common  liberties,  peaceably 
if  possible.  To  this  congress  Col.  Washington 
was  sent  as  a  delegate.  On  May  10,  1775,  the 
congress  re-assembled,  when  the  hostile  inten- 
tions of  England  were  plainly  apparent.  The 
battles  of  Concord  and  Lexington  had  been  fought, 
and  among  the  first  acts  of  this  congress  was  the 
election  of  a  commander-in-chief  of  the  Colonial 
forces.  This  high  and  responsible  office  was  con- 
ferred upon  Washington,  who  was  still  a  member 
of  the  congress.  He  accepted  it  on  June  19,  but 
upon  the  express  condition  that  he  receive  no  sal- 
ary. He  would  keep  an  exact  account  of  ex- 
penses, and  expect  congress  to  pay  them  and 
nothing  more.  It  is  not  the  object  of  this  sketch 
to  trace  the  military  acts  of  Washington,  to  whom 
the  fortunes  and  liberties  of  the  people  of  this 
country  were  so  long  confided.  The  war  was 
conducted  by  him  under  every  possible  disadvan- 
tage; and  while  his  forces  often  met  with  reverses, 
yet  he  overcame  every  obstacle,  and  after  seven 
years  of  heroic  devotion  and  matchless  skill  he 
gained  liberty  for  the  greatest  nation  of  earth. 
On  December  23,  1783,  Washington,  in  a  parting 
address  of  surpassing  beauty,  resigned  his  com- 
mission as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  army  to  the 


Continental  Congress  sitting  at  Annapolis.  He 
retired  immediately  to  Mt.  Veruon  and  resumed 
his  occupation  as  a  farmer  and  planter,  shunning 
all  connection  with  public  life. 

In  February,  1789,  Washington  was  unani- 
mously elected  President,  and  at  the  expiration 
of  his  first  term  he  was  unanimously  re-elected. 
At  the  end  of  this  term  many  were  anxious  that  he 
be  re-elected,  but  he  absolutely  refused  a  third 
nomination.  On  March  4,  1797,  at  the  expiration 
of  his  second  term  as  President,  he  returned  to  his 
home,  hoping  to  pass  there  his  few  remaining 
years  free  from  the  annoyances  of  public  life. 
Later  in  the  year,  however,  his  repose  seemed 
likely  to  be  interrupted  by  war  with  France.  At 
the  prospect  of  such  a  war  he  was  again  urged  to 
take  command  of  the  army,  but  he  chose  his  sub- 
ordinate officers  and  left  them  the  charge  of  mat- 
ters in  the  field,  which  he  superintended  from  his 
home.  In  accepting  the  command,  he  made  the 
reservation  that  he  was  not  to  be  in  the  field  until 
it  was  necessary.  In  the  midst  of  these  prepara- 
tions his  life  was  suddenly  cut  off.  December  1 2 
he  took  a  severe  cold  from  a  ride  in  the  rain, 
which,  settling  in  his  throat,  produced  inflamma- 
tion, and  terminated  fatally  on  the  night  of  the 
1 4th.  On  the  i8th  his  body  was  borne  with  mili- 
tary honors  to  its  final  resting-place,  and  interred 
in  the  family  vault  at  Mt.  Vernon. 

Of  the  character  of  Washington  it  is  impossible 
to  speak  but  in  terms  of  the  highest  respect  and 
admiration.  The  more  we  see  of  the  operations 
of  our  government,  and  the  more  deeply  we  feel 
the  difficulty  of  uniting  all  opinions  in  a  common 
interest,  the  more  highly  we  must  estimate  the 
force  of  his  talent  and  character,  which  have  bee:i 
able  to  challenge  the  reverence  of  all  parties, 
and  principles,  and  nations,  and  to  win  a  fame  as 
extended  as  the  limits  of  the  globe,  and  which  we 
cannot  but  believe  will  be  as  lasting  as  the  exist- 
ence of  man 

In  person,  Washington  was  unusually  tall,  erect 
and  well  proportioned,  and  his  muscular  strength 
was  great.  His  features  were  of  a  beausiful  sym- 
metry. He  commanded  respect  without  any  ap- 
pearance of  haughtiness,  and  was  ever  serious 
without  being  dull. 


LIBRARY 
Of  TH£ 

of  IUJNOIS 


. 


JOHN  ADAMS. 


(TOHN  ADAMS,  the  second  President  and  the 
I  first  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  was 
Q)  born  in  Braintree  (now  Quincy)  Mass. ,  and 
about  ten  miles  from  Boston,  October  19,  1735. 
His  great-grandfather,  Henry  Adams,  emigrated 
from  England  about  1640,  with  a  family  of  eight 
sons,  and  settled  at  Braintree.  The  parents  of 
John  were  John  and  Susannah  (Boylston) 
Adams.  His  father,  who  was  a  farmer  of  limited 
means,  also  engaged  in  the  business  of  shoe- 
making.  He  gave  his  eldest  son,  John,  a  classical 
education  at  Harvard  College.  John  graduated 
in  1755,  and  at  once  took  charge  of  the  school  at 
Worcester,  Mass.  This  he  found  but  a  ' '  school 
of  affliction,"  from  which  he  endeavored  to  gain 
relief  by  devoting  himself,  in  addition,  to  the 
study  of  law.  For  this  purpose  he  placed  himself 
under  the  tuition  of  the  only  lawyer  in  the  town. 
He  had  thought  seriously  of  the  clerical  profes- 
sion, but  seems  to  have  been  turned  from  this  by 
what  he  termed  ' '  the  frightful  engines  of  ecclesi- 
astical councils,  of  diabolical  malice,  and  Calvin- 
istic  good  nature, ' '  of  the  operations  of  which  he 
had  been  a  witness  in  his  native  town.  He  was 
well  fitted  for  the  legal  profession,  possessing  a 
clear,  sonorous  voice,  being  ready  and  fluent  of 
speech,  and  having  quick  perceptive  powers.  He 
gradually  gained  a  practice,  and  in  1764  married 
Abigail  Smith,  a  daughter  of  a  minister,  and  a 
lady  of  superior  intelligence.  Shortly  after  his 
marriage,  in  1765,  the  attempt  at  parliamentary 
taxation  turned  him  from  law  to  politics.  He 
took  initial  steps  toward  holding  a  town  meeting, 
and  the  resolutions  he  offered  on  the  subject  be- 
came very  popular  throughout  the  province,  and 
were  adopted  word  for  word  by  over  forty  differ- 
ent towns.  He  moved  to  Boston  in  1768,  and 
became  one  of  the  most  courageous  and  promi- 
nent advocates  of  the  popular  cause,  and.  was 
chosen  a  member  of  the  General  Court  (the  Leg- 
islature) in  1770. 

Mr.   Adams  was  chosen  one  of  the  first  dele- 


gates from  Massachusetts  to  the  first  Continent- 
al Congress,  which  met  in  1774.  Here  he  dis- 
tinguished himself  by  his  capacity  for  business 
and  for  debate,  and  advocated  the  movement  for 
independence  against  the  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers. In  May,  1776,  he  moved  and  carried  a  res- 
olution in  Congress  that  the  Colonies  should 
assume  the  duties  of  self-government.  He  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  committee  of  five  ap- 
pointed June  1 1  to  prepare  a  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence. This  article  was  drawn  by  Jefferson, 
but  on  Adams  devolved  the  task  of  battling  it 
through  Congress  in  a  three-days  debate. 

On  the  day  after  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence was  passed,  while  his  soul  was  yet  warm 
with  the  glow  of  excited  feeling,  he  wrote  a  letter 
to  his  wife,  which,  as  we  read  it  now,  seems  to 
have  been  dictated  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy. 
"Yesterday,"  he  says,  "the  greatest  question 
was  decided  that  ever  was  debated  in  America; 
and  greater,  perhaps,  never  was  or  will  be  de- 
cided among  men.  A  resolution  was  passed 
without  one  dissenting  colony,  'that  these  United 
States  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  in- 
dependent states.'  The  day  is  passed.  The 
Fourth  of  July,  1776,  will  be  a  memorable  epoch 
in  the  history  of  America.  I  am  apt  to  believe  it 
will  be  celebrated  by  succeeding  generations  as 
the  great  anniversary  festival.  It  ought  to  be 
commemorated  as  the  day  of  deliverance  by 
solemn  acts  of  devotion  to  Almighty  God.  It 
ought  to  be  solemnized  with  pomp,  shows,  games, 
sports,  guns,  bells,  bonfires  and  illuminations 
from  one  end  of  the  continent  to  the  other,  from 
this  time  fonvard  forever.  You  will  think  me 
transported  with  enthusiasm,  but  I  am  not.  I 
am  well  aware  of  the  toil  and  blood  and  treas- 
ure that  it  will  cost  to  maintain  this  declaration 
and  support  and  defend  these  States;  yet,  through 
all  the  gloom,  I  can  see  the  rays  of  light  and 
glory.  I  can  see  that  the  end  is  worth  more  than 
all  the  means,  and  that  posterity  will  triumph, 


JOHN  ADAMS. 


although  you  and  I  may  rue,  which  I  hope  we 
shall  not." 

In  November,  1777,  Mr.  Adams  was  appointed 
a  delegate  to  France,  and  to  co-operate  with  Ben- 
jamin Franklin  and  Arthur  Lee,  who  were  then 
in  Paris,  in  the  endeavor  to  obtain  assistance  in 
arms  and  money  from  the  French  government. 
This  was  a  severe  trial  to  his  patriotism,  as  it 
separated  him  from  his  home,  compelled  him  to 
cross  the  ocean  in  winter,  and  exposed  him  to 
great  peril  of  capture  by  the  British  cruisers,  who 
were  seeking  him.  He  left  France  June  17, 
1779.  In  September  of  the  same  year  he  was 
again  chosen  to  go  to  Paris,  and  there  hold  him- 
self in  readiness  to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace  and 
of  commerce  with  Great  Britain,  as  soon  as  the 
British  cabinet  might  be  found  willing  to  listen 
to  such  proposals.  He  sailed  for  France  in  No- 
vember, and  from  there  he  went  to  Holland,  where 
he  negotiated  important  loans  and  formed  im- 
portant commercial  treaties. 

Finally,  a  treaty  of  peace  with  England  was 
signed,  January  2 1 ,  1783.  The  re-action  from  the 
excitement,  toil  and  anxiety  through  which  Mr. 
Adams  had  passed  threw  him  into  a  fever.  After 
suffering  from  a  continued  fever  and  becoming 
feeble  and  emaciated,  he  was  advised  to  go  to 
England  to  drink  the  waters  of  Bath.  While  in 
England,  still  drooping  and  desponding,  he  re- 
ceived dispatches  from  his  own  government  urg- 
ing the  necessity  of  his  going  to  Amsterdam  to 
negotiate  another  loan.  It  was  winter,  his  health 
was  delicate,  yet  h«  immediately  set  out,  and 
through  storm,  on  sea,  on  horseback  and  foot,  he 
made  the  trip. 

February  24,  1785,  Congress  appointed  Mr. 
Adams  envoy  to  the  Court  of  St.  James.  Here 
he  met  face  to  face  the  King  of  England,  who 
had  so  long  regarded  him  as  a  traitor.  As  Eng- 
land did  not  condescend  to  appoint  a  minister  to 
the  United  States,  and  as  Mr.  Adams  felt  that  he 
was  accomplishing  but  little,  he  sought  permis- 
sion to  return  to  his  own  country,  where  he  ar- 
rived in  June,  1788. 

When  Washington  was  first  chosen  President, 
John  Adams,  rendered  illustrious  by  his  signal 
services  at  home  and  abroad,  was  chosen  Vice- 


President.  Again,  at  the  second  election  of  Wash- 
ington as  President,  Adams  was  chosen  Vice- 
President.  In  1796,  Washington  retired  from 
public  life,  and  Mr.  Adams  was  elected  President, 
though  not  without  much  opposition.  Serving 
in  this  office  four  years,  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr. 
Jefferson,  his  opponent  in  politics. 

While  Mr.  Adams  was  Vice- President  the 
great  French  Revolution  shook  the  continent  of 
Europe,  and  it  was  upon  this  point  that  he  was 
at  issue  with  the  majority  of  his  countrymen,  led 
by  Mr.  Jefferson.  Mr.  Adams  felt  no  sympathy 
with  the  French  people  in  their  struggle,  for  he 
had  no  confidence  in  their  power  of  self-govern- 
ment, and  he  utterly  abhorred  the  class  of  atheist 
philosophers  who,  he  claimed,  caused  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  Jefferson's  sympathies  were  strongly 
enlisted  in  behalf  of  the  French  people.  Hence 
originated  the  alienation  between  these  distin- 
tinguished  men,  and  the  two  powerful  parties  were 
'thus  soon  organized,  with  Adams  at  the  head  of 
the  One '  whose  sympathies  were  with  England, 
and  Jefferson  leading  the  other  in  sympathy  with 
France. 

The  Fourth  of  July,  1826,  which  completed  the 
half-century  since  the  signing  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  arrived,  and  there  were  but 
three  of  the  signers  of  that  immortal  instrument 
left  upon  the  earth  to  hail  its  morning  light. 
And,  as  it  is  well  known,  on  that  day  two  of 
these  finished  their  earthly  pilgrimage,  a  coinci- 
dence so  remarkable  as  to  seem  miraculous.  For 
a  few  days  before  Mr.  Adams  had  been  rapidly 
failing,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  Fourth  he 
found  himself  too  weak  to  rise  from  his  bed.  On 
being  requested  to  name  a  toast  for  the  cus- 
tomary celebration  of  the  day,  he  exclaimed 
"Independence  forever!"  When  the  day  was 
ushered  in  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  firing 
of  cannons,  he  was  asked  by  one  of  his  attend- 
ants if  he  knew  what  day  it  was  ?  He  replied, 
' '  O  yes,  it  is  the  glorious  Fourth  of  July — God 
bless  it — God  bless  you  all!"  In  the  course  of 
the  day  he  said,  "It  is  a  great  and  glorious 
day. ' '  The  last  words  he  uttered  were,  ' '  Jeffer- 
son survives."  But  he  had,  at  one  o'clock, 
resigned  his  spirit  into  the  hands  of  his  God. 


LIBRARY 

Of  THf 

UNIVEKSm  Of  ILLINOIS 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


'HOMAS  JEFFERSON  was  bom  April  2, 

1743,  at  Shadwell,  Albemarle  County,  Va. 

His  parents  were  Peter  and  Jane  (Ran- 
dolph) Jefferson,  the  former  a  native  of  Wales, 
and  the  latter  born  in  London.  To  them  were 
born  six  daughters  and  two  sons,  of  whom  Thomas 
was  the  elder.  When  fourteen  years  of  age  his 
father  died.  He  received  a  most  liberal  educa- 
tion, having  been  kept  diligently  at  school  from 
the  time  he  was  five  years  of  age.  In  1760  he 
entered  William  and  Mary  College.  Williams- 
burg  was  then  the  seat  of  the  Colonial  court,  and 
it  was  the  abode  of  fashion  and  splendor.  Young 
Jefferson,  who  was  then  seventeen  years  old,  lived 
somewhat  expensively,  keeping  fine  horses,  and 
going  much  into  gay  society;  yet  he  was  ear- 
nestly devoted  to  his  studies,  and  irreproachable  in 
his  morals.  In  the  second  year  of  his  college 
course,  moved  by  some  unexplained  impulse,  he 
discarded  his  old  companions  and  pursuits,  and 
often  devoted  fifteen  hours  a  day  to  hard  study. 
He  thus  attained  very  high  intellectual  culture, 
and  a  like  excellence  in  philosophy  and  the  lan- 
guages. 

Immediately  upon  leaving  college  he  began  the 
study  of  law.  For  the  short  time  he  continued 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  he  rose  rapidly, 
and  distinguished  himself  by  his  energy  and 
acuteness  as  a  lawyer.  But  the  times  called  for 
greater  action.  The  policy  of  England  had  awak- 
ened the  spirit  of  resistance  in  the  American  Col- 
onies, and  the  enlarged  views  which  Jefferson  had 
ever  entertained  soon  led  him  into  active  politi- 
cal life.  In  1 769  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
Virginia  House  of  Burgesses.  In  1772  he  mar- 


ried Mrs.  Martha  Skelton,  a  very  beautiful, 
wealthy,  and  highly  accomplished  young  widow. 

In  1775  he  was  sent  to  the  Colonial  Congress, 
where,  though  a  silent  member,  his  abilities  as  a 
writer  and  a  reasoner  soon  become  known,  and  he 
was  placed  upon  a  number  of  important  com- 
mittees, and  was  chairman  of  the  one  appointed 
for  the  drawing  up  of  a  declaration  of  independ- 
ence. This  committee  consisted  of  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson, John  Adams,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Roger 
Sherman  and  Robert  R.  Livingston.  Jefferson, 
as  chairman,  was  appointed  to  draw  up  the  paper. 
Franklin  and  Adams  suggested  a  few  verbal 
changes  before  it  was  submitted  to  Congress.  On 
June  28,  a  few  slight  changes  were  made  in  it  by 
Congress,  and  it  was  passed  and  signed  July  4, 
1776. 

In  1779  Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  successor  to 
Patrick  Henry  as  Governor  of  Virginia.  At  one 
time  the  British  officer  Tarleton  sent  a  secret 
expedition  to  Monticello  to  capture  the  Governor. 
Scarcely  five  minutes  elapsed  after  the  hurried 
escape  of  Mr.  Jefferson  and  his  family  ere  his 
mansion  was  in  possession  of  the  British  troops. 
His  wife's  health,  never  very  good,  was  much 
injured  by  this ' excitement,  and  in  the  summer 
of  1782  she  died. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1783. 
Two  years  later  he  was  appointed  Minister  Pleni- 
potentiary to  France.  Returning  to  the  United 
States  in  September,  1789,  he  became  Secretary 
of  State  in  Washington's  cabinet.  This  position 
he  resigned  January  i,  1794.  In  1797,  he  was 
chosen  Vice-President,  and  four  years  later  was 
elected  President  over  Mr.  Adams,  with  Aaron 


28 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


Burr  as  Vice-President.  In  1804  he  was  re- 
elected  with  wonderful  unanimity,  George  Clin- 
ton being  elected  Vice-President. 

The  early  part  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  second  ad- 
ministration was  disturbed  by  an  event  which 
threatened  the  tranquillity  and  peace  of  the  Union; 
this  was  the  conspiracy  of  Aaron  Burr.  Defeated 
in  the  late  election  to  the  Vice-Presidency,  and 
led  on  by  an  unprincipled  ambition,  this  extraor- 
dinary man  formed  the  plan  of  a  military  ex- 
pedition into  the  Spanish  territories  on  our  south- 
western frontier,  for  the  purpose  of  fprming  there 
a  new  republic.  This  was  generally  supposed 
to  have  been  a  mere  pretext;  and  although  it  has 
not  been  generally  known  what  his  real  plans 
were,  there  is  no  doubt  that  they  were  of  a  far 
more  dangerous  character. 

In  1809,  at  the  expiration  of  the  second  term 
for  which  Mr.  Jefferson  had  been  elected,  he  de- 
termined to  retire  from  political  life.  For  a  period 
of  nearly  forty  years  he  had  been  continually  be- 
fore the  public,  and  all  that  time  had  been  em- 
ployed in  offices  of  the  greatest  trust  and  respon- 
sibility. Having  thus  devoted  the  best  part  of 
his  life  to  the  service  of  his  country,  he  now  felt 
desirous  of  that  rest  which  his  declining  years  re- 
-  quired,  and  upon  the  organization  of  the  new  ad- 
ministration, in  March,  1809,  he  bade  farewell  for- 
tver  to  public  life  and  retired  to  Monticello,  his 
famous  country  home,  which,  next  to  Mt.  Vernon, 
was  the  most  distinguished  residence  in  the  land. 

The  Fourth  of  July,  1826,  being  the  fiftieth  an- 
niversary of  the  Declaration  of  American  Inde- 
pendence, great  preparations  were  made  in  every 
part  of  the  Union  for  its  celebration  as  the  nation's 
jubilee,  and  the  citizens  of  Washington,  to  add  to 
the  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  invited  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son, as  the  framer  and  one  of  the  few  surviving 
signers  of  the  Declaration,  to  participate  in  their 
festivities.  But  an  illness,  which  had  been  of 
several  weeks'  duration  and  had  been  continually 
increasing,  compelled  him  to  decline  the  invita- 
tion. 

On  the  ad  of  July  the  disease  under  which  he 
was  laboring  left  him,  but  in  such  a  reduced 
state  that  his  medical  attendants  entertained  no 
hope  of  his  recovery.  From  this  time  he  was 


perfectly  sensible  that  his  last  hour  was  at  hand. 
On  the  next  day,  which  was  Monday,  he  asked 
of  those  around  him  the  day  of  the  month,  and 
on  being  told  it  was  the  3d  of  July,  he  ex- 
pressed the  earnest  wish  that  he  might  be  per- 
mitted to  breathe  the  air  of  the  fiftieth  anniver- 
sary. His  prayer  was  heard — that  day  whose 
dawn  was  hailed  with  such  rapture  through  our 
land  burst  upon  his  eyes,  and  then  they  were 
closed  forever.  And  what  a  noble  consummation 
of  a  noble  life!  To  die  on  that  day — the  birth- 
day of  a  nation — the  day  which  his  own  name 
and  his  own  act  had  rendered  glorious,  to  die 
amidst  the  rejoicings  and  festivities  of  a  whole 
nation,  who  looked  up  to  him  as  the  author,  un- 
der God,  of  their  greatest  blessings,  was  all  that 
was  wanting  to  fill  up  the  record  of  his  life. 

Almost  at  the  same  hour  of  his  death,  the  kin- 
dred spirit  of  the  venerable  Adams,  as  if  to  bear 
him  company,  left  the  scene  of  his  earthly  honors. 
Hand  in  hand  they  had  stood  forth,  the  cham- 
pions of  freedom ;  hand  in  hand,  during  the  dark 
and  desperate  struggle  of  the  Revolution,  they 
had  cheered  and  animated  their  desponding  coun- 
trymen; for  half  a  century  they  had  labored  to- 
gether for  the  good  of  the  country,  and  now  hand 
in  hand  they  departed.  In  their  lives  they  had 
been  united  in  the  same  great  cause  of  liberty, 
and  in  their  deaths  they  were  not  divided. 

In  person  Mr.  Jefferson  was  tall  and  thin,  rather 
above  six  feet  in  height,  but  well  formed;  his  eyes 
were  light,  his  hair,  originally  red,  in  after  life  be- 
came white  and  silvery,  his  complexion  was  fair, 
his  forehead  broad,  and  his  whole  countenance 
intelligent  and  thoughtful.  He  possessed  great 
fortitude  of  mind  as  well  as  personal  courage,  and 
his  command  of  temper  was  such  that  his  oldest 
and  most  intimate  friends  never  recollected  to 
have  seen  him  in  a  passion.  His  manners,  though 
dignified,  were  simple  and  unaffected,  and  his 
hospitality  was  so  unbounded  that  all  found  at 
his  house  a  ready  welcome.  In  conversation  he 
was  fluent,  eloquent  and  enthusiastic,  and  his 
language  was  remarkably  pure  and  correct.  He 
was  a  finished  classical  scholar,  and  in  his  writ- 
ings is  discernible  the  care  with  which  lie  formed 
his  style  upon  the  best  models  of  antiquity. 


LIBRARY 

OfTHE 

UNIYERSIIY  Of  ILUNttS 


. 


• 


JAMES  MADISON. 


(TAMES  MADISON,   "Father  of  the  Consti- 

I  tution, ' '  and  fourth  President  of  the  United 
G)  States,  was  born  March  16,  1757,  and  died 
at  his  home  in  Virginia  June  28,  1836.  The 
name  of  James  Madison  is  inseparably  connected 
with  most  of  the  important  events  in  that  heroic 
period  of  our  country  during  which  the  founda- 
tions of  this  great  republic  were  laid.  He  was 
the  last  of  the  founders  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  to  be  called  to  his  eternal  reward. 

The  Madison  family  were  among  the  early  emi- 
grants to  the  New  World,  landing  upon  the  shores 
of  the  Chesapeake  but  fifteen  years  after  the  settle- 
ment of  Jamestown.  The  father  of  James  Madison 
was  an  opulent  planter,  residing  upon  a  very  fine 
estate  called  Montpelier,  in  Orange  County,  Va. 
It  was  but  twenty-five  miles  from  the  home  of  Jef- 
ferson at  Monticello,  and  the  closest  personal  and 
political  attachment  existed  between  these  illustri- 
ous men  from  their  early  youth  until  death. 

The  early  education  of  Mr.  Madison  was  con- 
ducted mostly  at  home  under  a  private  tutor.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  was  sent  to  Princeton  Col- 
lege, in  New  Jersey.  Here  he  applied  himself  to 
study  with  the  most  imprudent  zeal,  allowing  him- 
self for  months  but  three  hours'  sleep  out  of  the 
twenty-four.  His  health  thus  became  so  seriously 
impaired  that  he  never  recovered  any  vigor  of 
constitution.  He  graduated  in  1771,  with  a  feeble 
body,  but  with  a  character  of  utmost  purity,  and 
a  mind  highly  disciplined  and  richly  stored  with 
learning,  which  embellished  and  gave  efficiency 
to  his  subsequent  career. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  commenced  the  study 
of  law  and  a  course  of  extensive  and  systematic 
reading.  This  educational  course,  the  spirit  of 
the  times  in  which  he  lived,  and  the  society  with 
which  he  associated,  all  combined  to  inspire  him 
with  a  strong  love  of  liberty,  and  to  train  him  for 
his  life-work  as  a  statesman. 

In  the  spring  of  1776,  when  twenty-six  years  of 


age,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Con- 
vention to  frame  the  constitution  of  the  State.  The 
next  year  (1777),  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly.  He  refused  to  treat  the  whisky -lov- 
ing voters,  and  consequently  lost  his  election;  but 
those  who  had  witnessed  the  talent,  energy  and 
public  spirit  of  the  modest  young  man  enlisted 
themselves  in  his  behalf,  and  he  was  appointed  to 
the  Executive  Council. 

Both  Patrick  Henry  and  Thomas  Jefferson  were 
Governors  of  Virginia  while  Mr.  Madison  re- 
mained member  of  the  Council,  and  their  apprecia- 
tion of  his  intellectual,  social  and  moral  worth 
contributed  not  a  little  to  his  subsequent  eminence. 
In  the  year  1780  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Continental  Congress.  Here  he  met  the  most  il- 
lustrious men  in  our  land,  and  he  was  immediately 
assigned  to  one  ot  the  most  conspicuous  positions 
among  them.  For  three  years  he  continued  in  Con- 
gress, one  of  its  most  active  and  influential  mem- 
bers. In  1784,  his  term  having  expired,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  legislature. 

No  man  felt  more  deeply  than  Mr.  Madison  the 
utter  inefficiency  of  the  old  confederacy,  with  no 
national  government,  and  no  power  to  form  trea- 
ties which  would  be  binding,  or  to  enforce  law. 
There  was  not  any  State  more  prominent  than 
Virginia  in  the  declaration  that  an  efficient  na- 
tional government  must  be  formed.  In  January, 
1786,  Mr.  Madison  carried  a  resolution  through 
the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia,  inviting  the 
other  States  to  appoint  commissioners  to  meet  in 
convention  at  Annapolis  to  discuss  this  subject. 
Five  States  only  were  represented.  The  conven- 
tion, however,  issued  another  call,  drawn  up  by 
Mr.  Madison,  urging  all  the  States  to  send  their 
delegates  to  Philadelphia  in  May,  1787,  to  draft 
a  Constitution  for  the  United  States,  to  take  the 
place  of  the  Confederate  League.  The  delegates 
met  at  the  time  appointed.  Every  State  but 
Rhode  Island  was  represented.  Georp e  Washing- 


JAMES  MADISON. 


ton  was  chosen  president  of  the  convention,  and  the 
present  Constitution  of  the  United  States  was  then 
and  there  formed.  There  was,  perhaps,  no  mind 
and  no  pen  more  active  in  framing  this  immortal 
document  than  the  mind  and  the  pen  of  James 
Madison. 

The  Constitution,  adopted  by  a  vote  of  eighty-one 
to  seventy-nine,  was  to  be  presented  to  the  several 
States  for  acceptance.  But  grave  solicitude  was 
felt.  Should  it  be  rejected,  we  should  be  left  but  a 
conglomeration  of  independent  States,  with  but 
little  power  at  home  and  little  respect  abroad.  Mr. 
Madison  was  elected  by  the  convention  to  draw  up 
an  address  to  the  people  of  the  United  States,  ex- 
pounding the  principles  of  the  Constitution,  and 
urging  its  adoption.  There  was  great  opposition 
to  it  at  first,  but  at  length  it  triumphed  over  all, 
and  went  into  effect  in  1789. 

Mr.  Madison  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  the  first  Congress,  and  soon  became 
the  avowed  leader  of  the  Republican  party.  While 
in  New  York  attending  Congress,  he  met  Mrs. 
Todd,  a  young  widow  of  remarkable  power  of  fas- 
cination, whom  he  married.  She  was  in  person 
and  character  queenly,  and  probaby  no  lady  has 
thus  far  occupied  so  prominent  a  position  in  the 
very  peculiar  society  which  has  constituted  our 
republican  court  as  did  Mrs.  Madison. 

Mr.  Madison  served  as  Secretary  of  State  under 
Jefferson,  and  at  the  close  of  his  administration 
was  chosen  President.  At  this  time  the  encroach- 
ments of  England  had  brought  us  to  the  verge  of 
war.  British  orders  in  council  destroyed  our  com- 
merce, and  our  flag  was  exposed  to  constant  insult. 
Mr.  Madison  was  a  man  of  peace.  Scholarly  in 
his  taste,  retiring  in  his  disposition,  war  had  no 
charms  for  him.  But  the  meekest  spirit  can  be 
roused.  It  makes  one's  blood  boil,  even  now,  to 
think  of  an  American  ship  brought  to  upon  the 
ocean  by  the  guns  of  an  English  cruiser.  A 
young  lieutenant  steps  on  board  and  orders  the 
crew  to  be  paraded  before  him.  With  great  non- 
chalance he  selects  any  number  whom  he  may 
please  to  designate  as  British  subjects,  orders  them 
down  the  ship's  side  into  his  boat,  and  places  them 
on  the  gundeck  of  his  man-of-war,  to  fight,  by 
compulsion,  the  battles  of  England.  This  right 


of  search  and  impressment  no  efforts  of  our  Gov- 
ernment could  induce  the  British  cabinet  to  re- 
linquish. 

On  the  1 8th  of  June,  1812,  President  Madison 
gave  his  approval  to  an  act  of  Congress  declaring 
war  against  Great  Britain.  Notwithstanding  the 
bitter  hostility  of  the  Federal  party  to  the  war,  the 
country  in  general  approved;  and  Mr.  Madison, 
on  the  4th  of  March,  1813,  was  re-elected  by  a 
large  majority,  and  entered  upon  his  second  term 
of  office.  This  is  not  the  place  to  describe  the 
various  adventures  of  this  war  on  the  land  and  on 
the  water.  Our  infant  navy  then  laid  the  found- 
ations of  its  renown  in  grappling  with  the  most 
formidable  power  which  ever  swept  the  seas.  The 
contest  commenced  in  earnest  by  the  appearance 
of  a  British  fleet,  early  in  February,  1813,  in 
Chesapeake  Bay,  declaring  nearly  the  whole  coast 
of  the  United  States  under  blockade. 

The  Emperor  of  Russia  offered  his  services  as 
mediator.  America  accepted;  England  refused. 
A.  British' force  of  five  thousand  men  landed  on  the 
banks  of  the  Patuxet  River,  near  its  entrance  into 
Chesapeake  Bay,  and  marched  rapidly,  by  way  of 
Bladensburg,  upon  Washington. 

The  straggling  little  city  of  Washington  was 
thrown  into  consternation.  The  cannon  of  the 
brief  conflict  at  Bladensburg  echoed  through  the 
streets  of  the  metropolis.  The  whole  population 
fled  from  the  city.  The  President,  leaving  Mrs. 
Madison  in  the  White  House,  with  her  carriage 
drawn  up  at  the  door  to  await  his  speedy  return, 
hurried  to  meet  the  officers  in  a  council  of  war. 
He  met  our  troops  utterly  routed,  and  he  could  not 
go  back  without  danger  of  being  captured.  But 
few  hours  elapsed  ere  the  Presidential  Mansion, 
the  Capitol,  and  all  the  public  buildings  in  Wash- 
ington were  in  flames. 

The  war  closed  after  two  years  of  fighting,  and 
on  February  13,  1815,  the  treaty  of  peace  was 
signed  at  Ghent.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1817,  his 
second  term  of  office  expired,  and  he  resigned  the 
Presidential  chair  to  his  friend,  James  Monroe. 
He  retired  to  his  beautiful  home  at  Montpelier,  and 
there  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days.  On  June 
28,  1836,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years,  he  fell 
asleep  in  death.  Mrs.  Madison  died  July  12,  1849. 


LIBRARY 

or  rm 


JAMES  MONROE. 


(TAMES  MONROE,  the  fifth  President  of  the 
I  United  States,  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
G)  County,  Va.,  April  28,  1758.  His  early  life 
was  passed  at  the  place  of  his  nativity.  His  an- 
cestors had  for  many  years  resided  in  the  province 
in  which  he  was  born.  When  he  was  seventeen 
years  old,  and  in  process  of  completing  his  educa- 
tion at  William  and  Mary  College,  the  Colonial 
Congress,  assembled  at  Philadelphia  to  deliberate 
upon  the  unjust  and  manifold  oppressions  of  Great 
Britain,  declared  the  separation  of  the  Colonies, 
and  promulgated  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Had  he  been  born  ten  years  before,  it  is  highly 
probable  that  he  would  have  been  one  of  the 
signers  of  that  celebrated  instrument.  At  this 
time  he  left  school  and  enlisted  among  the  pa- 
triots. 

He  joined  the  army  when  everything  looked 
hopeless  and  gloomy.  The  number  of  deserters 
increased  from  day  to  day.  The  invading  armies 
came  pouring  in,  and  the  Tories  not  only  favored 
the  cause  of  the  mother  country,  but  disheartened 
the  new  recruits,  who  were  sufficiently  terrified 
at  the  prospect  of  contending  with  an  enemy 
whom  they  had  been  taught  to  deem  invincible. 
To  such  brave  spirits  as  James  Monroe,  who  went 
right  onward  undismayed  through  difficulty  and 
danger,  the  United  States  owe  their  political 
emancipation.  The  young  cadet  joined  the  ranks 
and  espoused  the  cause  of  his  injured  country, 
with  a  firm  determination  to  live  or  die  in  her 
strife  for  liberty.  Firmly,  yet  sadly,  he  shared  in 
the  melancholy  retreat  from  Harlem  Heights 
and  White  Plains,  and  accompanied  the  dispirited 
army  as  it  fled  before  its  foes  through  New  Jersey. 
In  four  months  after  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, the  patriots  had  been  beaten  in  seven 
battles.  At  the  battle  of  Trenton  he  led  the  van- 
guard, and  in  the  act  of  charging  upon  the  enemy 
he  received  a  wound  in  the  left  shoulder. 


As  a  reward  for  his  bravery,  Mr.  Monroe  was 
promoted  to  be  captain  of  infantry,  and,  having  re- 
covered from  his  wounds,  he  rejoined  the  army. 
He,  however,  receded  from  the  line  of  promotion 
by  becoming  an  officer  on  the  staff  of  L,ord  Ster- 
ling. During  the  campaigns  of  1777  and  1778, 
in  the  actions  of  Brandywine,  Germantown  and 
Monmouth,  he  continued  aide-de-camp;  but  be- 
coming desirous  to  regain  his  position  in  the 
army,  he  exerted  himself  to  collect  a  regiment  for 
the  Virginia  line.  This  scheme  failed,  owing  to 
the  exhausted  condition  of  the  State.  Upon  this 
failure  he  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  at 
that  period  Governor,  and  pursued  with  consid- 
erable ardor  the  study  of  common  law.  He  did 
not,  however,  entirely  lay  aside  the  knapsack  for 
the  green  bag,  but  on  the  invasion  of  the  enemy 
served  as  a  volunteer  during  the  two  years  of  his 
legal  pursuits. 

In  1782  he  was  elected  from  King  George 
County  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  Virginia, 
and  by  that  body  he  was  elevated  to  a  seat  in  the 
Executive  Council.  He  was  thus  honored  with 
the  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens  at  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  and  having  at  this  early  period 
displayed  some  of  that  ability  and  aptitude  foi 
legislation  which  were  afterward  employed  with 
unremitting  energy  for  the  public  good,  he  was 
in  the  succeeding  year  chosen  a  member  of  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States. 

Deeply  as  Mr.  Monroe  felt  the  imperfections  of 
the  old  Confederacy,  he  was  opposed  to  the  new 
Constitution,  thinking,  with  many  others  of  the 
Republican  party,  that  it  gave  too  much  power  to 
the  Central  Government,  and  not  enough  to  the 
individual  States.  Still  he  retained  the  esteem 
of  his  friends  who  were  its  warm  supporters,  and 
who,  notwithstanding  his  opposition,  secured  its 
adoption.  In  1789  he  became  a  member  of  the 
United  States  Senate,  which  office  he  held  for 


JAMES  MONROE. 


four  years.  Every  month  the  line  of  distinction 
between  the  two  great  parties  which  divided  the 
nation,  the  Federal  and  the  Republican,  was 
growing  more  distinct.  The  differences  which 
now  separated  them  lay  in  the  fact  that  the  Repub- 
lican party  was  in  sympathy  with  France,  and 
also  in  favor  of  such  a  strict  construction  of  the 
Constitution  as  to  give  the  Central  Government  as 
little  power,  and  the  State  Governments  as  much 
power,  as  the  Constitution  would  warrant;  while 
the  Federalists  sympathized  with  England,  and 
were  in  favor  of  a  liberal  construction  of  the  Con- 
stitution, which  would  give  as  much  power  to  the 
Central  Government  as  that  document  could  pos- 
sibly authorize. 

Washington  was  then  President.  England  had 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  Bourbons  against  the 
principles  of  the  French  Revolution.  All  Europe 
was  drawn  into  the  conflict.  We  were  feeble  and 
far  away.  Washington  issued  a  proclamation  of 
neutrality  between  these  contending  powers. 
France  had  helped  us  in  the  struggles  for  Our 
liberties.  All  the  despotisms  of  Europe  were  now 
combined  to  prevent  the  French  from  escaping 
from  a  tyranny  a  thousand-fold  worse  than  that 
which  we  had  endured.  Col.  Monroe,  more  mag- 
nanimous than  prudent,  was  anxious  that,  at 
whatever  hazard,  we  should  help  our  old  allies  in 
their  extremity.  It  was  the  impulse  of  a  gener- 
ous and  noble  nature,  and  Washington,  who  could 
appreciate  such  a  character,  showed  his  calm,  se- 
rene, almost  divine,  greatness,  by  appointing  that 
very  James  Monroe  who  was  denouncing  the  pol- 
icy of  the  Government,  as  the  minister  of  that 
Government  to  the  Republic  of  France.  Mr. 
Monroe  was  welcomed  by  the  National  Conven- 
tion in  France  with  the  most  enthusiastic  dem- 
onstration. 

Shortly  after  his  return  to  this  country,  Mr. 
Monroe  was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia,  and 
held  the  office  for  three  years.  He  was  again 
sent  to  France  to  co-operate  with  Chancellor  Liv- 
ingston in  obtaining  the  vast  territory  then  known 
as  the  province  of  Louisiana,  which  France  had 
but  shortly  before  obtained  from  Spain.  Their 
united  efforts  were  successful.  For  the  compara- 
tively small  sum  of  fifteen  millions  of  dollars,  the 


entire  territory  of  Orleans  and  district  of  Loui- 
siana were  added  to  the  United  States.  This  was 
probably  the  largest  transfer  of  real  estate  which 
was  ever  made  in  all  the  history  of  the  world. 

From  France  Mr.  Monroe  went  to  England  to 
obtain  from  that  country  some  recognition  of  our 
rights  as  neutrals,  and  to  remonstrate  against 
those  odious  impressments  of  our  seamen.  But 
England  was  unrelenting.  He  again  returned  to 
England  on  the  same  mission,  but  could  receive 
no  redress.  He  returned  to  his  home  and  was 
again  chosen  Governor  of  Virginia.  This  he  soon 
resigned  to  accept  the  position  of  Secretary  of 
State  under  Madison.  While  in  this  office  war 
with  England  was  declared,  the  Secretary  of  War 
resigned,  and  during  these  trying  times  the 
duties  of  the  War  Department  were  also  put  upon 
him.  He  was  truly  the  armor-bearer  of  President 
Madison,  and  the  most  efficient  business  man  in 
his  cabinet.  Upon  the  return  of  peace  he  re- 
signed the  Department  of  War,  but  continued  in 
•the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  until  the  expira- 
tion of  Mr.  Madison's  administration.  At  the 
election  held  the  previous  autumn,  Mr.  Monroe 
himself  had  been  chosen  President  with  but  little 
opposition,  and  upon  March  4,  1817,  he  was  in- 
augurated. Four  years  later  he  was  elected  for 
a  second  term. 

Among  the  important  measures  of  his  Presi- 
dency were  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the  United 
States,  the  Missouri  Compromise,  and  the  famous 
"  Monroe  doctrine."  This  doctrine  was  enun- 
ciated by  him  in  1823,  and  was  as  follows:  "  That 
we  should  consider  any  attempt  on  the  part  of 
European  powers  to  extend  their  system  to  any 
portion  of  this  hemisphere  as  dangerous  to  our 
peace  and  safety,"  and  that  "  we  could  not  view 
any  interposition  for  the  purpose  of  oppressing  or 
controlling  American  governments  or  provinces 
in  any  other  light  than  as  a  manifestation  by 
European  powers  of  an  unfriendly  disposition 
toward  the  United  States." 

At  the  end  of  his  second  term,  Mr.  Monroe  re- 
tired to  his  home  in  Virginia,  where  he  lived  un- 
til 1830,  when  he  went  to  New  York  to  live  witli 
his  son-in-law.  In  that  city  he  died,  on  the  4th 
of  July,  1831. 


LIBRARY 

Of  THE 

UNIYERSIIY  OF  ILLINOIS 


J. 


JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS. 


(JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS,  the  sixth  President 

I  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  the  rural 
O  home  of  his  honored  father,  John  Adams,  in 
Quincy,  Mass.,  on  the  nth  of  July,  1767.  His 
mother,  a  woman  of  exalted  worth,  watched  over 
his  childhood  during  the  almost  constant  ab- 
sence of  his  father.  When  but  eight  years  of 
age,  he  stood  with  his  mother  on  an  eminence, 
listening  to  the  booming  of  the  great  battle  on 
Bunker's  Hill,  and  gazing  out  upon  the  smoke 
and  flames  billowing  up  from  the  conflagration  of 
Charlestown. 

When  but  eleven  years  old  he  took  a  tearful 
adieu  of  his  mother,  to  sail  with  his  father  for  Eu- 
rope, through  a  fleet  of  hostile  British  cruisers. 
The  bright,  animated  boy  spent  a  year  and  a-half 
in  Paris,  where  his  father  was  associated  with 
Franklin  and  Lee  as  Minister  Plenipotentiary. 
His  intelligence  attracted  the  notice  of  these  dis- 
tinguished men,  and  he  received  from  them  flat- 
tering marks  of  attention. 

John  Adams  had  scarcely  returned  to  this 
country,  in  1779,  ere  he  was  again  sent  abroad. 
Again  John  Quincy  accompanied  his  father.  At 
Paris  he  applied  himself  to  study  with  great  dil- 
igence for  six  months,  and  then  accompanied  his 
father  to  Holland,  where  he  entered  first  a  school 
in  Amsterdam,  then  the  University  at  Leyden. 
About  a  year  from  this  time,  in  1781,  when  the 
manly  boy  was  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  was 
selected  by  Mr.  Dana,  our  Minister  to  the  Rus- 
sian court,  as  his  private  secretary. 

In  this  school  of  incessant  labor  and  of  ennobl- 
ing culture  he  spent  fourteen  months,  and  then 
returned  to  Holland,  through  Sweden,  Denmark, 
Hamburg  and  Bremen.  This  long  journey  he 
took  alone  in  the  winter,  when  in  his  sixteenth 
year.  Again  he  resumed  his  studies,  under  a  pri- 
vate tutor,  at  The  Hague.  Then,  in  the  spring  of 
1782,  he  accompanied  his  father  to  Paris,  travel- 
ing leisurely,  and  forming  acquaintances  with  the 
most  distinguished  men  on  the  continent,  examin- 


ing architectural  remains,  galleries  of  paintings, 
and  all  renowned  works  of  art.  At  Paris  he 
again  became  associated  with  the  most  illustrious 
men  of  all  lands  in  the  contemplation  of  the 
loftiest  temporal  themes  which  can  engross  the 
human  mind.  After  a  short  visit  to  England  he 
returned  to  Paris,  and  consecrated  all  his  energies 
to  study  until  May,  1785,  when  he  returned  to 
America  to  finish  his  education. 

Upon  leaving  Harvard  College  at  the  age  of 
twenty,  he  studied  law  for  three  years.  In  June, 
1 794,  being  then  but  twenty-seven  years  of  age, 
he  was  appointed  by  Washington  Resident  Min- 
ister at  the  Netherlands.  Sailing  from  Boston  in 
July,  he  reached  London  in  October,  where  he 
was  immediately  admitted  to  the  deliberations  oi 
Messrs.  Jay  &  Pinckney,  assisting  them  in  nego- 
tiating a  commercial  treaty  with  Great  Britain. 
After  thus  spending  a  fortnight  in  London,  he 
proceeded  to  The  Hague. 

In  July,  1797,  he  left  The  Hague  to  go  to  Por- 
tugal as  Minister  Plenipotentiary.  On  his  way  to 
Portugal,  upon  arriving  in  London,  he  met  with 
despatches  directing  him  to  the  court  of  Berlin,  but 
requesting  him  to  remain  in  London  until  he 
should  receive  his  instructions.  While  waiting 
he  was  married  to  an  American  lady,  to  whom  he 
had  been  previously  engaged — Miss  Louisa  Cath- 
erine Johnson,  a  daughter  of  Joshua  Johnson, 
American  Consul  in  London,  and  a  lady  en- 
dowed with  that  beauty  and  those  accomplish- 
ments which  eminently  fitted  her  to  move  in  the 
elevated  sphere  for  which  she  was  destined.  He 
reached  Berlin  with  his  wife  in  November,  1797, 
where  he  remained  until  July,  1799,  when,  hav- 
ing fulfilled  all  the  purposes  of  his  mission,  he  so 
licited  his  recall. 

Soon  after  his  return,  in  1802,  he  was  chosen 
to  the  Senate  of  Massachusetts  from  Boston,  and 
then  was  elected  Senator  of  the  United  States  for 
six  years,  from  the  4th  of  March,  1804.  His  rep- 
utation, his  ability  and  his  experience  placed 


JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS. 


him  immediately  among  the  most  prominent  and 
influential  members  of  that  body. 

In  1809,  Madison  succeeded  Jefferson  in  the 
Presidential  chair,  and  he  immediately  nominated 
John  Quincy  Adams  Minister  to  St.  Petersburg!!. 
Resigning  his  professorship  in  Harvard  Col- 
lege, he  embarked  at  Boston  in  August,  1809. 

While  in  Russia,  Mr.  Adams  was  an  intense 
student.  He  devoted  his  attention  to  the  lan- 
guage and  history  of  Russia;  to  the  Chinese  trade; 
to  the  European  system  of  weights,  measures  and 
coins;  to  the  climate  and  astronomical  observa- 
tions; while  he  kept  up  a  familiar  acquaintance 
with  the  Greek  and  Latin  classics.  In  all  the 
universities  of  Europe,  a .  more  accomplished 
scholar  could  scarcely  be  found.  All  through 
life  the  Bible  constituted  an  important  part  of  his 
studies.  It  was  his  rule  to  read  five  chapters 
every  day. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1817,  Mr.  Monroe  took 
the  Presidential  chair,  and  immediately  appointed 
Mr.  Adams  Secretary  of  State.  Taking  leave;  of 
his  numerous  friends  in  public  and  private  life  in 
Europe,  he  sailed  in  June,  1819,  for  the  United 
States.  On  the  i8th  of  August,  he  again  crossed 
the  threshold  of  his  home  in  Quincy.  During  the 
eight  years  of  Mr.  Monroe's  administration,  Mr. 
Adams  continued  Secretary  of  State. 

Some  time  before  the  close  of  Mr.  Monroe's 
second  term  of  office,  new  candidates  began  to  be 
presented  for  the  Presidency.  The  friends  of  Mr. 
Adams  brought  forward  his  name.  It  was  an 
exciting  campaign,  and  party  spirit  was  never 
more  bitter.  Two  hundred  and  sixty  electoral 
votes  were  cast.  Andrew  Jackson  received  ninety- 
nine;  John  Quincy  Adams  eighty-four;  William 
H.  Crawford  forty-one;  and  Henry  Clay  thirty- 
seven.  As  there  was  no  choice  by  the  people, 
the  question  went  to  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives. Mr.  Clay  gave  the  vote  of  Kentucky  to 
Mr.  Adams,  and  he  was  elected. 

The  friends  of  all  the  disappointed  candidates 
now  combined  in  a  venomous  and  persistent  as- 
sault upon  Mr.  Adams.  There  is  nothing  more 
disgraceful  in  the  past  history  of  our  country  than 
the  abuse  which  was  poured  in  one  uninterrupted 
stream  upon  this  high-minded,  upright  and  pa- 


triotic man.  There  never  was  an  administration 
more  pure  in  principles,  more  conscientiously  de- 
voted to  the  best  interests  of  the  country,  than 
that  of  John  Quincy  Adams;  and  never,  perhaps, 
was  there  an  administration  more  unscrupulously 
and  outrageously  assailed. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1829,  Mr.  Adams  retired 
from  the  Presidency,  and  was  succeeded  by  An- 
drew Jackson.  John  C.  Calhoun  was  elected 
Vice-President.  The  slavery  question  now  be- 
gan to  assume  portentous  magnitude.  Mr.  Adams 
returned  to  Quincy  and  to  his  studies,  which  he 
pursued  with  unabated  zeal.  But  he  was  not 
long  permitted  to  remain  in  retirement.  In  No- 
vember, 1830,  he  was  elected  Representative  in 
Congress.  For  seventeen  years,  or  until  his  death, 
he  occupied  the  post  as  Representative,  towering 
above  all  his  peers,  ever  ready  to  do  brave  battle 
for  freedom,  and  winning  the  title  of  "the  Old 
Man  Eloquent."  Upon  taking  his  seat  in  the 
House,  he  announced  that  he  should  hold  hiin- 
,se.Lf -bound  to  no  party.  Probably  there  never 
was  a  member  more  devoted  to  his  duties.  He 
was  usually  the  first  in  his  place  in  the  morning, 
and  the  last  to  leave  his  seat  in  the  evening. 
Not  a  measure  could  be  brought  forward  and  es- 
cape his  scrutiny.  The  battle  which  Mr.  Adams 
fought,  almost  singly,  against  the  pro-slavery 
party  in  the  Governmsnt  was  sublime  in  its 
moral  daring  and  heroism.  For  persisting  in 
presenting  petitions  for  the  abolition  of  slavery, 
he  was  threatened  with  indictment  by  the  grand 
jury,  with  expulsion  from  the  House,  with  assas- 
sination ;  but  no  threats  could  intimidate  him,  and 
his  final  triumph  was  complete. 

On  the  2ist  of  February,  1848,  he  rose  on  the 
floor  of  Congress  with  a  paper  in  his  hand,  to 
address  the  speaker.  Suddenly  he  fell,  again 
stricken  by  paralysis,  and  was  caught  in  the  arms 
of  those  around  him.  For  a  time  he  was  sense- 
less, as  he  was  conveyed  to  the  sofa  in  the  ro- 
tunda. With  reviving  consciousness,  he  opened 
his  eyes,  looked  calmly  around  and  said  ' '  This 
is  the  end  of  earth;"  then  after  a  moment's  pause 
he  added,  "  I  am  content."  These  were  the  last 
words  of  the  grand  "Old  Man  Eloquent." 


LJBfj/WY 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 


(31  NDREW  JACKSON,  the  seventh  President 
LJ  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Waxhaw 
/  I  settlement,  N.  C.,  March  15,  1767,  a  few 
days  after  his  father's  death.  His  parents  were 
poor  emigrants  from  Ireland,  and  took  up  their 
abode  in  Waxhaw  settlement,  where  they  lived 
in  deepest  poverty. 

Andrew,  or  Andy,  as  he  was  universally  called, 
grew  up  a  very  rough,  rude,  turbulent  boy.  His 
features  were  coarse,  his  form  ungainly,  and  there 
was  but  very  little  in  his  character  made  visible 
which  was  attractive. 

When  only  thirteen  years  old  he  joined  the 
volunteers  of  Carolina  against  the  British  invasion. 
In  1781,  he  and  his  brother  Robert  were  captured 
and  imprisoned  for  a  time  at  Camden.  A  British 
officer  ordered  him  to  brush  his  mud-spattered 
boots.  "lam  a  prisoner  of  war,  not  your  serv- 
ant," was  the  reply  of  the  dauntless  boy. 

Andrew  supported  himself  in  various  ways,  such 
as  working  at  the  saddler's  trade,  teaching  school, 
and  clerking  in  a  general  store,  until  1784,  when 
he  entered  a  law  office  at  Salisbury,  N.  C.  He, 
however,  gave  more  attention  to  the  wild  amuse- 
ments of  the  times  than  to  his  studies.  In  1788, 
he  was  appointed  solicitor  for  the  Western  District 
of  North  Carolina,  of  which  Tennessee  was  then 
a  part.  This  involved  many  long  journeys  amid 
dangers  of  every  kind,  but  Andrew  Jackson  never 
knew  fear,  and  the  Indians  had  no  desire  to  re- 
peat a  skirmish  with  "Sharp  Knife." 

In  1791,  Mr.  Jackson  was  married  to  a  woman 
who  supposed  herself  divorced  from  her  former 
husband.  Great  was  the  surprise  of  both  parties, 
two  years  later,  to  find  that  the  conditions  of  the 
divorce  had  just  been  definitely  settled  by  the 
first  husband.  The  marriage  ceremony  was  per- 
formed a  second  time,  but  the  occurrence  was 
often  used  by  his  enemies  to  bring  Mr.  Jackson 
into  disfavor. 


In  January,  1796,  the  Territory  of  Tennessee 
then  containing  nearly  eighty  thousand  inhabi- 
tants, the  people  met  in  convention  at  Knoxville 
to  frame  a  constitution.  Five  were  sent  from 
each  of  the  eleven  counties.  Andrew  Jackson 
was  one  of  the  delegates.  The  new  State  was 
entitled  to  but  one  member  in  the  National  House 
of  Representatives.  Andrew  Jackspn  was  chosen 
that  member.  Mounting  his  horse,  he  rode  to 
Philadelphia,  where  Congress  then  held  its  ses- 
sions, a  distance  of  about  eight  hundred  miles. 

Jackson  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  Jefferson  was  his  idol.  He  ad- 
mired Bonaparte,  loved  France,  and  hated  Eng- 
land. As  Mr.  Jackson  took  his  seat,  Gen.  Wash- 
ington, whose  second  term  of  office  was  then 
expiring,  delivered  his  last  speech  to  Congress. 
A  committee  drew  up  a  complimentary  address  in 
reply.  Andrew  Jackson  did  not  approve  of  the 
address,  and  was  one  of  the  twelve  who  voted 
against  it.  He  was  not  willing  to  say  that  Gen. 
Washington's  administration  had  been  "wise, 
firm  and  patriotic. ' ' 

Mr.  Jackson  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1797,  but  soon  resigned  and  returned 
home.  Soon  after  he  was  chosen  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  his  State,  which  position  he 
held  for  six  years. 

When  the  War  of  1812  with  Great  Britain  com- 
menced, Madison  occupied  the  Presidential  chair. 
Aaron  Burr  sent  word  to  the  President  that  there 
was  an  unknown  man  in  the  West,  Andrew  Jack- 
son, who  would  do  credit  to  a  commission  if  one 
were  conferred  upon  him.  Just  at  that  time  Gen. 
Jackson  offered  his  services  and  those  of  twenty- 
five  hundred  volunteers.  His  offer  was  accepted, 
and  the  troops  were  assembled  at  Nashville. 

As  the  British  were  hourly  expected  to  make 
an  attack  upon  New  Orleans,  where  Gen.  Wil- 
kinson was  in  command,  he  was  ordered  to  de- 


44 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 


scene'  the  river  with  fifteen  hundred  troops  to  aid 
Wilkinson.  The  expedition  reached  Natchez, 
and  after  a  delay  of  several  weeks  there  without 
accomplishing  anything,  the  men  were  ordered 
back  to  their  homes.  But  the  energy  Gen.  Jack- 
son had  displayed,  and  his  entire  devotion  to  the 
comfort  of  his  soldiers,  won  for  him  golden  opin- 
ions, and  he  became  the  most  popular  man  in  the 
State.  It  was  in  this  expedition  that  his  tough- 
ness gave  him  the  nickname  of  "Old  Hickory." 

Soon  after  this,  while  attempting  to  horsewhip 
Col.  Thomas  Benton  for  a  remark  that  gentleman 
made  about  his  taking  part  as  second  in  a  duel 
in  which  a  younger  brother  of  Ben  ton's  was  en- 
gaged, he  received  two  severe  pistol  wounds. 
While  he  was  lingering  upon  a  bed  of  suffering, 
news  came  that  the  Indians,  who  had  combined 
under  Tecumseh  from  Florida  to  the  Lakes  to  ex- 
terminate the  white  settlers,  were  committing  the 
most  awful  ravages.  Decisive  action  became  nec- 
essary. Gen.  Jackson,  with  his  fractured  bone 
just  beginning  to  heal,  his  arm  in  a  sling,  and 
unable  to  mount  his  horse  without  assistance, 
gave  his  amazing  energies  to  tha  raising.;-bf  "an! 
army  to  rendezvous  at  Fayettesville,  Ala. 

The  Creek  Indians  had  established  a  strong 
fort  on  one  of  the  bends  of  the  Tallapoosa  River, 
near  the  center  of  Alabama,  about  fifty  miles  be- 
low Ft.  Strother.  With  an  army  of  two  thousand 
men,  Gen.  Jackson  traversed  the  pathless  wilder- 
ness in  a  march  of  eleven  days.  He  reached  their 
fort,  called  Tohopeka  or  Horse-shoe,  on  the  2jili 
of  March,  1814.  The  bend  of  the  river  enclosed 
nearly  one  hundred  acres  of  tangled  forest  and 
wild  ravine.  Across  the  narrow  neck  the  Indians 
had  constructed  a  formidable  breastwork  of  logs 
and  brush.  Here  nine  hundred  warriors,  with 
an  ample  supply  of  arms,  were  assembled. 

The  fort  was  stormed.  The  fight  was  utterly 
desperate.  Not  an  Indian  would  accept  quarter. 
When  bleeding  and  dying,  they  would  fight  those 
who  endeavored  to  spare  their  lives.  From  ten 
in  the  morning  until  dark  the  battle  raged.  The 
carnage  was  awful  and  revolting.  Some  threw 
themselves  into  the  river;  but  the  unerring  bul- 
lets struck  their  heads  as  they  swam.  Nearly 
every  one  of  the  nine  hundred  warriors  was 


killed.  A  few,  probably,  in  the  night  swam 
the  river  and  escaped.  This  ended  the  war. 

This  closing  of  the  Creek  War  enabled  us  to 
concentrate  all  our  militia  upon  the  British,  who 
were  the  allies  of  the  Indians.  No  man  of  less 
resolute  will  than  Gen.  Jackson  could  have  con- 
ducted this  Indian  campaign  to  so  successful  an 
issue.  Immediately  he  was  appointed  Major- 
General. 

Late  in  August,  with  an  army  of  two  thousand 
men  on  a  rushing  march,  Gen.  Jackson  went  to 
Mobile.  A  British  fleet  went  from  Pensacola, 
landed  a  force  upon  the  beach,  anchored  near  the 
little  fort,  and  from  both  ship  and  shore  com- 
menced a  furious  assault.  The  battle  was  long 
and  doubtful.  At  length  one  of  the  ships  was 
blown  up  and  the  rest  retired. 

Garrisoning  Mobile,  where  he  had  taken  his 
little  army,  he  moved  his  troops  to  New  Orleans, 
and  the  battle  of  New  Orleans,  which  soon  ensued, 
was  in  reality  a  very  arduous  campaign.  This 
won  for  Gen.  Jackson  an  imperishable  name. 
Here  his  troops,  which  numbered  about  four 
thousand  men,  won  a  signal  victory  over  the 
British  army  of  about  nine  thousand.  His  loss 
was  but  thirteen,  while  the  loss  of  the  British  was 
twenty-six  hundred. 

The  name  of  Gen.  Jackson  soon  began  to  be 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Presidency, 
but  in  1824  he  was  defeated  by  Mr.  Adams. 
He  was,  however,  successful  in  the  election  of 
1828,  and  was  re-elected  for  a  second  term  in 
1832.  In  1829,  just  before  he  assumed  the  reins 
of  government,  he  met  with  the  most  terrible 
affliction  of  his  life  in  the  death  of  his  wife,  whom 
he  had  loved  with  a  devotion  which  has  perhaps 
never  been  surpassed.  From  the  shock  of  her 
death  he  never  recovered. 

His  administration  was  one  of  the  most  mem- 
orable in  the  annals  of  our  country — applauded 
by  one  party,  condemned  by  the  other.  No  man 
had  more  bitter  enemies  or  warmer  friends.  At 
the  expiration  of  his  two  terms  of  office  he  retired 
to  the  Hermitage,  where  he  died  June  8,  1845.  The 
last  years  of  Mr.  Jackson's  life  were  those  of  a  de- 
voted Christian  man. 


LIBRARY 

Of  FHf 

UNIVERSITY  Of  ILLINOIS 


-. 


MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 


|ARTIN  VAN  BUREN,  the  eighth  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  was  born  at  Kin- 
derhook,  N.  Y.,  December  5,  1782.  He 
died  at  the  same  place,  July  24,  1862.  His  body 
rests  in  the  cemetery  at  Kinderhook.  Above  it  is 
a  plain  granite' shaft,  fifteen  feet  high,  bearing  a 
simple  inscription  about  half-way  up  on  one  face. 
The  lot  is  unfenced,  unbordered  or  unbounded 
by  shrub  or  flower. 

There  is  but  little  in  the  life  of  Martin  Van 
Buren  of  romantic  interest.  He  fought  no  battles, 
engaged  in  no  wild  adventures.  Though  his  life 
was  stormy  in  political  and  intellectual  conflicts, 
and  he  gained  many  signal  victories,  his  days 
passed  uneventful  in  those  incidents  which  give 
zest  to  biography.  His  ancestors,  as  his  name  indi- 
cates, were  of  Dutch  origin,  and  were  among  the 
earliest  emigrants  from  Holland  to  the  banks  of 
the  Hudson.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  residing 
in  the  old  town  of  Kinderhook.  His  mother,  also 
of  Dutch  lineage,  was  a  woman  of  superior  intel- 
ligence and  exemplary  piety. 

He  was  decidedly  a  precocious  boy,  developing 
unusual  activity,  vigor  and  strength  of  mind.  At 
the  age  of  fourteen,  he  had  finished  his  academic 
studies  in  his  native  village,  and  commenced  the 
study  of  law.  As  he  had  not  a  collegiate  educa- 
tion, seven  years  of  study  in  a  law-office  were  re- 
quired of  him  before  he  could  be  admitted  to  the 
Bar.  Inspired  with  a  lofty  ambition,  and  con- 
scious of  his  powers,  he  pursued  his  studies  with 
indefatigable  industry.  After  spending  six  years 
in  an  office  in  his  native  village,  he  went  to  the  city 
of  New  York,  and  prosecuted  his  studies  for  the 
seventh  year. 

In  1803,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  then  twenty -one  years 


of  age,  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  his  na- 
tive village.  The  great  conflict  between  the  Federal 
and  Republican  parties  was  then  at  its  height. 
Mr.  Van  Buren  was  from  the  beginning  a  politi- 
cian. He  had,  perhaps,  imbibed  that  spirit  while 
listening  to  the  many  discussions  which  had  been 
carried  on  in  his  father's  hotel.  He  was  in  cordial 
sympathy  with  Jefferson,  and  earnestly  and  elo- 
quently espoused  the  cause  of  State  Rights,  though 
at  that  time  the  Federal  party  held  the  supremacy 
both  in  his  town  and  State. 

His  success  and  increasing  reputation  led  him 
after  six  years  of  practice  to  remove  to  Hudson, 
the  county  seat  of  his  county.  Here  he  spent 
seven  years,  constantly  gaining  strength  by  con- 
tending in  the  courts  with  some  of  the  ablest  men 
who  have  adorned  the  Bar  of  his  State. 

Just  before  leaving  Kinderhook  for  Hudson,  Mr. 
Van  Buren  married  a  lady  alike  distinguished  for 
beauty  and  accomplishments.  After  twelve  short 
years  she  sank  into  the  grave,  a  victim  of  con- 
sumption, leaving  her  husband  and  four  sons  to 
weep  over  her  loss.  For  twenty-five  years,  Mr. 
Van  Buren  was  an  earnest,  successful,  assiduous 
lawyer.  The  record  of  those  years  is  barren  in 
items  of  public  interest.  In  1812,  when  thirty 
years  of  age,  he  was  chosen  to  the  State  Senate, 
and  gave  his  strenuous  support  to  Mr.  Madison's 
administration.  In  1815,  he  was  appointed  At- 
torney-General, and  the  next  year  moved  to  Al- 
bany, the  capital  of  the  State. 

While  he  was  acknowledged  as  one  of  the  most 
prominent  leaders  of  the  Democratic  party,  he  had 
the  moral  courage  to  avow  that  true  democracy  did 
not  require  that '  'universal  suffrage' '  which  admits 
the  vile,  the  degraded,  the  ignorant,  to  the  right 


48 


MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 


of  governing  the  State.  In  true  consistency  with 
his  democratic  principles,  he  contended  that,  while 
the  path  leading  to  the  privilege  of  voting  should 
be  open  to  every  man  without  distinction,  no  one 
should  be  invested  with  that  sacred  prerogative 
unless  he  were  in  some  degree  qualified  for  it  by 
intelligence,  virtue,  and  some  property  interests  in 
the  welfare  of  the  State. 

In  1821  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  United 
States  Senate,  and  in  the  same  year  he  took  a 
seat  in  the  convention  to  revise  the  Constitution  of 
his  native  State.  His  course  in  this  convention 
secured  the  approval  of  men  of  all  parties.  No 
one  could  doubt  the  singleness  of  his  endeavors  to 
promote  the  interests  of  all  classes  in  the  com- 
munity. In  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  he 
rose  at  once  to  a  conspicuous  position  as  an  active 
and  useful  legislator. 

In  1827,  John  Quincy  Adams  being  then  in  the 
Presidential  chair,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  re-elected 
to  the  Senate.  He  had  been  from  the  beginning 
a  determined  opposer  of  the  administration,  adopt- 
ing the  "State  Rights"  view  in  opposition  to  what 
was  deemed  the  Federal  proclivities  of  Mr.  Adams. 

Soon  after  this,  in  1828,  he  was  chosen  Governor 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  accordingly  resigned 
his  seat  in  the  Senate.  Probably  no  one  in  the 
United  States  contributed  so  much  towards  eject- 
ing John  Q.  Adams  from  the  Presidential  chair, 
and  placing  in  it  Andrew  Jackson,  as  did  Martin 
Van  Buren.  Whether  entitled  to  the  reputation 
or  not,  he  certainly  was  regarded  throughout  the 
United  States  as  one  of  the  most  skillful,  sagacious 
and  cunning  of  politicians.  It  was  supposed  that 
no  one  knew  so  well  as  he  how  to  touch  the  secret 
springs  of  action,  how  to  pull  all  the  wires  to 
put  his  machinery  in  motion,  and  how  to  organize 
a  political  army  which  would  secretly  and  stealth- 
ily accomplish  the  most  gigantic  results.  By  these 
powers  it  is  said  that  he  outwitted  Mr.  Adams,  Mr. 
Clay,  and  Mr.  Webster,  and  secured  results  which 
:ew  then  thought  could  be  accomplished. 

When  Andrew  Jackson  was  elected  President 
he  appointed  Mr.  Van  Buren  Secretary  of  State. 
This  position  he  resigned  in  1831,  and  was  im- 
mediately appointed  Minister  to  England,  where 
he  went  the  same  autumn.  The  Senate,  however, 


when  it  met,  refused  to  ratify  the  nomination,  and 
he  returned  home,  apparently  untroubled.  Later 
he  was  nominated  Vice- President  in  the  place  of 
Calhoun,  at  the  re-election  of  President  Jackson, 
and  with  smiles  for  all  and  frowns  for  none,  he 
took  his  place  at  the  head  of  that  Senate  which  had 
refused  to  confirm  his  nomination  as  ambassador. 

His  rejection  by  the  Senate  roused  all  the  zeal 
of  President  Jackson  in  behalf  of  his  repudiated 
favorite;  and  this,  probably,  more  than  any  other 
cause  secured  his  elevation  to  the  chair  of  the 
Chief  Executive.  On  the  2oth  of  May,  1836,  Mr. 
Van  Buren  received  the  Democratic  nomination 
to  succeed  Gen.  Jackson  as  President  of  the  United 
States.  He  was  elected  by  a  handsome  majority, 
to  the  delight  of  the  retiring  President.  '  'Leaving 
New  York  out  of  the  canvass,"  says  Mr.  Parton, 
'  'the  election  of  Mr.  Van  Buren  to  the  Presidency 
was  as  much  the  act  of  Gen.  Jackson  as  though 
the  Constitution  had  conferred  upon  him  the  power 
to  appoint  a  successor." 

His  administration  was  filled  with  exciting 
events'.  'The  insurrection  in  Canada,  which 
threatened  to  involve  this  country  in  war  with 
England,  the  agitation  of  the  slavery  question, 
and  finally  the  great  commercial  panic  which 
spread  over  the  country,  all  were  trials  of  his  wis- 
dom. The  financial  distress  was  attributed  to 
the  management  of  the  Democratic  party,  and 
brought  the  President  into  such  disfavor  that  he 
failed  of  re-election,  and  on  the  4th  of  March, 
1841,  he  retired  from  the  presidency. 

With  the  exception  of  being  nominated  for  the 
Presidency  by  the  "Free  Soil"  Democrats  in  1848, 
Mr.  Van  Buren  lived  quietly  upon  his  estate  until 
his  death.  He  had  ever  been  a  prudent  man,  of 
frugal  habits,  and,  living  within  his  income,  had 
now  fortunately  a  competence  for  his  declining 
years.  From  his  fine  estate  at  Lindenwald,  he 
still  exerted  a  powerful  influence  upon  the  politics 
of  the  country.  From  this  time  until  his  death, 
on  the  24th  of  July,  1862,  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years,  he  resided  at  Lindenwald,  a  gentleman  of 
leisure,  of  culture  and  wealth,  enjoying  in  a 
healthy  old  age  probably  far  more  happiness  than 
he  had  before  experienced  amid  the  stormy  scenes 
of  his  active  life. 


LIBRARY 

Of  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  HUNKS 


I 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 


fDGjILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON,  the  ninth 
\A/  President  of  the  United  States,  was  born 
V  Y  at  Berkeley,  Va. ,  February  9,  1773.  His 
father,  Benjamin  Harrison,  was  in  comparatively 
opulent  circumstances,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  men  of  his  day.  He  was  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  George  Washington,  was  early 
elected  a  member  of'  the  Continental  Congress, 
and  was  conspicuous  among  the  patriots  of  Vir- 
ginia in  resisting  the  encroachments  of  the  British 
crown.  In  the  celebrated  Congress  of  1775,  Ben- 
jamin Harrison  and  John  Hancock  were  both 
candidates  for  the  office  of  Speaker. 

Mr.  Harrison  was  subsequently  chosen  Gov- 
ernor of  Virginia,  and  was  twice  re-elected.  His 
son  William  Henry,  of  course,  enjoyed  in  child- 
hood all  the  advantages  which  wealth  and  intel- 
lectual and  cultivated  society  could  give.  Hav- 
ing received  a  thorough  common-school  educa- 
tion, he  entered  Hampden  Sidney  College,  where 
he  graduated  with  honor  soon  after  the  death  of 
his  father.  He  then  repaired  to  Philadelphia  to 
stud}'  medicine  under  the  instructions  of  Dr.  Rush 
and  the  guardianship  of  Robert  Morris,  both  of 
whom  were,  with  his  father,  signers  of  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Indian  troubles,  and 
notwithstanding  the  remonstrances  of  his  friends, 
he  abandoned  his  medical  studies  and  entered  the 
army,  having  obtained  a  commission  as  Ensign 
from  President  Washington.  He  was  then  but 
nineteen  years  old.  From  that  time  he  passed 
gradually  upward  in  rank  until  he  became  aide 
to  Gen.  Wayne,  after  whose  death  he  resigned 
his  commission.  He  was  then  appointed  Secre- 
tary of  the  Northwestern  Territory.  This  Terri- 
tory was  then  entitled  to  but  one  member  in  Con- 


gress, and  Harrison  was  chosen  to  fill  that  position. 
In  the  spring  of  1800  the  Northwestern  Terri- 
tory was  divided  by  Congress  into  two  portions. 
The  eastern  portion,  comprising  the  region  now 
embraced  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  was  called  "The 
Territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio."  The  western 
portion,  which  included  what  is  now  called  Indi- 
ana, Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  was  called  "the  Indi- 
ana Territory."  William  Henry  Harrison,  then 
twenty-seven  years  of  age,  was  appointed  by  John 
Adams  Governor  of  the  Indiana  Territory,  and 
immediately  after  also  Governor  of  Upper  Loui- 
siana. He  was  thus  ruler  over  almost  as.  exten- 
sive a  realm  as  any  sovereign  upon  the  globe. 
He  was  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  and 
was  invested  with  powers  nearly  dictatorial  over 
the  then  rapidly  increasing  white  population.  The 
ability  and  fidelity  with  which  he  discharged 
these  responsible  duties  may  be  inferred  from  the 
fact  that  he  was  four  times  appointed  to  this 
office — first  by  John  Adams,  twice  by  Thomas 
Jefferson,  and  afterwards  by  President  Madison. 

When  he  began  his  administration  there  were 
but  three  white  settlements  in  that  almost  bound- 
less region,  now  crowded  with  cities  and  resound- 
ing with  all  the  tumult  of  wealth  and  traffic. 
One  of  these  settlements  was  on  the  Ohio,  nearly 
opposite  Louisville;  one  at  Vincennes,  on  the 
Wabash ;  and  the  third  was  a  French  settlement. 

The  vast  wilderness  over  which  Gov.  Harrison 
reigned  was  filled  with  many  tribes  of  Indians. 
About  the  year  1806,  two  extraordinary  men, 
twin  brothers  of  the  Shawnee  tribe,  rose  among 
them.  One  of  these  was  called  Tecumseh,  or 
"the  Crouching  Panther;"  the  other  Olliwa- 
checa,  or  ' '  the  Prophet. ' '  Tecumseh  was  not 
only  an  Indian  warrior,  but  a  man  of  great  sagac- 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 


ity,  far-reaching  foresight  and  indomitable  perse- 
verance in  any  enterprise  in  which  he  might  en- 
gage. His  brother,  the  Prophet,  was  an  orator, 
who  could  sway  the  feelings  of  the  untutored  In- 
dians as  the  gale  tossed  the  tree-tops  beneath 
which  they  dwelt.  With  an  enthusiasm  unsur- 
passed by  Peter  the  Hermit  rousing  Europe  to  the 
crusades,  he  went  from  tribe  to  tribe,  assuming 
that  he  was  specially  sent  by  the  Great  Spirit. 

Gov.  Harrison  made  many  attempts  to  con- 
ciliate the  Indians,  but  at  last  war  came,  and  at 
Tippecanoe  the  Indians  were  routed  with  great 
slaughter.  October  28,  1812,  his  army  began  its 
march.  When  near  the  Prophet's  town,  three 
Indians  of  rank  made  their  appearance  and  in- 
quired why  Gov.  Harrison  was  approaching  them 
in  so  hostile  an  attitude.  After  a  short  confer- 
ence, arrangements  were  made  for  a  meeting  the 
next  day  to  agree  upon  terms  of  peace. 

But  Gov.  Harrison  was  too  well  acquainted 
with  the  Indian  character  to  be  deceived  by  such 
protestations.  Selecting  a  favorable  spot  for  his 
night's  encampment,  he  took  every  precaution 
against  surprise.  His  troops  were  posted  in  a 
hollow  square  and  slept  upon  their  arms.  The 
wakeful  Governor,  between  three  and  four  'oT'clock- 
in  the  morning,  had  risen,  and  was  sitting 
in  conversation  with  his  aides  by  the  embers 
of  a  waning  fire.  It  was  a  chill,  cloudy  morning, 
with  a  drizzling  rain.  In  the  darkness,  the  In- 
dians had  crept  as  near  as  possible,  and  just  then, 
with  a  savage  yell,  rushed,  with  all  the  despera- 
tion which  superstition  and  passion  most  highly 
inflamed  could  give,  upon  the  left  flank  of  the 
little  army.  The  savages  had  been  amply  pro- 
vided with  guns  and  ammunition  by  the  English, 
and  their  war-whoop  was  accompanied  by  a 
shower  of  bullets. 

The  camp-fires  were  instantly  extinguished,  as 
the  light  aided  the  Indians  in  their  aim,  and 
Gen.  Harrison's  troops  stood  as  immovable  as 
the  rocks  around  them  until  day  dawned,  when 
they  made  a  simultaneous  charge  with  the  bayo- 
net and  swept  everything  before  them,  completely 
routing  the  foe. 

Gov.  Harrison  now  had  all  his  energies  tasked 
to  the  utmost.  The  British,  descending  from  the 


Canadas,  were  of  themselves  a  very  formidable 
force,  but  with  their  savage  allies  rushing  like 
wolves  from  the  forest,  burning,  plundering,  scalp- 
ing, torturing,  the  wide  frontier  was  plunged  into 
a  state  of  consternation  which  even  the  most  vivid 
imagination  can  but  faintly  conceive.  Gen.  Hull 
had  made  an  ignominious  surrender  of  his  forces  at 
Detroit.  Under  these  despairing  circumstances, 
Gov.  Harrison  was  appointed  by  President  Madi- 
son Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Northwestern 
Army,  with  orders  to  retake  Detroit  and  to  protect 
the  frontiers.  It  would  be  difficult  to  place  a  man 
in  a  situation  demanding  more  energy,  sagacity 
and  courage,  but  he  was  found  equal  to  the 
position,  and  nobly  and  triumphantly  did  he  meet 
all  the  responsibilities. 

In  1816,  Gen.  Harrison  was  chosen  a  member 
of  the  National  House  of  Representatives,  to  rep- 
resent the  District  of  Ohio.  In  Congress  he  proved 
an  active  member,  and  whenever  he  spoke  it  was 
with  a  force  of  reason  and  power  of  eloquence 
which  arrested  the  attention  of  all  the  members. 

In  1819,  Harrison  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of 
Ohio,  and  in  1824,  as  one  of  the  Presidential  Elec- 
tors of  that  State,  he  gave  his  vote  for  Henry 
Clay.  The  same  year  he  was  chosen  to  the  Uni- 
ted States  Senate.  In  1 836  his  friends  brought 
him  forward  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency 
against  Van  Buren,  but  he  was  defeated.  At  the 
close  of  Mr.  Van  Buren's  term,  he  was  re-nom- 
inated by  his  party,  and  Mr.  Harrison  was  unani- 
mously nominated  by  the  Whigs,  with  John  Tyler 
for  the  Vice-Presidency.  The  contest  was  very 
animated.  Gen.  Jackson  gave  all  his  influence  to 
prevent  Harrison's  election,  but  his  triumph  was 
signal. 

The  cabinet  which  he  formed,  with  Daniel  Web- 
ster at  its  head  as  Secretary  of  State,  was  one  of 
the  most  brilliant  with  which  any  President  had 
ever  been  surrounded.  Never  were  the  prospects 
of  an  administration  more  flattering,  or  the  hopes 
of  the  country  more  sanguine.  In  the  midst  of 
these  bright  and  joyous  prospects,  Gen.  Harrison 
was  seized  by  a  pleurisy-fever,  and  after  a  few 
days  of  violent  sickness  died,  on  the  4th  of  April, 
just  one  month  after  his  inauguration  as  President 
of  the  United  States. 


01 


JOHN  TYLER. 


(JOHN  TYLER,  the  tenth  President  of  the 
I  United  States,  and  was  born  in  Charles 
G/  City  County,  Va.,  March  29,  1790.  He  was 
the  favored  child  of  affluence  and  high  social  po- 
sition. At  the  early  age  of  twelve,  John  entered 
William  and  Mary  College,  and  graduated  with 
much  honor  when  but  seventeen  years  old.  After 
graduating,  he  devoted  himself  with  great  assi- 
duity to  the  study  of  law,  partly  with  his  father 
and  partly  with  Edmund  Randolph,  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  lawyers  of  Virginia. 

At  nineteen  years  of  age,  he  commenced  the 
practice  of  law.  His  success  was  rapid  and  as- 
tonishing. It  is  said  that  three  months  had  not 
elapsed  ere  there  was  scarcely  a  case  on  the 
docket  of  the  court  in  which  he  was  not  retained. 
When  but  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  was  almost 
unanimously  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature. He  connected  himself  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  warmly  advocated  the  measures 
of  Jefferson  and  Madison.  For  five  successive 
years  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  receiving 
nearly  the  unanimous  vote  of  his  county. 

When  but  twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  was 
elected  a  Member  of  Congress.  Here  he  acted  ear- 
nestly and  ably  with  the  Democratic  party,  oppos- 
ing a  national  bank,  internal  improvements  by 
the  General  Government,  and  a  protective  tariff; 
advocating  a  strict  construction  of  the  Constitu- 
tion and  the  most  careful  vigilance  over  State 
rights.  His  labors  in  Congress  were  so  arduous 
that  before  the  close  of  his  second  term  he  found 
it  necessary  to  resign  and  retire  to  his  estate  in 
Charles  City  County  to  recruit  his  health.  He, 
however,  soon  after  consented  to  take  his  seat  in 
the  State  Legislature,  where  his  influence  was 
powerful  in  promoting  public  works  of  great 
utility.  With  a  reputation  thus  constantly  in- 
creasing, he  was  chosen  by  a  very  large  majority 
of  votes  Governor  of  his  native  State.  His  ad- 
ministration was  a  signally  successful  one,  and  his 
popularity  secured  his  re-election. 


John  Randolph,  a  brilliant,  erratic,  half-crazed 
man,  then  represented  Virginia  in  the  Senate  of 
the  United  States.  A  portion  of  the  Democratic 
party  was  displeased  with  Mr.  Randolph's  way- 
ward course,  and  brought  forward  John  Tyler  as 
his  opponent,  considering  him  the  only  man  in 
Virginia  of  sufficient  popularity  to  succeed 
against  the  renowned  orator  of  Roanoke.  Mr. 
Tyler  was  the  victor. 

In  accordance  with  his  professions,  upon  tak- 
ing his  seat  in  the  Senate  he  joined  the  ranks  of 
the  opposition.  He  opposed  the  tariff,  and  spoke 
against  and  voted  against  the  bank  as  unconsti- 
tutional; he  strenuously  opposed  all  restrictions 
upon  slavery,  resisting  all  projects  of  internal  im- 
provements by  the  General  Government,  and 
avowed  his  sympathy  with  Mr.  Calhoun's  view 
of  nullification;  he  declared  that  Gen.  Jackson, 
by  his  opposition  to  the  milliners,  had  abandoned 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party.  Such 
was  Mr.  Tyler's  record  in  Congress — a  record  in 
perfect  accordance  with  the  principles  which  he 
had  always  avowed. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  resumed  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  There  was  a  split  in  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  His  friends  still  regarded  him  as  a 
true  Jeffersonian,  gave  him  a  dinner,  and  show- 
ered compliments  upon  him.  He  had  now  at- 
tained the  age  of  forty-six,  and  his  career  had  been 
very  brilliant.  In  consequence  of  his  devotion  to 
public  business,  his  private  affairs  had  fallen  into 
some  disorder,  and  it  was  not  without  satisfac- 
tion that  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  and  de- 
voted himself  to  the  cultivation  of  his  plantation. 
Soon  after  this  he  removed  to  Williamsburg,  for 
the  better  education  of  his  children,  and  he  again 
took  his  seat  in  the  Legislature  of  Virginia. 

By  the  southern  Whigs  he  was  sent  to  the 
national  convention  at  Harrisburg  in  1839  to  nom- 
inate a  President.  The  majority  of  votes  were 
given  to  Gen  Harrison,  a  genuine  Whig,  much 
to  the  disappointment  of  the  South,  which  wished 


JOHN  TYLER. 


for  Henry  Clay.  To  conciliate  the  southern 
Whigs  and  to  secure  their  vote,  the  convention 
then  nominated  John  Tyler  for  Vice-President. 
It  was  well  known  that  he  was  not  in  sympathy 
with  the  Whig  party  in  the  North;  but  the  Vice- 
President  has  very  little  power  in  the  Govern- 
ment, his  main  and  almost  only  duty  being  to 
preside  over  the  meetings  of  the  Senate.  Thus  it 
happened  that  a  Whig  President  and,  in  reality, 
a  Democratic  Vice-President  were  chosen. 

In  1841,  Mr.  Tyler  was  inaugurated  Vice- 
President  of  the  United  States.  In  one  short 
month  from  that  time,  President  Harrison  died, 
and  Mr.  Tyler  thus  found  himself,  to  his  own 
surprise  and  that  of  the  whole  nation,  an  occu- 
pant of  the  Presidential  chair.  Hastening  from 
Williamsburg  to  Washington,  on  the  6th  of 
April  he  was  inaugurated  to  the  high  and  re- 
sponsible office.  He  was  placed  in  a  position  of 
exceeding  delicacy  and  difficulty.  All  his  long 
life  he  had  been  opposed  to  the  main  principles  of 
the  party  which  had  brought  him  into  power. 
He  had  ever  been  a  consistent,  honest  man,  with 
an  unblemished  record.  Gen.  Harrison  had  se- 
lected a  Whig  cabinet.  Should  he  retain  them, 
and  thus  surround  himself  with  counselors  whose 
views  were  antagonistic  to  his  own  ?  or,  on  the 
other  hand,  should  he  turn  against  the  party 
which  had  elected  him,  and  select  a  cabinet  in 
harmony  with  himself,  and  which  would  oppose 
all  those  views  which  the  Whigs  deemed  essen- 
tial to  the  public  welfare  ?  This  was  his  fearful 
dilemma.  He  invited  the  cabinet  which  Presi- 
dent Harrison  had  selected  to  retain  their  seats, 
and  recommended  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer, 
that  God  would  guide  and  bless  us. 

The  Whigs  carried  through  Congress  a  bill  for 
the  incorporation  of  a  fiscal  bank  of  ihe  United 
States.  The  President,  after  ten  days'  delay,  re- 
turned it  with  his  veto.  He  suggested,  however, 
that  he  would  approve  of  a  bill  drawn  up  upon 
such  a  plan  as  he  proposed.  Such  a  bill  was  ac- 
cordingly prepared,  and  privately  submitted  to 
him.  He  gave  it  his  approval.  It  was  passed 
without  alteration,  and  he  sent  it  back  with  his 
veto.  Here  commenced  the  open  rupture.  It  is 
said  that  Mr.  Tyler  was  provoked  to  this  meas- 


ure by  a  published  letter  from  the  Hon.  John  M. 
Botts,  a  distinguished  Virginia  Whig,  who  se- 
verely touched  the  pride  of  the  President. 

The  opposition  now  exultingly  received  the 
President  into  their  arms.  The  party  which 
elected  him  denounced  him  bitterly.  All  the 
members  of  his  cabinet,  excepting  Mr.  Webster, 
resigned.  The  Whigs  of  Congress,  both  the 
Senate  and  the  House,  held  a  meeting  and  issued 
an  address  to  the  people  of  the  United  States, 
proclaiming  that  all  political  alliance  between  the 
Whigs  and  President  Tyler  was  at  an  end. 

Still  the  President  attempted  to  conciliate.  He 
appointed  a  new  cabinet  of  distinguished  Whigs 
and  Conservatives,  carefully  leaving  out  all  strong 
party  men.  Mr.  Webster  soon  found  it  necessary 
to  resign,  forced  out  by  the  pressure  of  his  Whig 
friends.  Thus  the  four  years  of  Mr.  Tyler's  un- 
fortunate administration  passed  sadly  away.  No 
one  was  satisfied.  The  land  was  filled  with  mur- 
murs and  vituperation.  Whigs  and  Democrats 
alike  assailed  him.  More  and  more,  however,  he 
brought  himself  into  sympathy  with  his  old 
friends,  the  Democrats,  until  at  the  close  of  his 
term  he  gave  his  whole  influence  to  the  support 
of  Mr.  Polk,  the  Democratic  candidate  for  his 
successor. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  President  Tyler  re- 
tired from  the  harassments  of  office,  to  the  regret 
of  neither  party,  and  probably  to  his  own  unspeak- 
able relief.  The  remainder  of  his  days  were 
passed  mainly  in  the  retirement  of  his  beautiful 
home — Sherwood  Forest,  Charles  City  County, 
Va.  His  first  wife,  Miss  Letitia  Christian,  died 
in  Washington  in  1842;  and  in  June,  1844, 
he  was  again  married,  at  New  York.,  to  Miss  Julia 
Gardiner,  a  young  lady  of  many  personal  and 
intellectual  accomplishments. 

When  the  great  Rebellion  rose,  which  the 
State  Rights  and  nullifying  doctrines  of  John  C. 
Calhoun  had  inaugurated,  President  Tyler  re- 
nounced his  allegiance  to  the  United  States,  and 
joined  the  Confederates.  He  was  chosen  a  mem- 
ber of  their  Congress,  and  while  engaged  in 
active  measures  to  destroy,  by  force  of  arms,  the 
Government  over  which  he  had  once  presided,  he 
was  taken  sick  and  soon  died. 


LIBRARY 
OF  f  Hf 
UNlVEftSllv  Of 


JAMES  K.  POLK. 


(TAMES  K.  POLK,  the  eleventh  President  of  j 

I  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Mecklenburgh 
Q)  County,  N.  C.,  November  2,  1795.  His 
parents  were  Samuel  and  Jane  (Knox)  Polk,  the 
former  a  son  of  Col.  Thomas  Polk,  who  located 
at  the  above  place,  as  one  of  the  first  pioneers,  in 
1735.  In  1806,  with  his  wife  and  children,  and 
soon  after  followed  by  most  of  the  members  of  the 
Polk  family,  Samuel  Polk  emigrated  some  two  or 
three  hundred  miles  farther  west,  to  the  rich  val- 
ley of  the  Duck  River.  Here,  in  the  midst  of  the 
wilderness,  in  a  region  which  was  subsequently 
called  Maury  County,  they  erected  their  log  huts 
and  established  their  homes.  In  the  hard  toil  of 
a  new  farm  in  the  wilderness,  James  K.  Polk 
spent  the  early  years  of  his  childhood  and  youth. 
His  father,  adding  the  pursuit  of  a  surveyor  to 
that  of  a  farmer,  gradually  increased  in  wealth, 
until  he  became  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
region.  His  mother  was  a  superior  woman,  of 
strong  common  sense  and  earnest  piety. 

Very  early  in  life  James  developed  a  taste  for 
reading,  and  expressed  the  strongest  desire  to  ob- 
tain a  liberal  education.  His  mother's  training 
had  made  him  methodical  in  his  habits,  had  taught 
him  punctuality  and  industry,  and  had  inspired 
him  with  lofty  principles  of  morality.  His  health 
was  frail,  and  his  father,  fearing  that  he  might  not 
be  able  to  endure  a  sedentary  life,  got  a  situation 
for  him  behind  the  counter,  hoping  to  fit  him  for 
commercial  pursuits. 

This  was  to  James  a  bitter  disappointment.  He  i 
had  no  taste  for  these  duties,  and  his  daily  tasKS 
were  irksome  in  the  extreme.  He  remained  in  this 
uncongenial  occupation  but  a  few  weeks,  when, 
at  his  earnest  solicitation,  his  father  removed 
him  and  made  arrangements  for  him  to  pros- 
ecute his  studies.  Soon  after  he  sent  him  to  Mur- 
freesboro  Academy.  With  ardor  which  could 
scarcely  be  surpassed,  he  pressed  forward  in  his 


studies,  and  in  less  than  two  and  a-half  years,  in 
the  autumn  of  1815,  entered  the  sophomore  class 
in  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel 
Hill.  Here  he  was  one  of  the  most  exemplary  of 
scholars,  punctual  in  every  exercise,  never  allow- 
ing himself  to  be  absent  from  a  recitation  or  a 
religious  service. 

Mr.  Polk  graduated  in  1818,  with  the  highest 
honors,  being  deemed  the  best  scholar  of  his  class, 
both  in  mathematics  and  the  classics.  He  was 
then  twenty-three  years  of  age.  His  health  was 
at  this  time  much  impaired  by  the  assiduity  with 
which  he  had  prosecuted  his  studies.  After  a 
short  season  of  relaxation,  he  went  to  Nashville, 
and  entered  the  office  of  Felix  Grundy,  to  study 
law.  Here  Mr.  Polk  renewed  his  acquaintance 
with  Andrew  Jackson,  who  resided  on  his  planta- 
tion, the  "Hermitage,"  but  a  few  miles  from 
Nashville.  They  had  probably  been  slightly  ac- 
quainted before. 

Mr.  Folk's  father  was  a  JefFersonian  Republican 
and  James  K.  adhered  to  the  same  political  faith. 
He  was  a  popular  public  speaker,  and  was  con- 
stantly called  upon  to  address  the  meetings  of  his 
party  friends.  His  skill  as  a  speaker  was  such 
that  he  was  popularly  called  the  Napoleon  of  the 
stump.  He  was  a  man  of  unblemished  morals, 
genial  and  courteous  in  his  bearing,  and  with  that 
sympathetic  nature  in  the  joys  and  griefs  of  oth- 
ers which  gave  him  hosts  of  friends.  In  1823, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee, 
and  gave  his  strong  influence  toward  the  election 
of  his  friend,  Mr.  Jackson,  to  the  Presidency  of 
the  United  States. 

In  January,  1824,  Mr.  Polk  married  Miss  Sarah 
Childress,  of  Rutherford  County,  Tenn.  His 
bride  was  altogether  worthy  of  him — a  lady  of 
beauty  and  culture.  In  the  fall  of  1825  Mr.  Polk 
was  chosen  a  member  of  Congress,  and  the  satis- 
faction he  gave  his  constituents  may  be  inferred 


6o 


JAMES  K.  POLK. 


from  the  fact,  that  for  fourteen  successive  years, 
or  until  1839,  he  was  continued  in  that  office.  He 
then  voluntarily  withdrew,  only  that  he  might 
accept  the  Gubernatorial  chair  of  Tennessee.  In 
Congress  he  was  a  laborious  member,  a  frequent 
and  a  popular  speaker.  He  was  always  in  his 
seat,  always  courteous,  and  whenever  he  spoke 
it  was  always  to  the  point,  without  any  ambitious 
rhetorical  display. 

During  five  sessions  of  Congress  Mr.  Polk  was 
Speaker  of  the  House.  Strong  passions  were 
roused  and  stormy  scenes  were  witnessed,  but  he 
performed  his  arduous  duties  to  a  very  general 
satisfaction,  and  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to 
him  was  passed  by  the  House  as  he  withdrew  on 
the  4th  of  March,  1839. 

In  accordance  with  Southern  usage,  Mr.  Polk, 
as  a  candidate  for  Governor,  canvassed  the  State. 
He  was  elected  by  a  large  majority,  and  on  Octo- 
ber 14,  1839,  took  the  oath  of  office  at  Nashville. 
In  1841  his  term  of  office  expired,  and  he  was 
again  the  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party,  but 
was  defeated. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  Mr.  Polk  was  in- 
augurated President  of  the  United  States.-  The 
verdict  of  the  country  in  favor  of  the  annexation 
of  Texas  exerted  its  influence  upon  Congress, 
and  the  last  act  of  the  administration  of  President 
Tyler  was  to  affix  his  signature  to  a  joint  resolu- 
tion of  Congress,  passed  on  the  3d  of  March,  ap- 
proving of  the  annexation  of  Texas  to  the  Union. 
As  Mexico  still  claimed  Texas  as  one  of  her 
provinces,  the  Mexican  Minister,  Almonte,  im- 
mediately demanded  his  passports  and  left  the 
country,  declaring  the  act  of  the  annexation  to  be 
an  act  hostile  to  Mexico. 

In  his  first  message,  President  Polk  urged  that 
Texas  should  immediately,  by  act  of  Congress,  be 
received  into  the  Union  on  the  same  footing  with 
the  other  States.  In  the  mean  time,  Gen.  Taylor 
was  sent  with  an  army  into  Texas  to  hold  the 
country.  He  was  first  sent  to  Nueces,  which  the 
Mexicans  said  was  the  western  boundary  of  Tex- 
as. Then  he  was  sent  nearly  two  hundred  miles 
further  west,  to  the  Rio  Grande,  where  he  erected 
batteries  which  commanded  the  Mexican  city  of 
Matamoras,  which  was  situated  on  the  western 


banks.  The  anticipated  collision  soon  took  place, 
and  war  was  declared  against  Mexico  by  President 
Polk.  The  war  was  pushed  forward  by  his  ad- 
ministration with  great  vigor.  Gen.  Taylor, 
whose  army  was  first  called  one  of  ' '  observation, ' ' 
then  of  "occupation,"  then  of  "invasion,"  was 
sent  forward  to  Monterey.  The  feeble  Mexicans 
in  every  encounter  were  hopelessly  slaughtered. 
The  day  of  judgment  alone  can  reveal  the  misery 
which  this  war  caused.  It  was  by  the  ingenuity 
of  Mr.  Folk's  administration  that  the  war  was 
brought  on. 

' '  To  the  victors  belong  the  spoils. ' '  Mexico 
was  prostrate  before  us.  Her  capital  was  in  our 
hands.  We  now  consented  to  peace  upon  the 
condition  that  Mexico  should  surrender  to  us,  in 
addition  to  Texas,  all  of  New  Mexico,  and  all  of 
Upper  and  Lower  California.  This  new  demand 
embraced,  exclusive  of  Texas,  eight  hundred 
thousand  square  miles.  This  was  an  extent  of 
territory  equal  to  nine  States  of  the  size  of  New 
York.  Thus  slavery  was  securing  eighteen  ma- 
jestic States  to  be  added  to  the  Union.  There 
were  some  Americans  who  thought  it  all  right; 
there  were  others  who  thought  it  all  wrong.  In 
the  prosecution  of  this  war  we  expended  twenty 
thousand  lives  and  more  than  $100,000,000.  Of 
this  money  $15,000,000  were  paid  to  Mexico. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1849,  Mr.  Polk  retired 
from  office,  having  served  one  term.  The  next 
day  was  Sunday.  On  the  5th,  Gen.  Taylor  was 
inaugurated  as  his  successor.  Mr.  Polk  rode  to 
the  Capitol  in  the  same  carriage  with  Gen.  Tay- 
lor, and  the  same  evening,  with  Mrs.  Polk,  he 
commenced  his  return  to  Tennessee.  He  was 
then  but  fifty-four  years  of  age.  He  had  always 
been  strictly  temperate  in  all  his  habits,  and  his 
health  was  good.  With  an  ample  fortune,  a 
choice  library,  a  cultivated  mind,  and  domestic 
ties  of  the  dearest  nature,  it  seemed  as  though 
long  year.=  of  tranquillity  and  happiness  were  be- 
fore him.  But  the  cholera — that  fearful  scourge 
— was  then  sweeping  up  the  Valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  he  contracted  the  disease,  dying  on  the 
1 5th  of  June,  1849,  in  the  fifty-fourth  year  of  his 
age,  greatly  mourned  by  his  countrymen. 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

umvu&m 


ZACHARY  TAYLOR. 


£7ACHARY  TAYLOR,  twelfth  President  of 
I.  the  Uuiteci  States,  was  born  on  the  24th  of 
/~)  November,  1784,  in  Orange  County,  Va. 
His  father,  Col.  Taylor,  was  a  Virginian  'of 
note,  and  a  distinguished  patriot  and  soldier  of 
the  Revolution.  When  Zachary  was  an  infant, 
his  father,  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  emi- 
grated to  Kentucky,  where  he  settled  in  the  path- 
less wilderness,  a  few  miles  from  Louisville.  In 
this  frontier  home,  away  from  civilization  and  all 
its  refinements,  young  Zachary  could  enjoy  but 
few  social  and  educational  advantages.  When 
six  years  of  age  he  attended  a  common  school, 
and  was  then  regarded  as  a  bright,  active  boy, 
rather  remarkable  for  bluntness  and  decision  of 
character.  He  was  strong,  fearless  and  self-reli- 
ant, and  manifested  a  strong  desire  to  enter  the 
army  to  fight  the  Indians,  who  were  ravaging  the 
frontiers.  There  is  little  to  be  recorded  of  the 
uneventful  years  of  his  childhood  on  his  father's 
large  but  lonely  plantation. 

In  1808,  his  father  succeeded  in  obtaining  for 
him  a  commission  as  Lieutenant  in  the  United 
States  army,  and  he  joined  the  troops  which  were 
stationed  at  New  Orleans  under  Gen.  Wilkinson. 
Soon  after  this  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Smith, 
a  young  lady  from  one  of  the  first  families  of 
Maryland. 

Immediately  after  the  declaration  of  war  with 
England,  in  1812,  Capt.  Taylor  (for  he  had  then 
been  promoted  to  that  rank)  was  put  in  command 
of  Ft.  Harrison,  on  the  Wabash,  about  fifty  miles 
above  Vincennes.  This  fort  had  been  built  in  the 
wilderness  by  Gen.  Harrison,  on  his  march  to 
Tippecanoe.  It  was  one  of  the  first  points  of  at- 
tack by  the  Indians,  led  by  Tecumseh.  Its  garri- 
son consisted  of  a  broken  company  of  infantry, 
numbering  fifty  men,  many  of  whom  were  sick. 

Early  in  the  autumn  of  1812,  the  Indians, 
stealthily,  and  in  large  nnmbers,  moved  upon  the 


fort.  Their  approach  was  first  indicated  by  the 
murder  of  two  soldiers  just  outside  of  the  stockade. 
Capt.  Taylor  made  every  possible  preparation  to 
meet  the  anticipated  assault.  On  the  4th  of  Sep- 
tember, a  band  of  forty  painted  and  plumed  sav- 
ages came  to  the  fort,  waving  a  white  flag,  and 
informed  Capt.  Taylor  that  in  the  morning  their 
chief  would  come  to  have  a  talk  with  him.  It 
was  evident  that  their  object  was  merely  to  ascer- 
tain the  state  of  things  at  the  fort,  and  Capt. 
Taylor,  well  versed  in  the  wiles  of  the  savages, 
kept  them  at  a  distance. 

The  sun  went  down;  the  savages  disappeared; 
the  garrison  slept  upon  their  arms.  One  hour 
before  midnight  the  war-whoop  burst  from  a 
thousand  lips  in  the  forest  around,  followed  by 
the  discharge  of  musketry  and  the  rush  of  the 
foe.  Every  man,  sick  and  well,  sprang  to  his 
post.  Every  man  knew  that  defeat  was  not 
merely  death,  but,  in  the  case  of  capture,  death  by 
the  most  agonizing  and  prolonged  torture.  No 
pen  can  describe,  no  imagination  can  conceive,  the 
scenes  which  ensued.  The  savages  succeeded  in 
setting  fire  to  one  of  the  block-houses.  Until  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning  this  awful  conflict  con- 
tinued, when  the  savages,  baffled  at  every  point 
and  gnashing  their  teeth  with  rage,  retired. 
Capt.  Taylor,  for  this  gallant  defense,  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  Major  by  brevet. 

Until  the  close  of  the  war,  Maj.  Taylor  was 
placed  in  such  situations  that  he  saw  but  little 
more  of  active  service.  He  was  sent  far  away 
into  the  depths  of  the  wilderness  to  Ft.  Craw- 
ford, on  Fox  River,  which  empties  into  Green 
Bay.  Here  there  was  little  to  be  done  but  to 
wear  away  the  tedious  hours  as  one  best  could. 
There  were  no  books,  no  society,  no  intellectual 
stimulus.  Thus  with  him  the  uneventful  years 
rolled  on.  Gradually  he  rose  to  the  rank  of 
Colonel.  In  the  Black  Hawk  War,  which  re- 


64 


ZACHARY  TAYLOR. 


suited  in  the  capture  of  that  renowned  chieftain, 
Col.  Taylor  took  a  subordinate,  but  a  brave  and 
efficient,  part. 

For  twenty-four  years  Col.  Taylor  was  engaged 
in  the  defense  of  the  frontiers,  in  scenes  so  re- 
mote, and  in  employments  so  obscure,  that  his 
hame  was  unknown  beyond  the  limits  of  his  own 
immediate  acquaintance.  In  the  year  1836,  he 
was  sent  to  Florida  to  compel  the  Seminole  Indi- 
ans to  vacate  that  region,  and  retire  beyond  the 
Mississippi,  as  their  chiefs  by  treaty  had  prom- 
ised they  should  do.  The  services  rendered  here 
secured  for  Col.  Taylor  the  high  appreciation  of 
the  Government,  and  as  a  reward  he  was  ele- 
vated to  the  high  rank  of  Brigadier-General  by 
brevet,  and  soon  after,  in  May,  1838,  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  chief  command  of  the  United 
States  troops  in  Florida. 

After  two  years  of  wearisome  employment 
amidst  the  everglades  of  the  Peninsula,  Gen.  Tay- 
lor obtained,  at  his  own  request,  a  change  of 
command,  and  was  stationed  over  the  Department 
of  the  Southwest.  This  field  embraced  Louisiana, 
Mississippi,  Alabama  and  Georgia.  Establishing 
his  headquarters  at  Ft.  Jessup,  in  Louisiana,  he 
removed  his  family  to  a  plantation  which  he  pur- 
chased near  Baton  Rouge.  Here  he  remained 
for  five  years,  buried,  as  it  were,  from  the  world, 
but  faithfully  discharging  every  duty  imposed 
upon  him. 

In  1846,  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent  to  guard  the 
land  between  the  Nueces  and  Rio  Grande,  the 
latter  river  being  the  boundary  of  Texas,  which 
was  then  claimed  by  the  United  States.  Soon 
the  war  with  Mexico  was  brought  on,  and  at  Palo 
Alto  and  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Gen.  Taylor  won 
brilliant  victories  over  the  Mexicans.  The  rank 
of  Major-General  by  brevet  was  then  conferred 
upon  Gen.  Taylor,  and  his  name  was  received 
with  enthusiasm  almost  everywhere  in  the  na- 
tion. Then  came  the  battles  of  Monterey  and 
Buena  Vista,  in  which  he  won  signal  victories 
over  forces  much  larger  than  he  commanded. 

The  tidings  of  the  brilliant  victory  of  Buena 
Vista  spread  the  wildest  enthusiasm  over  the 
country.  The  name  of  Gen.  Taylor  was  on 
every  one's  lips.  The  Whig  party  decided  to 


take  advantage  of  this  wonderful  popularity  in 
bringing  forward  the  unpolished,  unlettered,  hon- 
est soldier  as  their  candidate  for  the  Presidency. 
Gen.  Taylor  was  astonished  at  the  announce- 
ment, and  for  a  time  would  not  listen  to  it,  de- 
claring that  he  was  not  at  all  qualified  for  such 
an  office.  So  little  interest  had  he  taken  in  poli- 
tics, that  for  forty  years  he  had  not  cast  a  vote. 
It  was  not  without  chagrin  that  several  distin- 
guished statesmen,  who  had  been  long  years  in 
the  public  service,  found  their  claims  set  aside  in 
behalf  of  one  whose  name  had  never  been  heard 
of,  save  in  connection  with  Palo  Alto,  Resaca  de 
la  Palma,  Monterey  and  Buena  Vista.  It  is  said 
that  Daniel  Webster,  in  his  haste,  remarked,  "  It 
is  a  nomination  not  fit  to  be  made." 

Gen.  Taylor  was  not  an  eloquent  speaker  nor  a 
fine  writer.  His  friends  took  possession  of  him, 
and  prepared  such  few  communications  as  it  was 
needful  should  be  presented  to  the  public.  The 
popularity  of  the  successful  warrior  swept  the 
land.  He  was  triumphantly  elected  over  two 
opposing  candidates, — Gen.  Cass  and  Ex-Presi- 
dent Martin  Van  Buren.  Though  he  selected  an 
excellent  cabinet,  the  good  old  man  found  himself 
in  a  very  uncongenial  position,  and  was  at  times 
sorely  perplexed  and  harassed.  His  mental  suf- 
ferings were  very  severe,  and  probably  tended  to 
hasten  his  death.  The  pro-slavery  party  was 
pushing  its  claims  with  tireless  energy;  expedi- 
tions were  fitting  out  to  capture  Cuba ;  California 
was  pleading  for  admission  to  the  Union,  while 
slavery  stood  at  the  door  to  bar  her  out.  Gen. 
Taylor  found  the  political  conflicts  in  Washington 
to  be  far  more  trying  to  the  nerves  than  battles 
with  Mexicans  or  Indians. 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  troubles,  Gen.  Taylor, 
after  he  had  occupied  the  Presidential  chair  but 
little  over  a  year,  took  cold,  and  after  a  brief 
sickness  of  but  little  over  five  days,  died,  on  the 
9th  of  July,  1850.  His  last  words  were,  "I  am 
not  afraid  to  die.  I  am  ready.  I  have  endeav- 
ored to  do  my  duty."  He  died  universally  re- 
spected and  beloved.  An  honest,  unpretending 
man,  he  had  been  steadily  growing  in  the  affec- 
tions of  the  people,  and  the  Nation  bitterly  la- 
mented his  death. 


LIBRARY 
OHHE 
UNIVERSITY  Of 


MILLARD  FILLMORE. 


FILLMORE,  thirteenth  President 
of  the  United  States,  was  born  at  Summer 
Hill,  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y. ,  on  the  jth  of 
January,  1800.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  and,  owing 
to  misfortune,  in  humble  circumstances.  Of  his 
mother,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Abiathar  Millard,  of 
Pittsfield,  Mass.,  it  has  been  said  that  she  pos- 
sessed an  intellect  of  a  high  order,  united  with 
much  personal  loveliness,  sweetness  of  disposi- 
tion, graceful  manners  and  exquisite  sensibilities. 
She  died  in  1831,  having  lived  to  see  her  son  a 
young  man  of  distinguished  promise,  though  she 
was  not  permitted  to  witness  the  high  dignity 
which  he  finally  attained. 

In  consequence  of  the  secluded  home  and  limited 
means  of  his  father,  Millard  enjoyed  but  slender 
advantages  for  education  in  his  early  years.  The 
common  schools,  which  he  occasionally  attended, 
were  very  imperfect  institutions,  and  books  were 
scarce  and  expensive.  There  was  nothing  then 
in  his  character  to  indicate  the  brilliant  career 
upon  which  he  was  about  to  enter.  He  was  a 
plain  farmer's  boy — intelligent,  good-looking, 
kind-hearted.  The  sacred  influences  of  home 
had  taught  him  to  revere  the  Bible,  and  had  laid 
the  foundations  of  an  upright  character.  When 
fourteen  years  of  age,  his  father  sent  him  some 
hundred  miles  from  home  to  the  then  wilds  of 
Livingston  County,  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  clothier. 
Near  the  mill  there  was  a  small  village,  where 
some  enterprising  man  had  commenced  the  col- 
lection of  a  village  library.  This  proved  an  in- 
estimable blessing  to  young  Fillmore.  His  even- 
ings were  spent  in  reading.  Soon  every  leisure 
moment  was  occupied  with  books.  His  thirst  for 
knowledge  became  insatiate,  and  the  selections 
which  he  made  were  continually  more  elevating 
and  instructive.  He  read  history,  biography, 
oratory,  and  thus  gradually  there  was  enkindled 


in  his  heart  a  desire  to  be  something  more  than  a 
mere  worker  with  his  hands. 

The  young  clothier  had  now  attained  the  age 
of  nineteen  years,  and  was  of  fine  personal  appear- 
ance and  of  gentlemanly  demeanor.  It  so  hap- 
pened that  there  was  a  gentleman  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  ample  pecuniary  means  and  of  benev- 
olence,— Judge  Walter  Wood, — who  was  struck 
with  the  prepossessing  appearance  of  young  Fill- 
more.  He  made  his  acquaintance,  and  was  so 
much  impressed  with  his  ability  and  attainments 
that  he  advised  him  to  abandon  his  trade  and  de- 
vote himself  to  the  study  of  the  law.  The  young 
man  replied  that  he  had  no  means  of  his  own, 
no  friends  to  help  him,  and  that  his  previous  edu- 
cation had  been  very  imperfect.  But  Judge  Wood 
had  so  much  confidence  in  him  that  he  kindly 
offered  to  take  him  into  his  own  office,  and  to 
lend  him  such  money  as  he  needed.  Most  grate- 
fully the  generous  offer  was  accepted. 

There  is  in  many  minds  a  strange  delusion 
about  a  collegiate  education.  A  young  man  is 
supposed  to  be  liberally  educated  if  he  has  gradu- 
ated at  some  college.  But  many  a  boy  who  loi- 
ters through  university  halls  and  then  enters  a 
law  office  is  by  no  means  as  well  prepared  to 
prosecute  his  legal  studies  as  was  Millard  Fill- 
more  when  he  graduated  at  the  clothing-mill  at 
the  end  of  four  years  of  manual  labor,  during 
which  every  leisure  moment  had  been  devoted  to 
intense  mental  culture. 

In  1823,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 
He  then  went  to  the  village  of  Aurora,  and  com- 
menced the  practice  of  law.  In  this  secluded, 
quiet  region,  his  practice,  of  course,  was  limited, 
and  there  was  no  opportunity  for  a  sudden  rise  in 
fortune  or  in  fame.  Here,  in  1826,  he  married  a 
lady  of  great  moral  worth,  and  one  capable  of 


MILLARD  FILLMORE. 


adorning  any  station  she  might  be  called  to  fill, — 
Miss  Abigail  Powers. 

His  elevation  of  character,  his  untiring  industry, 
his  legal  acquirements,  and  his  skill  as  an  advo- 
cate, gradually  attracted  attention,  and  he  was 
invited  to  enter  into  partnership,  under  highly  ad- 
vantageous circumstances,  with  an  elder  member 
of  the  Bar  in  Buffalo.  Just  before  removing  to 
Buffalo,  in  1829,  he  took  his  seat  in  the  House  of 
Assembly  of  the  State  of  New  York,  as  a  Repre- 
sentative from  Erie  County.  Though  he  had 
never  taken  a  very  active  part  in  politics,  his  vote 
and  sympathies  were  with  the  Whig  party.  The 
State  was  then  Democratic,  and  he  found  himself 
in  a  helpless  minority  in  the  Legislature;  still  the 
testimony  comes  from  all  parties  that  his  courtesy, 
ability  and  integrity  won,  to  a  very  unusual  de- 
gree, the  respect  of  his  associates. 

In  the  autumn  of  1832,  he  was  elected  to  a 
seat  in  the  United  States  Congress.  He  entered 
that  troubled  arena  in  the  most  tumultuous  hours 
of  our  national  history,  when  the  great  conflict 
respecting  the  national  bank  and  the  removal  of 
the  deposits  was  raging. 

His  term  of  two  years  closed,  and  he  returned 
to  his  profession,  which  he  pursued  with  increas- 
ing reputation  and  success.  After  a  lapse  of  two . 
years  he  again  became  a  candidate  for  Congress; , 
was  re-elected,  and  took  his  seat  in  1837.  His 
past  experience  as  a  Representative  gave  him 
strength  and  confidence.  The  first  term  of  service 
in  Congress  to  any  man  can  be  but  little  more 
than  an  introduction.  He  was  now  prepared  for 
active  duty.  All  his  energies  were  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  public  good.  Every  measure  re- 
ceived his  impress. 

Mr.  Fillmore  was  now  a  man  of  wide  repute, 
and  his  popularity  filled  the  State.  In  the  year 
1847,  when  he  had  attained  the  age  of  forty- 
seven  years,  he  was  elected  Comptroller  of  the 
State.  His  labors  at  the  Bar,  in  the  Legisla- 
ture, in  Congress  and  as  Comptroller,  had  given 
him  very  considerable  fame.  The  Whigs  were 
casting  about  to  find  suitable  candidates  for  Presi- 
dent and  Vice- President  at  the  approaching  elec- 
tion. Far  away  on  the  waters  of  the  Rio  Grande, 
there  was  a  rough  old  soldier,  who  had  fought 


one  or  two  successful  battles  with  the  Mexicans, 
which  had  caused  his  name  to  be  proclaimed  in 
trumpet-tones  all  over  the  land  as  a  candidate  for 
the  presidency.  But  it  was  necessary  to  associate 
with  him  on  the  same  ticket  some  man  of  repu- 
tation as  a  statesman. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  considerations,  the 
names  of  Zachary  Taylor  and  Millard  Fillmore 
became  the  rallying-cry  of  the  Whigs,  as  their 
candidates  for  President  and  Vice-President.  The 
Whig  ticket  was  signallj'  triumphant.  On  the 
4th  of  March,  1849,  Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated 
President,  and  Millard  Fillmore  Vice-Presideut, 
of  the  United  States. 

On  the  gth  of  July,  1850,  President  Taylor, 
about  one  year  and  four  months  after  his  inaugura- 
tion, was  suddenly  taken  sick  and  died.  By  the 
Constitution,  Vice-President  Fillmore  thus  be- 
came President.  He  appointed  a  very  able  cabi- 
net, of  which  the  illustrious  Daniel  Webster  was 
Secretary  of  State;  nevertheless,  he  had  serious 
difficulties  to  contend  with,  since  the  opposition 
had  a  majority  in  both  Houses.  He  did  all  in  his 
power  to  conciliate  the  South;  but  the  pro-slavery 
party  in  the  South  felt  the  inadequacy  of  all 
measures  of  transient  conciliation.  The  popula- 
tion of  the  free  States  was  so  rapidly  increasing 
over  that  of  the  slave  States,  that  it  was  inevitable 
that  the  power  of  the  Government  should  soon 
pass  into  the  hands  of  the  free  States.  The  fa- 
mous compromise  measures  were  adopted  under 
Mr.  Fillmore' s  administration,  and  the  Japan  ex- 
pedition was  sent  out.  On  the  4th  of  March, 
1853,  he,  having  served  one  term,  retired. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Fillmore  was  nominated  for  the 
Presidency  by  the  "Know-Nothing"  party,  but 
was  beaten  by  Mr.  Buchanan.  After  that  Mr. 
Fillmore  lived  in  retirement.  During  the  terri- 
ble conflict  of  civil  war,  he  was  mostly  silent.  It 
was  generally  supposed  that  his  sympathies  were 
rather  with  those  who  were  endeavoring  to  over- 
throw our  institutions.  President  Fillmore  kept 
aloof  from  the  conflict,  without  any  cordial  words 
of  cheer  to  one  party  or  the  other.  He  was  thus 
forgotten  by  both.  He  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age, 
and  died  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  March  8,  1874. 


LIBRARY 

or  rw 

f  ILLINOIS 


HRANKUN  PIERCE,  the  fourteenth  Presi- 
ly  dent  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Hills- 
I  borough,  N.  H.,  November  23,  1804.  His 
father  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  who  with  his 
own  strong  arm  hewed  out  a  home  in  the  wilder- 
ness. He  was  a  man  of  inflexible  integrity,  of 
strong,  though  uncultivated,  mind,  and  was  an  un- 
compromising Democrat.  The  mother  of  Frank- 
lin Pierce  was  all  that  a  son  could  desire — an  in- 
telligent, prudent,  affectionate,  Christian  woman. 

Franklin,  who  was  the  sixth  of  eight  children, 
was  a  remarkably  bright  and  handsome  boy, 
generous,  warm-hearted  and  brave.  He  won 
alilce  the  love  of  old  and  young.  The  boys  on 
th?  play-ground  loved  him.  His  teachers  loved 
him.  The  neighbors  looked  upon  him  with  pride 
and  affection.  He  was  by  instinct  a  gentleman, 
always  speaking  kind  words,  and  doing  kind 
deeds,  with  a  peculiar,  unstudied  tact  which 
taught  him  what  was  agreeable.  Without  de- 
veloping any  precocity  of  genius,  or  any  unnatural 
devotion  to  books,  he  was  a  good  scholar,  and  in 
body  and  mind  a  finely  developed  boy. 

When  sixteen  years  of  age,  in  the  year  1820, 
he  entered  Bowdoin  College,  at  Brunswick,  Me. 
He  was  one  of  ihe  most  popular  young  men  in 
the  college.  The  purity  of  his  moral  character, 
the  unvarying  courtesy  of  his  demeanor,  his  rank 
as  a  scholar,  and  genial  nature,  rendered  him  a 
universal  favorite.  There  was  something  pe- 
culiarly winning  in  his  address,  and  it  was  evi- 
dently not  in  the  slightest  degree  studied — it  was 
the  simple  outgushing  of  his  own  magnanimous 
and  loving  nature. 

Upon  graduating,  in  the  year  1824,  Franklin 
Pierce  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office 
of  Judge  Woodbury,  one  of  the  most  distinguished 


FRANKLIN  PIERCE. 


lawyers  of  the  State,  and  a  man  of  great  private 
worth.  The  eminent  social  qualities  of  the  young 
lawyer,  his  father's  prominence  as  a  public  man, 
and  the  brilliant  political  career  into  which  Judge 
Woodbury  was  entering,  all  tended  to  entice  Mr. 
Pierce  into  the  fascinating  yet  perilous  path  of 
political  life.  With  all  the  ardor  of  his  nature  he 
espoused  the  cause  of  Gen.  Jackson  for  the  Presi- 
dency. He  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in 
Hillsborough,  and  was  soon  elected  to  represent 
the  town  in  the  State  Legislature.  Here  he 
served  for  four  years.  The  last  two  years  he  was 
chosen  Speaker  of  the  House  by  a  very  large 
vote. 

In  1833,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  Congress.  In  1837,  being 
then  but  thirty-three  years  old,  he  was  elected  to 
the  Senate,  taking  his  seat  just  as  Mr.  Van  Buren 
commenced  his  administration.  He  was  the 
youngest  member  in  the  Senate.  In  the  year 
1834,  he  married  Miss  Jane  Means  Appleton,  a 
lady  of  rare  beauty  and  accomplishments,  and  one 
admirably  fitted  to  adorn  every  station  with  which 
her  husband  was  honored.  Of  the  three  sons  who 
were  born  to  them,  all  now  sleep  with  their  par- 
ents in  the  grave. 

In  the  year  1838,  Mr.  Pierce,  with  growing 
fame  and  increasing  business  as  a  lawyer,  took  up 
his  residence  in  Concord,  the  capital  of  New 
Hampshire.  President  Polk,  upon  his  accession 
to  office,  appointed  Mr.  Pierce  Attorney-General 
of  the  United  States;  but  the  offer  was  declined 
in  consequence  of  numerous  professional  engage- 
ments at  home,  and  the  precarious  state  of  Mrs. 
Pierce's  health.  He  also,  about  the  same  time, 
declined  the  nomination  for  Governor  by  the 
Democratic  party.  The  war  with  Mexico  called 


FRANKLIN  PIERCE. 


Mr.  Pierce  into  the  army.  Receiving  the  appoint- 
ment of  Brigadier-General,  he  embarked  with  a 
portion  of  his  troops  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  on  the 
27th  of  May,  1847.  He  took  an  important  part 
in  this  war,  proving  himself  a  brave  and  true  sol- 
dier. 

When  Gen.  Pierce  reached  his  home  in  his  na- 
tive State,  he  was  received  enthusiastically  by  the 
advocates  of  the  Mexican  War,  and  coldly  by  his 
opponents.  He  resumed  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, very  frequently  taking  an  active  part  in 
political  questions,  giving  his  cordial  support  to 
the  pro-slavery  wing  of  the  Democratic  party. 
The  compromise  measures  met  cordially  with  his 
approval,  and  he  strenuously  advocated  the  en- 
forcement of  the  infamous  Fugitive  Slave  Law, 
which  so  shocked  the  religious  sensibilities  of  the 
North.  He  thus  became  distinguished  as  a 
' '  Northern  man  with  Southern  principles. ' '  The 
strong  partisans  of  slavery  in  the  South  conse- 
quently regarded  him  as  a  man  whom  they  could 
safely  trust  in  office  to  carry  out  their  plans. 

On  the  I2th  of  June,  1852,  the  Democratic  con- 
vention met  in  Baltimore  to  nominate  a  candidate 
for  the  Presidency.  For  four  days  they  contin- 
ued in  session,  and  in  thirty-five  ballotings  no  one 
had  obtained  a  two-thirds  vote.  Not  a  vote  thus 
far  had  been  thrown  for  Gen.  Pierce.  Then  the 
Virginia  delegation  brought  forward  his  name. 
There  were  fourteen  more  ballotings,  during  which 
Gen.  Pierce  constantly  gained  strength,  until,  at 
the  forty-ninth  ballot,  he  received  two  hundred 
and  eighty-two  votes,  and  all  other  candidates 
eleven.  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  was  the  Whig  can- 
didate. Gen.  Pierce  was  chosen  with  great  una- 
nimity. Only  four  States — Vermont,  Massachu- 
setts, Kentucky  and  Tennessee — cast  their  elec- 
toral votes  against  him.  Gen.  Franklin  Pierce 
was  therefore  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
State_s  on  the  4th  of  March,  1853. 

His  administration  proved  one  of  the  most 
stormy  our  country  had  ever  experienced.  The 
controversy  between  slavery  and  freedom  was 
then  approaching  its  culminating  point.  It  be- 
came evident  that  there  was  to  be  an  irrepressible 
conflict  between  them,  and  that  this  nation 
could  not  long  exist ' '  half  slave  and  half  free. ' ' 


President  Pierce,  during  the  whole  of  his  admin- 
istration, did  everything  he  could  to  conciliate  the 
South;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  conflict  every 
year  grew  more  violent,  and  threats  of  the  disso- 
lution of  the  Union  were  borne  to  the  North  on 
every  Southern  breeze. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  Presi- 
dent Pierce  approached  the  close  of  his  four- 
years  term  of  office.  The  North  had  become 
thoroughly  alienated  from  him.  The  anti-slavery 
sentiment,  goaded  by  great  outrages,  had  been 
rapidly  increasing;  all  the  intellectual  ability  and 
social  worth  of  President  Pierce  were  forgotten  in 
deep  reprehension  of  his  administrative  acts.  The 
slaveholders  of  the  South  also,  unmindful  of  the 
fidelity  with  which  he  had  advocated  those  meas- 
ures of  Government  which  they  approved,  and 
perhaps  feeling  that  he  had  rendered  himself 
so  unpopular  as  no  longer  to  be  able  to  accepta- 
bly serve  them,  ungratefully  dropped  him,  and 
nominated  James  Buchanan  to  succeed  him. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1857,  President  Pierce  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Concord.  His  three  chil- 
dren were  all  dead,  his  last  surviving  child  hav- 
ing been  killed  before  his  eyes  in  a  railroad  acci- 
dent; and  his  wife,  one  of  the  most  estimable  and 
accomplished  of  ladies,  was  rapidly  sinking  in 
consumption.  The  hour  of  dreadful  gloom  soon 
came,  and  he  was  left  alone  in  the  world  without 
wife  or  child. 

When  the  terrible  Rebellion  burst  forth  which 
divided  our  country  into  two  parties,  and  two 
only,  Mr.  Pierce  remained  steadfast  in  the  prin- 
ciples which  he  had  always  cherished,  and  gave 
his  sympathies  to  that  pro-slavery  party  with 
which  he  had  ever  been  allied.  He  declined  to 
do  anything,  either  by  voice  or  pen,  to  strengthen 
the  hand  of  the  National  Government.  He  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  Concord  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  October,  1869.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  genial  and  social  of  men,  an  hon- 
ored communicant  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and 
one  of  the  kindest  of  neighbors.  Generous  to  a 
fault,  he  contributed  liberally  toward  the  allevia- 
tion of  suffering  and  want,  and  many  of  his 
towns-people  were  often  gladdened  by  his  material 
bounty. 


LIBRARY 
Of  THf 

UNIVERSITY  Of  ILLINOIS 


JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


(I  AMES  BUCHANAN,  the  fifteenth  President  ! 

I  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  a  small 
\~)  frontier  town,  at  the  foot  of  the  eastern  ridge 
of  the  Alleghanies,  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  on 
the  23d  of  April,  1791.  The  place  where  the 
humble  cabin  home  stood  was  called  Stony  Bat- 
ter. His  father  was  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ire- 
land, who  had  emigrated  in  1783,  with  little  prop- 
erty save  his  own  strong  arms.  Five  years  after- 
ward he  married  Elizabeth  Spear,  the  daughter 
of  a  respectable  farmer,  and,  with  his  young  bride, 
plunged  into  the  wilderness,  staked  his  claim, 
reared  his  log  hut,  opened  a  clearing  with  his 
axe,  and  settled  down  there  to  perform  his  obscure 
part  in  the  drama  of  life.  When  James  was  eight 
years  of  age,  his  father  removed  to  the  village  of 
Mercersburg,  where  his  son  was  placed  at  school, 
and  commenced  a  course  of  study  in  English, 
Latin  and  Greek.  His  progress  was  rapid,  and 
at  the  age  of  fourteen  he  entered  Dickinson  Col- 
lege, at  Carlisle.  Here  he  developed  remarkable 
talent,  and  took  his  stand  among  the  first  scholars 
in  the  institution. 

In  the  year  1809,  he  graduated  with  the  high- 
est honors  of  his  class.  He  was  then  eighteen 
years  of  age;  tall  and  graceful,  vigorous  in  health, 
fond  of  athletic  sports,  an  unerring  shot,  and  en- 
livened with  an  exuberant  flow  of  animal  spirits. 
He  immediately  commenced  the  study  of  law  in 
the  city  of  Lancaster,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  in  1812,  when  he  was  but  twenty-one  years 
of  age. 

In  1820,  he  reluctantly  consented  to  run  as  a 
candidate  for  Congress.  He  was  elected,  and  for 
ten  years  he  remained  a  member  of  the  Lower 
House.  During  the  vacations  of  Congress,  he 


occasionally  tried  some  important  case.  In  1831 
he  retired  altogether  from  the  toils  of  his  profes- 
sion, having  acquired  an  ample  fortune. 

Gen.  Jackson,  upon  his  elevation  to  the  Presi- 
dency, appointed  Mr.  Buchanan  Minister  to  Rus- 
sia. The  duties  of  his  mission  he  performed 
with  ability,  and  gave  satisfaction  to  all  parties. 
Upon  his  return,  in  1833,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat 
in  the  United  States  Senate.  He  there  met  as 
his  associates  Webster,  Clay,  Wright  and  Cal- 
houn.  He  advocated  the  measures  proposed  by 
President  Jackson,  of  making  reprisals  against 
France  to  enforce  the  payment  of  our  claims 
against  that  country,  and  defended  the  course  of 
the  President  in  his  unprecedented  and  wholesale 
removal  from  office  of  those  who  were  not  the 
supporters  of  his  administration.  Upon  this 
question  he  was  brought  into  direct  collision  with 
Henry  Clay.  He  also,  with  voice  and  vote,  ad- 
vocated expunging  from  the  journal  of  the  Senate 
the  vote  of  censure  against  Gen.  Jackson  for  re- 
moving the  deposits.  Earnestly  he  opposed  the 
abolition  of  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia, 
and  urged  the  prohibition  of  the  circulation  of 
anti-slavery  documents  by  the  United  States 
mails.  As  to  petitions  on  the  subject  of  slavery, 
he  advocated  that  they  should  be  respectfully  re- 
ceived, and  that  the  reply  should  be  returned 
that  Congress  had  no  power  to  legislate  upon  the 
subject.  "Congress,"  said  he,  "might  as  well 
undertake  to  interfere  with  slavery  under  a  for- 
eign government  as  in  any  of  the  States  where  it 
now  exists." 

Upon  Mr.  Folk's  accession  to  the  Presidency, 
Mr.  Buchanan  became  Secretary  of  State,  and  as 
such  took  his  share  of  the  responsibility  in  the 


76 


JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


conduct  of  the  Mexican  War.  Mr.  Polk  assumed 
that  crossing  the  Nueces  by  the  American 
troops  into  the  disputed  territory  was  not  wrong, 
but  for  the  Mexicans  to  cross  the  Rio  Grande 
into  Texas  was  a  declaration  of  war.  No  candid 
man  can  read  with  pleasure  the  account  of  the 
course  our  Government  pursued  in  that  movement. 

Mr.  Buchanan  identified  himself  thoroughly 
with  the  party  devoted  to  the  perpetuation  and 
extension  of  slavery,  and  brought  all  the  energies 
of  his  mind  to  bear  against  the  Wilmot  Proviso. 
He  gave  his  cordial  approval  to  the  compromise 
measures  of  1850,  which  included  the  Fugitive 
Slave  Law.  Mr.  Pierce,  upon  his  election  to  the 
Presidency,  honored  Mr.  Buchanan  with  the  mis- 
sion to  England. 

In  the  year  1856,  a  national  Democratic  Con- 
vention nominated  Mr.  Buchanan  for  the  Presi- 
dency. The  political  conflict  was  one  of  the  most 
severe  in  which  our  country  has  ever  engaged. 
All  the  friends  of  slavery  were  on  one  side;  all 
the  advocates  of  its  restriction  and  final  abolition 
on  the  other.  Mr.  Fremont,  the  candidate  of  the 
enemies  of  slavery,  received  one  hundred  and 
fourteen  electoral  votes.  Mr.  Buchanan  received 
one  hundred  and  seventy-four,  and  was  elected. 
The  popular  vote  stood  1,340,618  for  Fremont, 
1,224,750  for  Buchanan.  On  March  4,  1857, 
the  latter  was  inaugurated. 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  far  advanced  in  life.  Only 
four  years  were  wanting  to  fill  up  his  three-score 
years  and  ten.  His  own  friends,  those  with 
whom  he  had  been  allied  in  political  principles 
and  action  for  years,  were  seeking  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Government,  that  they  might  rear 
upon  the  ruins  of  our  free  institutions  a  nation 
whose  corner-stone  should  be  human  slavery.  In 
this  emergency,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  hopelessly 
bewildered.  He  could  not,  with  his  long-avowed 
principles,  consistently  oppose  the  State  Rights 
party  in  their  assumptions.  As  President  of  the 
United  States,  bound  by  his  oath  faithfully  to 
administer  the  laws,  he  could  not,  without  per- 
jury of  the  grossest  kind,  unite  with  those  en- 
deavoring to  overthrow  the  Republic.  He  there- 
fore did  nothing. 

The  opponents  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administra- 


tion nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  as  their  stand- 
ard-bearer in  the  next  Presidential  canvass. 
The  pro-slavery  party  declared  that  if  he  were 
elected  and  the  control  of  the  Government  were 
thus  taken  from  their  hands,  they  would  sece:l: 
from  the  Union,  taking  with  them  as  they  retired 
the  National  Capitol  at  Washington  and  the 
lion's  share  of  the  territory  of  the  United  States. 

As  the  storm  increased  in  violence,  the  slave- 
holders claiming  the  right  to  secede,  and  Mr. 
Buchanan  avowing  that  Congress  had  no  power 
to  prevent  it,  one  of  the  most  pitiable  exhibitions 
of  governmental  imbecility  was  exhibited  that  the 
world  has  ever  seen.  He  declared  that  Congress 
had  no  power  to  enforce  its  laws  in  any  State 
which  had  withdrawn,  or  which  was  attempting 
to  withdraw,  from  the  Union.  This  was  not  the 
doctrine  of  Andrew  Jackson,  when,  with  his  hand 
upon  Ms  sword-hilt,  he  exclaimed:  "The  Union 
must  and  shall  be  preserved!" 

South  Carolina  seceded  in  December,  1860, 
nearly  three  months  before  the  inauguration  of 
President  Lincoln.  Mr.  Buchanan  looked  on  in 
listless  despair.  The  rebel  flag  was  raised  in 
Charleston;  Ft.  Sumter  was  besieged;  our  forts, 
navy-yards  and  arsenals  were  seized;  our  depots 
of  military  stores  were  plundered,  and  our  cus- 
tom-houses and  post-offices  were  appropriated  by 
the  rebels. 

The  energy  of  the  rebels  and  the  imbecility  of 
our  Executive  were  alike  marvelous.  The  na- 
tion looked  on  in  agony,  waiting  for  the  slow 
weeks  to  glide  away  and  close  the  administration, 
so  terrible  in  its  weakness.  At  length  the  long- 
looked-for  hour  of  deliverance  came,  when  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  was  to  receive  the  scepter. 

The  administration  of  President  Buchanan  was 
certainly  the  most  calamitous  our  country  has  ex- 
perienced. His  best  friends  can  not  recall  it  with 
pleasure.  And  still  more  deplorable  it  is  for  his 
fame,  that  in  that  dreadful  conflict  which  rolled 
its  billows  of  flame  and  blood  over  our  whole 
land,  no  word  came  from  his  lips  to  indicate  his 
wish  that  our  country's  banner  should  triumph 
over  the  flag  of  the  Rebellion.  He  died  at  his 
Wheatland  retreat,  June  i,  1868. 


LIBRARY 
Of  THt 

UNIVtKSIlY  Of  ILUflOJS 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 


BRAHAM  LINCOLN,  the  sixteenth  Presi- 
t_l  dent  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Hardin 
|  I  County,  Ky.,  February  12,  1809.  About 
the  year -i  780,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  left  Virginia  with  his  family  and  moved 
into  the  then  wilds  of  Kentucky.  Only  two  years 
after  this  emigration,  and  while  still  a  young  man, 
he  was  working  one  day  in  a  field,  when  an  Indian 
stealthily  approached  and  killed  him.  His  widow 
was  left  in  extreme  poverty  with  five  little  chil- 
dren, three  boys  and  two  girls.  Thomas,  the 
youngest  of  the  boys,  and  the  father  of  President 
Abraham  Lincoln,  was  four  years  of  age  at  his 
father's  death. 

When  twenty-eight  years  old,  Thomas  Lincoln 
built  a  log  cabin,  and  married  Nancy  Hanks,  the 
daughter  of  another  family  of  poor  Kentucky 
emigrants,  who  had  also  come  from  Virginia. 
Their  second  child  was  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  The  mother  of  Abraham  was 
a  noble  woman,  gentle,  loving,  pensive,  created 
to  adorn  a  palace,  but  doomed  to  toil  and  pine,  and 
die  in  a  hovel.  "  All  that  I  am,  or  hope  to  be," 
exclaimed  the  grateful  son,  "  I  owe  to  my  angel- 
mother.  ' '  When  he  was  eight  years  ot  age,  his 
father  sold  his  cabin  and  small  farm  and  moved 
to  Indiana,  where  two  years  later  his  mother  died. 

As  the  years  rolled  on,  the  lot  of  this  lowly 
family  was  the  usual  lot  of  humanity.  There 
were  joys  and  griefs,  weddings  and  funerals. 
Abraham's  sister  Sarah,  to  whom  he  was  tenderly 
attached,  was  married  when  a  child  of  but  four- 
teen years  of  age,  and  soon  died.  The  family 
was  gradually  scattered,  and  Thomas  Lincoln 
sold  out  his  squatter's  claim  in  1830,  and  emi- 
grated to  Macon  County,  111. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  then  twenty-one  years 
of  age.  With  vigorous  hands  he  aided  his  father 
in  rearing  another  log  cabin,  and  worked  quite 
diligently  at  this  until  he  saw  the  family  com- 
fortably settled,  and  their  small  lot  of  enclosed 
prairie  planted  with  corn,  when  he  announced  to 


his  father  his  intention  to  leave  home,  and  to  gc 
out  into  the  world  and  seek  his  fortune.  Littk 
did  he  or  his  friends  imagine  how  brilliant  that 
fortune  was  to  be.  He  saw  the  value  of  educa- 
tion and  was  intensely  earnest  to  improve  his 
mind  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  Religion  he 
revered.  Hie  morals  were  pure,  and  he  was  un- 
contaminated  by  a  single  vice. 

Young  Abraham  worked  for  a  time  as  a  hired 
laborer  among  the  farmers.  Then  he  went  to 
Springfield,  where  he  was  employed  in  building 
a  large  flat-boat.  In  this  he  took  a  herd  of  swine, 
floated  them  down  the  Sangamon  to  Illinois,  and 
thence  by  the  Mississippi  to  New  Orleans.  What- 
ever Abraham  Lincoln  undertook,  he  performed 
so  faithfully  as  to  give  great  satisfaction  to  his 
employers.  In  this  adventure  the  latter  were 
so  well  pleased,  that  upon  his  return  they  placed 
a  store  and  mill  under  his  care. 

In  1832,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  he  enlisted  and  was  chosen  Captain  of  a 
company.  He  returned  to  Sangamon  County,- 
and,  although  only  twenty-three  years  of  age,  was 
a  candidate  for  the  Legislature,  but  was  defeated. 
He  soon  after  received  from  Andrew  Jackson  the 
appointment  of  Postmaster  of  New  Salem.  His 
only  post-office  was  his  hat.  All  the  letters  he 
received  he  carried  there,  ready  to  deliver  to  those 
he  chanced  to  meet.  He  studied  surveying,  and 
soon  made  this  his  business.  In  1834  he  again 
became  a  candidate  for  the  Legislature  and  was 
elected.  Mr.  Stuart,  of  Springfield,  advised  him 
to  study  law.  He  walked  from  New  Salem  to 
Springfield,  borrowed  of  Mr.  Stuart  a  load  oi 
books,  carried  them  back,  and  began  his  legal 
studies.  When  the  Legislature  assembled,  he 
trudged  on  foot  with  his  pack  on  his  back  one 
hundred  miles  to  Vandalia,  then  the  capital.  In 
1836  he  was  re-elected  to  the  Legislature.  Here 
it  was  he  first  met  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  In  1839 
he  removed  to  Springfield  and  began  the  practice 
of  law.  His  success  with  the  jury  was  so  great 


8o 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 


that  lie  was  soon  engaged  in  almost  every  noted 
case  in  the  circuit. 

In  1854  the  great  discussion  began  between  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  Mr.  Douglas  on  the  slavery  ques- 
tion. In  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
in  Illinois,  in  1856,  he  took  an  active  part,  and  at 
once  became  one  of  the  leaders  in  that  party. 
Mr.  Lincoln's  speeches  in  opposition  to  Senator 
Douglas  in  the  contest  in  1858  for  a  seat  in  the 
Senate,  form  a  most  notable  part  of  his  history. 
The  issue  was  on  the  slavery  question,  and  he 
took  the  broad  ground  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, that  all  men  are  created  equal.  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  defeated  in  this  contest,  but  won  a 
far  higher  prize. 

The  great  Republican  Convention  met  at  Chi- 
cago on  the  1 6th  of  June,  1860.  The  delegates 
anfl  strangers  who  crowded  the  city  amounted  to 
twenty-five  thousand.  An  immense  building 
called  "The  Wigwam,"  was  reared  to  accommo- 
date the  convention.  There  were  eleven  candi- 
dates for  whom  votes  were  thrown.  William  H. 
Seward,  a  man  whose  fame  as  a  statesman  had 
long  filled  the  land,  was  the  most  prominent.  It 
was  generally  supposed  he  would  be  the  nomi- 
nee. Abraham  Lincoln,  however,  received  the 
nomination  on  the  third  ballot. 

Election  day  came,  and  Mr.  Lincoln  received 
one  hundred  and  eighty  electoral  votes  out  of  two 
hundred  and  three  cast,  and  was,  therefore,  con- 
stitutionally elected  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  tirade  of  abuse  that  was  poured  upon  this 
good  and  merciful  man,  especially  by  the  slave- 
holders, was  greater  than  upon  any  other  man 
ever  elected  to  this  high  position.  In  February, 
1861,  Mr.  Lincoln  started  for  Washington,  stop- 
ping in  all  the  large  cities  on  his  way,  making 
speeches.  The  whole  journey  was  fraught  with 
much  danger.  Many  of  the  Southern  States  had 
already  seceded,  and  several  attempts  at  assassi- 
nation were  afterward  brought  to  light.  A  gang 
in  Baltimore  had  arranged  upon  his  arrival  to 
"get  up  a  row,"  and  in  the  confusion  to  make 
sure  of  his  death  with  revolvers  and  hand-gren- 
ades. A  detective  unravelled  the  plot.  A  secret 
and  special  train  was  provided  to  take  him  from 
Harrisburg,  through  Baltimore,  at  an  unexpected 


hour  of  the  night.  The  train  started  at  half-past 
ten,  and  to  prevent  any  possible  communication 
on  the  part  of  the  Secessionists  with  their  Con- 
federate gang  in  Baltimore,  as  soon  as  the  train 
had  started  the  telegraph-wires  were  cut.  Mr. 
Lincoln  reached  Washington  in  safety  and  was 
inaugurated,  although  great  anxiety  was  felt  by 
all  loyal  people. 

In  the  selection  of  his  cabinet  Mr.  Lincoln  gave 
to  Mr.  Seward  the  Department  of  State,  and  to 
other  prominent  opponents  before  the  convention 
he  gave  important  positions;  but  during  no  other 
administration  had  the  duties  devolving  upon  the 
President  been  so  manifold,  and  the  responsibilities 
so  great,  as  those  which  fell  to  his  lot.  Knowing 
this,  and  feeling  his  own  weakness  and  inability 
to  meet,  and  in  his  own  strength  to  cope  with, 
the  difficulties,  he  learned  early  to  seek  Divine 
wisdom  and  guidance  in  determining  his  plans, 
and  Divine  comfort  in  all  his  trials,  both  personal 
and  national.  Contrary  to  his  own  estimate  of 
himself,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  one  of  the  most  cour- 
ageous of  men.  He  went  directly  into  the  rebel 
capital  just  as  the  retreating  foe  was  leaving,  with 
no  guard  but  a  few  sailors.  From  the  time  he 
had  left  Springfield,  in  1861,  however,  plans  had 
been  made  for  his  assassination,  and  he  at  last 
fell  a  victim  to  one  of  them.  April  14,  1865,  he, 
with  Gen.  Grant,  was  urgently  invited  to  attend 
Ford's  Theatre.  It  was  announced  that  they 
would  be  present.  Gen.  Grant,  however,  left  the 
city.  President  Lincoln,  feeling,  with  his  char- 
acteristic kindliness  of  heart,  that  it  would  be  a 
disappointment  if  he  should  fail  them,  very  re- 
luctantly consented  to  go.  While  listening  to 
the  play,  an  actor  by  the  name  of  John  Wilket 
Booth  entered  the  box  where  the  President  and 
family  were  seated,  and  fired  a  bullet  into  his 
brain.  He  died  the  next  morning  at  seven 
o'  clock. 

Never  before  in  the  history  of  the  world  was 
a  nation  plunged  into  such  deep  grief  by  the  death 
of  its  ruler  Strong  men  met  in  the  streets  and 
wept  in  speechless  anguish.  His  was  a  life  which 
will  fitly  become  a  model.  His  name  as  the 
Savior  of  his  country  will  live  with  that  of  Wash- 
ington's, its  Father. 


LIBRARY 
Of  THE 

UNIVEKSm  OF  ILLINOIS 


/y 


ANDREW  JOHNSON. 


Gl  NDREW  JOHNSON,  seventeenth  President 
LJ  of  the  United  States.  The  early  life  of  An- 
/  I  drew  Johnson  contains  but  the  record  of  pov- 
erty,  destitution  and  friendlessness.  He  was  born 
December  29,  1808,  in.  Raleigh,  N.  C.  His  par- 
ents, belonging  to  the  class  of  "poor  whites" 
of  the  South,  were  in  such  circumstances  that  they 
could  not  confer  even  the  slightest  advantages  of 
education  upon  their  child.  When  Andrew  was 
five  years  of  age,  his  father  accidentally  lost  his 
life,  while  heroically  endeavoring  to  save  a  friend 
from  drowning.  Until  ten  years  of  age,  Andrew 
was  a  ragged  boy  about  the  streets,  supported  by 
the  labor  of  his  mother,  who  obtained  her  living 
with  her  own  hands. 

He  then,  having  never  attended  a  school  one 
day,  and  being  unable  either  to  reader  write, was 
apprenticed  to  a  tailor  in  his  native  town.  A  gen- 
tleman was  in  the  habit  of  going  to  the  tailor's 
shop  occasionally,  and  reading  to  the  boys  at 
work  there.  He  often  read  from  the  speeches  of 
distinguished  British  statesmen.  Andrew,  who 
was  endowed  with  a  mind  of  more  than  ordinary 
ability,  became  much  interested  in  these  speeches; 
his  ambition  was  roused,  and  he  was  inspired  with 
a  strong  desire  to  learn  to  read. 

He  accordingly  applied  himself  to  the  alphabet, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  some  of  his  fellow- 
workmen  learned  his  letters.  He  then  called  upon 
the  gentleman  to  borrow  the  book  of  speeches. 
The  owner,  pleased  with  his  zeal,  not  only  gave 
him  the  book,  but  assisted  him  in  learning  to  com- 
bine the  letters  into  words.  Under  such  difficul- 
ties he  pressed  onward  laboriously,  spending  usu- 
ally ten  or  twelve  hours  at  work  in  the  shop,  and 
then  robbing  himself  of  rest  and  recreation  to  de- 
vote such  time  as  he  could  to  reading. 

He  went  to  Tennessee  in   1826,  and  located  at 


Greenville,  where  he  married  a  young  lady  who 
possessed  some  education.  Under  her  instructions 
he  learned  to  write  and  cipher.  He  became 
prominent  in  the  village  debating  society,  and  a 
favorite  with  the  students  of  Greenville  College. 
In  1828,  he  organized  a  working  man's  party, 
which  elected  him  Alderman,  and  in  1830  elected 
him  Mayor,  which  position  he  held  three  years. 

He  now  began  to  take  a  lively  interest  in 
political  affairs,  identify  ing  himself  with  the  work- 
ing-class, to  which  he  belonged.  In  1835,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  House  of  Represent- 
atives of  Tennessee.  He  was  then  just  twenty- 
seven  years  of  age.  He  became  a  very  active 
member  of  the  Legislature,  gave  his  support  to 
the  Democratic  party,  and  in  1840  "stumped  the 
State,"  advocating  Martin  Van  Buren's  claims  to 
the  Presidency,  in  opposition  to  'those  of  Gen. 
Harrison.  In  this  campaign  he  acquired  much 
readiness  as  a  speaker,  and  extended  and  increased 
his  reputation. 

In  1841,  he  was  elected  State  Senator;  in  1843, 
he  was  elected  a  Member  of  Congress,  and  by  suc- 
cessive elections  held  that  important  post  for  ten 
years.  In  1 853 ,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Tenn- 
essee, and  was  re-elected  in  1855.  In  all  these 
responsible  positions,  he  discharged  his  duties 
with  distinguished  ability,  and  proved  himself  the 
warm  friend  of  the  working 'classes.  In  1857,  Mr. 
Johnson  was  elected  United  States  Senator. 

Years  before,  in  1845,  he  had  warmly  advocated 
the  annexation  of  Texas,  stating,  however,  as  his 
reason,  that  he  thought  this  annexation  would 
probably  prove  "to  be  the  gateway  out  of  which 
the  sable  sons  of  Africa  are  to  pass  from  bondage 
to  freedom,  and  become  merged  in  a  population 
congenial  to  themselves."  In  1850,  he  also  sup- 
ported the  compromise  measures,  the  two  essen- 


84 


ANDREW  JOHNSON. 


tial  features  of  which  werp,  that  the  white  people 
of  the  Territories  should  be  permitted  to  decide 
for  themselves  whether  they  would  enslave  the 
colored  people  or  not,  and  that  the  free  States  of 
the  North  should  return  to  the  South  persons  who 
attempted  to  escape  from  slavery. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  never  ashamed  of  his  lowly 
origin:  on  the  contrary,  he  often  took  pride  in 
avowing  that  he  owed  his  distinction  to  his  own 
exertions.  "Sir,"  said  he  on  the  floor  of  the 
Senate,  "I  do  not  forget  that  I  am  a  mechanic; 
neither  do  I  forget  that  Adam  was  a  tailor  and 
sewed  fig-leaves,  and  that  our  Savior  was  the  son 
of  a  carpenter. ' ' 

In  the  Charleston-Baltimore  convention  of  1860, 
he  was  the  choice  of  the  Tennessee  Democrats  for 
the  Presidency.  In  1861,  when  the  purpose  of 
the  Southern  Democracy  became  apparent,  he  took 
a  decided  stand  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and  held 
that  "slavery  must  be  held  subordinate  to  the 
Union  at  whatever  cost."  He  returned  to  Tenn- 
essee, and  repeatedly  imperiled  his  own  life  to 
protect  the  Unionists  of  that  State.  Tennessee 
having  seceded  from  the  Union,  President  Lincoln, 
on  March  4,  1862,  appointed  him  Military  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State,  and  he  established  the  most 
Stringent  military  rule.  His  numerous  proclama- 
tions attracted  wide  attention.  In  1864,  he  was 
elected  Vice- President  of  the  United  States,  and 
upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  April  15,  1865, 
became  President.  In  a  speech  two  days  later  he 
said,  "The  American  people  must  be  taught,  if 
they  do  not  already  feel,  that  treason  is  a  crime 
and  must  be  punished;  that  the  Government  will 
not  always  bear  with  its  enemies;  that  it  is  strong 
not  only  to  protect,  but  to  punish.  *  *  The 
people  must  understand  that  it  (treason)  is  the 
blackest  of  crimes,  and  will  surely  be  punished. ' ' 
Yet  his  whole  administration,  the  history  of  which 
is  so  well  known,  was  in  utter  inconsistency  with, 
and  in  the  most  violent  opposition  to,  the  princi- 
ples laid  down  in  that  speech. 

In  his  loose  policy  of  reconstruction  and  general 
amnesty,  he  was  opposed  by  Congress,  and  he 
characterized  Congress  as  a  new  rebellion,  and 
lawlessly  defied  it  in  everything  possible  to  the  ut- 
most. In  the  beginning  of  1868,  on  account  of 


"High  crimes  and  misdemeanors,"  the  principal 
of  which  was  the  removal  of  Secretary  Stanton  in 
violation  of  the  Tenure  of  Office  Act,  articles  of 
impeachment  were  preferred  against  him,  and  the 
trial  began  March  23. 

It  was  very  tedious,  continuing  for  nearly  three 
months.  A  test  article  of  the  impeachment  was 
at  length  submitted  to  the  court  for  its  action.  It 
was  certain  that  as  the  court  voted  upon  that  ar- . 
ticle  so  would  it  vote  upon  all.  Thirty-four  voices 
pronounced  the  President  guilty.  As  a  two-thirds 
vote  was  necessary  to  his  condemnation,  he  was 
pronounced  acquitted,  notwithstanding  the  great 
majority  against  him.  The  change  of  one  vote 
from  the  not  guilty  side  would  have  sustained  the 
impeachment. 

The  President,  for  the  remainder  of  his  term, 
was  but  little  regarded.  He  continued,  though 
impotently,  his  conflict  with  Congress.  His  own 
party  did  not  think  it  expedient  to  renominate 
him  for  the  Presidency.  The  Nation  rallied  with  . 
enthusiasm,  unparalleled  since  the  days  of  Wash- 
ington, around  the  name  of  Gen.  Grant.  Andrew 
Johnson  was  forgotten.  The  bullet  of  the  assassin 
introduced  him  to  the  President's  chair.  Not- 
withstanding this,  never  was  there  presented  to  a 
man  a  better  opportunity  to  immortalize  his  name, 
and  to  win  the  gratitude  of  a  nation.  He  failed 
utterly.  He  retired  to  his  home  in  Greenville, 
Tenn. ,  taking  no  very  active  part  in  politics  until 
1875.  On  January  26,  after  an  exciting  struggle,' 
he  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee 
United  States  Senator  in  the  Forty-fourth  Congess, 
and  took  his  seat  in  that  body,  at  the  special  ses- 
sion convened  by  President  Grant,  on  the  5th  of 
March.  On  the  27th  of  July,  1875,  the  ex-Presi- 
dent made  a  visit  to  his  daughter's  home,  near 
Carter  Station,  Tenn.  When  he  started  on  his 
journey,  he  was  apparently  in  his  usual  vigorous 
health,  but  on  reaching  the  residence  of  his  child 
the  following  day,  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis, 
which  rendered  him  unconscious.  He  rallied  oc-  ; 
casionally,  but  finally  passed  away  at  2  A.  M., 
July  31 ,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  funeral  was 
held  at  Greenville,  on  the  3d  of  August,  with 
every  demonstration  of  respect. 


LIBRARY 
of  rm 

UNIVEKSm  OF  ILLINOIS 


ULYSSES  S.  GRANT. 


HLYSSES  S.  GRANT,  the  eighteenth  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  was  born  on  the 
2gth  of  April,  1822,  of  Christian  parents,  in 
a  humble  home  at  Point  Pleasant,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Ohio.  Shortly  after,  his  father  moved  to 
Georgetown,  Brown  County,. Ohio.  In  this  re- 
mote frontier  hamlet,  Ulysses  received  a  common- 
school  education.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  in 
the  year  1839,  he  entered  the  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point.  Here  he  was  regarded  as  a  solid, 
sensible  young  man,  of  fair  ability,  and  of  sturdy, 
honest  character.  He  took  respectable  rank  as  a 
scholar.  In  June,  1843,  he  graduated  about  the 
middle  in  his  class,  and  was  sent  as  Lieutenant  of 
Infantry  to  one  of  the  distant  military  posts  in  the 
Missouri  Territory.  Two  years  he  passed  in  these 
dreary  solitudes,  watching  the  vagabond  Indians. 

The  war  with  Mexico  came.  Lieut.  Grant  was 
sent  with  his  regiment  to  Corpus  Christi.  His 
first  battle  was  at  Palo  Alto.  There  was  no 
chance  here  for  the  exhibition  of  either  skill  or 
heroism,  nor  at  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  his  second 
battle.  At  the  battle  of  Monterey,  his  third  en- 
gagement, it  is  said  that  he  performed  a  signal 
service  of  daring  and  .skillful  horsemanship. 

At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War,  Capt.  Grant 
returned  with  his  regiment  to  New  York,  and 
was  again  sent  to  one  of  the  military  posts  on  the 
frontier.  The  discovery  of  gold  in  Califorria 
causing  an  immense  tide  of  emigration  to  flow  to 
the  Pacific  shores,  Cnpt.  Grant  was  sent  with  a 
battalion  to  Ft.  Dallas,  in  Oregon,  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  interests  of  the  immigrants.  But  life 
was  wearisome  in  those  wilds,  and  he  resigned 
his  commission  and  returned  to  the  States.  Hav- 
ing married,  he  entered  upon  the  cultivation  of  a 
small  farm  near  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  but  having  little 


skill  as  a  farmer,  and  finding  his  toil  not  re- 
munerative, he  turned  to  mercantile  life,  entering 
into  the  leather  business,  with  a  younger  brother 
at  Galena,  111.  This  was  in  the  year  1860.  As 
the  tidings  of  the  rebels  firing  on  Ft.  Sumter 
reached  the  ears  of  Capt.  Grant  in  his  counting- 
room,  he  said:  "Uncle  Sam  has  educated  me 
for  the  army;  though  I  have  served  him  through 
one  war,  I  do  not  feel  that  I  have  yet  repaid  the 
debt.  I  am  still  ready  to  discharge  my  obliga- 
tions. I  shall  therefore  buckle  on  my  sword  and 
see  Uncle  Sam  through  this  war  too. ' ' 

He  went  into  the  streets,  raised  a  company  of 
volunteers,  and  led  them  as  their  Captain  to 
Springfield,  the  capital  of  the  State,  where  their 
services  were  offered  to  Gov.  Yates.  The  Gov- 
ernor, impressed  by  the  zeal  and  straightforward 
executive  ability  of  Capt.  Grant,  gave  him  a  desk 
in  his  office  to  assist  in  the  volunteer  organiza- 
tion that  was  being  formed  in  the  State  in  behalf 
of  the  Government.  On  the  1 5th  of  June,  1861, 
Capt.  Grant  received  a  commission  as  Colonel  of 
the  Twenty-first  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers. 
His  merits  as  a  West  Point  graduate,  who  had 
served  for  fifteen  years  in  the  regular  army,  were 
such  that  he  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Brigadier-General,  and  was  placed  in  command  at 
Cairo.  The  rebels  raised  their  banner  at  Padu- 
cah,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Tennessee  River. 
Scarcely  had  its  folds  appeared  in  the  breeze  ere 
Gen.  Grant  was  there.  The  rebels  fled,  their 
banner  fell,  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  un- 
furled in  its  stead. 

He  entered  the  service  with  great  determina- 
tion and  immediately  began  active  duty.  This 
was  the  beginning,  and  until  the ' surrender  of 
Lee  at  Richmond  he  was  ever  pushing  the  enemy 


88 


ULYSSES  S.  GRANT. 


with  great  vigor  and  effectiveness.  At  Belmont, 
a  few  days  later,  he  surprised  and  routed  the 
rebels,  then  at  Ft.  Henry  won  another  victory. 
Then  came  the  brilliant  fight  at  Ft.  Donelson. 
The  nation  was  electrified  by  the  victory,  and  the 
brave  leader  of  the  boys  in  blue  was  immediately 
made  a  Major-General,  and  the  military  district 
of  Tennessee  was  assigned  to  him. 

Like  all  great  captains,  Gen.  Grant  knew  well 
how  to  secure  the  results  of  victory.  He  imme- 
diately pushed  on  to  the  enemies'  lines.  Then 
came  the  terrible  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing, 
Corinth,  and  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  where  Gen. 
Pemberton  made  an  unconditional  surrender  of 
the  city  with  over  thirty  thousand  men  and  one 
hundred  and  seventy-two  cannon.  The  fall  of 
Vicksburg  was  by  far  the  most  severe  blow  which 
the  rebels  had  thus  far  encountered,  and  opened 
up  the  Mississippi  from  Cairo  to  the  Gulf. 

Gen.  Grant  was  next  ordered  to  co-operate  with 
Gen.  Banks  in  a  movement  upon  Texas,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  thrown 
from  his  horse,  and  received  severe  injuries,  from 
which  he  was  laid  up  for  months.  He  then 
rushed  to  the  aid  of  Gens.  Rosecrans  and  Thomas 
at  Chattanooga,  and  by  a  wonderful  series  of 
strategic  and  technical  measures  put  the  Union 
army  in  fighting  condition.  Then  followed  the 
bloody  battles  at  Chattanooga,  Lookout  Moun- 
tain and  Missionary  Ridge,  in  which  the  rebels 
were  routed  with  great  loss.  This  won  for  him 
unbounded  praise  in  the  North.  On  the  4th  of 
February,  1864,  Congress  revived  the  grade  of 
lieutenant-general,  and  the  rank  was  conferred 
on  Gen.  Grant.  He  repaired  to  Washington  to 
receive  his  credentials  and  enter  upon  the  duties 
of  his  new  office. 

Gen.  Grant  decided  as  soon  as  he  took  charge 
of  the  army  to  concentrate  the  widely-dispersed 
National  troops  for  an  attack  upon  Richmond, 
the  nominal  capital  of  the  rebellion,  and  endeavor 
there  to  destroy  the  rebel  armies  which  would  be 
promptly  assembled  from  all  quarters  for  its  de- 
fense. The  whole  continent  seemed  to  tremble 
under  the  tramp  of  these  majestic  armies,  rushing 
to  the  decisive  battle-field.  Steamers  were  crowd- 
ed with  troops.  Railway  trains  were  burdened 


with  closely-packed  thousands.  His  plans  were 
comprehensive,  and  involved  a  series  of  cam- 
paigns, which  were  executed  with  remarkable 
energy  and  ability,  and  were  consummated  at  the 
surrender  of  Lee,  April  9,  1865. 

The  war  was  ended.  The  Union  was  saved. 
The  almost  unanimous  voice  of  the  nation  de- 
clared Gen.  Grant  to  be  the  most  prominent  in- 
strument in  its  salvation.  The  eminent  services 
he  had  thus  rendered  the  country  brought  him 
conspicuously  forward  as  the  Republican  candi- 
date for  the  Presidential  chair. 

At  the  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago, 
May  21,  1868,  he  was  unanimously  nominated 
for  the  Presidency,  and  at  the  autumn  election 
received  a  majority  of  the  popular  vote,  and  two 
hundred  and  fourteen  out  of  two  hundred  and 
ninety-four  electoral  votes. 

The  National  Convention  of  the  Republican 
party,  which  met  at  Philadelphia  on  the  5th  01 
June,  1872,  placed  Gen.  Grant  in  nomination  for 
a  second  term  by  a  unanimous  vote.  The  selec- 
tion was  emphatically  indorsed  by  the  people  five 
months  later,  two  hundred  and  ninety-two  elect- 
oral votes  being  cast  for  him. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  his  second  term,  Gen. 
Grant  started  upon  his  famous  trip  around  the 
world.  He  visited  almost  every  country  of  the 
civilized  world,  and  was  everywhere  received 
with  such  ovations  and  demonstrations  of  respect 
and  honor,  private  as  well  as  public  and  official, 
as  were  never  before  bestowed  upon  any  citizen 
of  the  United  States. 

He  was  the  most  prominent  candidate  before 
the  Republican  National  Convention  in  1880  for 
a  renomination  for  President.  He  went  to  New 
York  and  embarked  in  the  brokerage  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  Grant  &  Ward.  The 
latter  proved  a  villain,  wrecked  Grant's  fortune, 
and  for  larceny  was  sent  to  the  penitentiary. 
The  General  was  attacked  with  cancer  in  the 
throat,  but  suffered  in  his  stoic-like  manner,  never 
complaining.  He  was  re-instated  as  General  of 
the  Army,  and  retired  by  Congress.  The  cancer 
soon  finished  its  deadly  work,  and  July  23,  1885, 
the  nation  went  in  mourning  over  the  death  01 
the  illustrious  General. 


UBftAOT 

OF  fHt 

UNIVERSITY  Of  IUINWS 


,. — \  u. 


RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES. 


QUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES,  the  nineteenth 
|^  President  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in 
p\  Delaware,  Ohio,  October  4,  1822,  almost 
three  months  after  the  death  of  his  father,  Ruther- 
ford Hayes.  His  ancestry  on  both  the  paternal  and 
maternal  sides  was  of  the  most  honorable  char- 
acter. It  can  be  traced,  it  is  said,  as  far  back  as 
1280,  when  Hayes  and  Rutherford  were  two 
Scottish  chieftains,  fighting  side  by  side  with 
Baliol,  William  Wallace  and  Robert  Bruce.  Both 
families  belonged  to  the  nobility,  owned  extensive 
estates,  and  had  a  large  following.  Misfortune 
overtaking  the  family,  George  Hayes  left  Scotland 
in  1680,  and  settled  in  Windsor,  Conn.  His  son 
George  was  born  in  Windsor,  and  remained  there 
during  his  life.  Daniel  Hayes,  son  of  the  latter, 
married  Sarah  Lee,  and  lived  from  the  time  of 
his  marriage  until  his  death  in  Simsbury,  Conn. 
Ezekiel,  son  of  Daniel,  was  born  in  1724,  and  was 
a  manufacturer  of  scythes  at  Bradford,  Conn. 
Rutherford  Hayes,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  grandfather 
of  President  Hayes,  was  born  in  New  Haven,  in 
August,  1756.  He  was  a  farmer,  blacksmith  and 
tavern-keeper.  He  emigrated  to  Vermont  at  an 
unknown  date,  settling  in  Brattleboro,  where  he 
established  a  hotel.  Here  his  son,  Rutherford 
Hayes,  the  father  of  President  Hayes,  was  born. 
He  was  married,  in  September,  1813,  to  Sophia 
Birchard,  of  Wilmington,  Vt.,  whose  ancestors 
emigrated  thither  from  Connecticut,  they  having 
been  among  the  wealthiest  and  best  families  of 
Norwich.  Her  ancestry  on  the  male  side  is 
traced  back  to  1635,  to  John  Birchard,  one  of  the 
principal  founders  of  Norwich.  Both  of  her  grand- 
fathers were  soldiers  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  father  of  President  Hayes  was  an  industri- 
ous, frugal,  yet  open-hearted  man.     He  was  of  a 


mechanical  turn  of  mind,  and  could  mend  a  plow, 
knit  a  stocking,  or  do  almost  anything  else  that 
he  chose  to  undertake.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
church,  active  in  all  the  benevolent  enterprises 
of  the  town,  and  conducted  his  business  on  Chris- 
tian principles.  After  the  close  of  the  War  of 
1812,  for  reasons  inexplicable  to  his  neighbors,  he 
resolved  to  emigrate  to  Ohio. 

The  journey  from  Vermont  to  Ohio  in  that  day, 
when  there  were  no  canals,  steamers,  or  rail- 
ways, was  a  very  serious  affair.  A  tour  of  in- 
spection was  first  made,  occupying  four  months. 
Mr.  Hayes  decided  to  move  to  Delaware,  where 
the  family  arrived  in  1817.  He  died  July  22, 
1822,  a  victim  of  malarial  fever,  less  than  three 
months  before  the  birth  of  the  son  of  whom  we 
write.  Mrs.  Hayes,  in  her  sore  bereavement, 
found  the  support  she  so  much  needed  in  her 
brother  Sardis,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the 
household  from  the  day  of  its  departure  from 
Vermont,  and  in  an  orphan  girl,  whom  she  had 
adopted  some  time  before  as  an  act  of  charity. 

Rutherford  was  seven  years  old  before  he  went 
to  school.  His  education,  however,  was  not  neg- 
lected. He  probably  learned  as  much  from  his 
mother  and  sister  as  he  would  have  done  at 
school.  His  sports  were  almost  wholly  within 
doors,  his  playmates  being  his  sister  and  her  asso- 
ciates. These  circumstances  tended,  no  doubt,  to 
foster  that  gentleness  of  disposition  and  that  del- 
icate consideration  for  the  feelings  of  others  which 
were  marked  traits  of  his  character. 

His  uncle,  Sardis  Birchard,  took  the  deepest 
interest  in  his  education;  and  as  the  boy's  health 
had  improved,  and  he  was  making  good  progress 
in  his  studies,  he  proposed  to  send  him  to  college. 
His  preparation  commenced  with  a  tutor  at  home; 


92 


RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES. 


but  lie  was  afterwards  sent  for  one  year  to  a  pro- 
fessor in  the  Wesleyan  University  in  Middletown, 
Conn.  He  entered  Kenyon  College  in  1838,  at 
the  age  of  sixteen,  and  was  graduated  at  the  head 
of  his  class  in  1842. 

Immediately  after  his  graduation  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Thomas  Sparrow, 
Esq.,  in  Columbus.  Finding  his  opportunities 
for  study  in  Columbus  somewhat  limited,  he  de- 
termined to  enter  the  Law  School  at  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  where  he  remained  two  years. 

In  1845,  after  graduating  at  the  Law  School,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  and 
shortly  afterward  went  into  practice  as  an  at- 
torney-at-law  with  Ralph  P.  Buckland,  of  Fre- 
mont. Here  he  remained  three  years,  acquiring 
but  a  limited  practice,  and  apparently  unambitious 
of  distinction  in  his  profession. 

In  1849  he  moved  to  Cincinnati,  where  his  am- 
bition found  a  new  stimulus.  For  several  years, 
however,  his  progress  was  slow.  Two  events 
occurring  at  this  period  had  a  powerful  influence 
upon  his  subsequent  life.  One  of  these  was  his 
marriage  with  Miss  Lucy  Ware  Webb,  daughter 
of  Dr.  James  Webb,  of  Chillicothe;  the  other  was 
his  introduction  to  the  Cincinnati  Literary  Club, 
a  body  embracing  among  its  members  such  men 
as  Chief  Justice  Salmon  P.  Chase,  Gen.  John 
Pope,  Gov.  Edward  F.  Noyes,  and  many  others 
hardly  less  distinguished  in  after  life.  The  mar- 
riage was  a  fortunate  one  in  every  respect,  as 
everybody  knows.  Not  one  of  all  the  wives  of 
our  Presidents  was  more  universally  admired, 
reverenced  and  beloved  than  was  Mrs.  Hayes,  and 
no  one  did  more  than  she  to  reflect  honor  upon 
American  womanhood.  The  LiteraryClub  brought 
Mr.  Hayes  into  constant  association  with  young 
men  of  high  character  and  noble  aims,  and  lured 
him  to  display  the  qualities  so  long  hidden  by  his 
bashfulness  and  modesty. 

In  1856  he  was  nominated  to  the  office  of  Judge 
of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  but  he  declined  to 
accept  the  nomination.  Two  years  later,  the  of- 
fice of  City  Solicitor  becoming  vacant,  the  City 
Council  elected  him  for  the  unexpired  term. 

In  1 86 1,  when  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  he  was 
at  the  zenith  of  his  professional  life.  His  rank  at 


the  Bar  was  among  the  first.  But  the  news  of 
the  attack  on  Ft.  Sumter  found  him  eager  to 
take  up  arms  for  the  defense  of  his  country. 

His  military  record  was  bright  and  illustrious. 
In  October,  1861,  he  was  made  Lieutenant- Colo- 
nel, and  in  August,  1862,  promoted  Colonel  of 
the  Seventy-ninth  Ohio  Regiment,  but  he  refused 
to  leave  his  old  comrades  and  go  among  strangers. 
Subsequently,  however,  he  was  made  Colonel  of 
his  old  regiment.  At  the  battle  of  South  Moun- 
tain he  received  a  wound,  and  while  faint  and 
bleeding  displayed  courage  and  fortitude  tt 
won  admiration  from  all. 

Col.  Hayes  was  detached  from  his  regiment, 
after  his  recovery,  to  act  as  Brigadier-General, 
and  placed  in  command  of  the  celebrated  Kanawha 
division,  and  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services 
in  the  battles  of  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and 
Cedar  Creek,  he  was  promoted  Brigadier-General. 
He  was  also  breveted  Major-General,  "for  gallant 
and  distinguished  services  during  the  campaigns 
of  1864,  in  West  Virginia."  In  the  course  of  his 
arduous  services,  four  horses  were  shot  from  un- 
der him,  and  he  was  wounded  four  times. 

In  1864,  Gen.  Hayes  was  elected  to  Congress 
from  the  Second  Ohio  District,  which  had  long 
been  Democratic.  He  was  not  present  during  the 
campaign,  and  after  the  election  was  importuned 
to  resign  his  commission  in  the  army;  but  he  fi- 
nally declared,  "  I  shall  never  come  to  Washing- 
ton until  I  can  come  by  way  of  Richmond. ' '  He 
was  re-elected  in  1866. 

In  1867,  Gen.  Hayes  was  elected  Governor  of 
Ohio,  over  Hon.  Allen  G.  Thurman,  a  popular 
Democrat,  and  in  1869  was  re-elected  over  George 
H.  Pendleton.  He  was  elected  Governor  for  the 
third  term  in  1875. 

In  1876  he  was  the  standard-bearer  of  the  Re- 
publican party  in  the  Presidential  contest,  and 
after  a  hard,  long  contest  was  chosen  President, 
and  was  inaugurated  Monday,  March  5,  1877. 
He  served  his  full  term,  not,  however,  with  satis- 
faction to  his  party,  but  his  administration  was  an 
average  one.  The  remaining  years  of  his  life 
were  passed  quietly  in  his  Ohio  home,  where  he 
passed  away  January  17,  1893. 


LIBRARY 

Of  (Ht 

UNIYERSm  Of  ILLINOIS 


r 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


(TAMES  A.  GARFIELD,  twentieth  President 

I   of  the  United  States,  was  born  November  19, 

(•/   1831,  in   the  woods   of  Orange,  Cuyahoga 

i  County,   Ohio.     His   parents  were   Abram   and 

Eliza  (Ballon)   Garfield,  both  of  New  England 

ancestry,  and  from  families  well  known  in  the 

early  history  of  that  section  of  our  country,  but 

who  had  moved  to  the  Western  Reserve,  in  Ohio, 

early  in  its  settlement. 

The  house  in  which  James  A.  was  born  was 
not  unlike  the  houses  of  poor  Ohio  fanners  of 
that  day.  It  was  about  20  x  30  feet,  built  of  logs, 
with  the  spaces  between  the  logs  filled  with  clay. 
His  father  was  a  hard-working  farmer,  and  he 
soon  had  his  fields  cleared,  an  orchard  planted, 
and  a  log  barn  built.  The  household  comprised 
the  father  and  mother  and  their  four  children, 
Mehetabel,  Thomas,  Mary  and  James.  In  May, 
1823,  the  father  died  from  a  cold  contracted  in 
helping  to  put  out  a  forest  fire.  At  this  time 
James  was  about  eighteen  months  old,  and 
Thomas  about  ten  years  old.  No  one,  perhaps, 
can  tell  how  much  James  was  indebted  to  his 
brother's  toil  and  self-sacrifice  during  the  twenty 
years  succeeding  his  father's  death.  He  now 
lives  in  Michigan,  and  the  two  sisters  live  in  Solon, 
Ohio,  near  their  birthplace. 

The  early  educational  advantages  young  Gar- 
field  enjoyed  were  very  limited,  yet  he  made  the 
most  of  them.  He  labored  at  farm  work  for 
others,  did  carpenter  work,  chopped  wood,  or  did 
anything  that  would  bring  in  a  few  dollars  to  aid 
his  widowed  mother  in  her  struggles  to  keep  the 
little  family  together.  Nor  was  Gen.  Garfield 
ever  ashamed  of  his  origin,  and  he  never  forgot 
the  friends  of  his  struggling  childhood,  youth  and 
manhood;  neither  did  they  ever  forget  him. 
When  in  the  highest  seats  of  honor,  the  humblest 
friend  of  his  boyhood  was  as  kindly  greeted  as 
ever.  The  poorest  laborer  was  sure  of  the  sym- 
pathy of  one  who  had  known  all  the  bitterness  of 


want  and  the  sweetness  of  bread  earned  by  the 
sweat  of  the  brow.  He  was  ever  the  simple, 
plain,  modest  gentleman. 

The  highest  .ambition  of  young  Garfield  until 
he  was  about  sixteen  years  old  was  to  be  cap- 
tain of  a  vessel  on  Lake  Erie.  He  was  anxious 
to  go  aboard  a  vessel,  but  this  his  mother  strongly 
opposed.  She  finally  consented  to  his  going  to 
Cleveland,  with  the  understanding,  however,  that 
he  should  try  to  obtain  some  other  kind  of  em- 
ployment. He  walked  all  the  way  to  Cleveland. 
This  was  his  first  visit  to  the  city.  After  making 
many  applications  for  work,  and  trying  to  get 
aboard  a  lake  vessel  and  not  meeting  with  suc- 
cess, he  engaged  as  a  driver  for  his  cousin,  Amos 
Letcher,  on  the  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Canal. 
He  remained  at  this  work  but  a  short  time,  when 
he  went  home,  and  attended  the  seminary  at 
Chester  for  about  three  years.  He  then  entered 
Hiram  and  the  Eclectic  Institute,  teaching  a  few 
terms  of  school  in  the  mean  time,  and  doing  other 
work.  This  school  was  started  by  the  Disciples 
of  Christ  in  1850,  of  which  body  he  was  then  a 
member.  He  became  janitor  and  bell-ringer  in 
order  to  help  pay  his  way.  He  then  became  both 
teacher  and  pupil.  Soon  "exhausting  Hiram," 
and  needing  a  higher  education,  in  the  fall  of  1854 
he  entered  Williams  College,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated in  1856,  taking  one  of  the  highest  honors  of 
his  class.  He  afterwards  returned  to  Hiram  Col- 
lege as  its  President.  As  above  stated,  he  early 
united  with  the  Christian,  or  Disciples,  Church  at 
Hiram,  and  was  ever  after  a  devoted,  zealoua 
member,  often  preaching  in  its  pulpit  and  places 
where  he  happened  to  be. 

Mr.  Garfield  was  united  in  marriage,  Novem- 
ber 11,  1858,  with  Miss  Lucretia  Rudolph,  who 
proved  herself  worthy  as  the  wife  of  one  whom 
all  the  world  loved.  To  them  were  born  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living,  four  boys 
and  one  girl. 


96 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


Mr.  Garfield  made  his  first  political  speeches  in 
1856,  in  Hiram  and  the  neighboring  villages,  and 
three  years  later  he  began  to  speak  at  county 
mass-meetings,  and  became  the  favorite  speaker 
wherever  he  was.  During  this  year  he  was 
elected  to  the  Ohio  Senate.  He  also  began  to 
study  law  at  Cleveland,  and  in  1861  was  admitted 
to  the  Bar.  The  great  Rebellion  broke  out  in  the 
early  part  of  this  year,  and  Mr.  Garfield  at  once 
resolved  to  fight  as  he  had  talked,  and  enlisted  to 
defend  the  Old  Flag.  He  received  'his  commission 
as  Lieutenant- Colonel  of  the  Forty-second  Regi- 
ment of  Ohio  Infantry  August  14,  1861.  He 
was  immediately  put  into  active  service,  and  be- 
fore he  had  ever  seen  a  gun  fired  in  action,  was 
placed  in  command  of  four  regiments  of  infantry 
and  eight  companies  of  cavalry,  charged  with  the 
work  of  driving  out  of  his  native  State  the  able 
rebel  officer,  Humphrey  Marshall,  of  Kentucky. 
This  work  was  bravely  and  speedily  accomplished, 
although  against  great  odds,  and  President  Lin- 
coln commissioned  him  Brigadier-General,  Janu- 
ary 10,  1862;  and  "as  he  had  bee.i  the  youngest 
man  in  the  Ohio  Senate  two  years  before,  so  now 
he  was  the  youngest  General  in  the  army."  He 
was  with  Gen.  Buell's  army  at  Shiloh,  in  its 
operations  around  Corinth  and  its  march  through 
Alabama.  He  was  then  detailed  as  a  member  of 
the  general  court  martial  for  the  trial  of  Gen. 
Fitz-John  Porter.  He  was  next  ordered  to  re- 
port to  Gen.  Rosecrans,  and  was  assigned  to  the 
"  Chief  of  Staff. "  The  military  history  of  Gen. 
Garfield  closed  with  his  brilliant  services  at  Chick- 
amauga,  where  he  won  the  rank  of  Major-General. 

Without  an  effort  on  his  part,  Gen.  Garfield 
was  elected  to  Congress  in  the  fall  of  1862,  from 
the  Nineteenth  District  of  Ohio.  This  section  of 
Ohio  had  been  represented  in  Congress  for  sixty 
years  mainly  by  two  men — Elisha  Whittlesey  and 
Joshua  R.  Giddings.  It  was  not  without  a  strug- 
gle that  he  resigned  his  place  in  the  army.  At 
the  time  he  entered  Congress  he  was  the  youngest 
member  in  that  body.  There  he  remained  by 
successive  re-elections  until  he  was  elected  Presi- 
dent, in  1880.  Of  his  labors  in  Congress,  Senator 
Hoar  says:  "Since  the  year  1864  you  cannot 
'think  of  a  question  which  has  been  debated  in 


Congress,  or  discussed  before  a  tribunal  of  the 
American  people,  in  regard  to  which  you  will  not 
find,  if  you  wish  instruction,  the  argument  on 
one  side  stated,  in  almost  every  instance  better 
than  by  anybody  else,  in  some  speech  made  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  or  on  the  hustings 
by  Mr.  Garfield." 

Upon  January  14,  1880,  Gen.  Garfield  was  elect- 
ed to  the  United  States  Senate,  and  on  the-  8th  of 
June,  of  the  same  year,  was  nominated  as  the 
candidate  of  his  party  for  President  at  the  great 
Chicago  Convention.  He  was  elected  in  the  fol- 
lowing November,  and  on  March  4,  1881,  was 
inaugurated.  Probably  no  administration  ever 
opened  its  existence  under  brighter  auspices  than 
that  of  President  Garfield,  and  every  day  it  grew 
in  favor  with  the  people.  By  the  ist  of  July 
he  had  completed  all  the  initiatory  and  prelimi- 
nary work  of  his  administration,  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  leave  the  city  to  meet  his  friends  at  Will- 
iams College.  While  on  his  way  and  at  the 
depot,  in  company  with  Secretary  Elaine,  a  man 
Stepped  behind  him,  drew  a  revolver,  and  fired 
directly  at  his  back.  The  President  tottered  and 
fell,  and  as  he  did  so  the  assassin  fired  a  second 
shot,  the  bullet  cutting  the  left  coat  sleeve  of  his 
victim,  but  inflicting  no  further  injury.  It  has 
been  very  truthfully  said  that  this  was  ' '  the  shot 
that  was  heard  around  the  world. ' '  Never  before 
in  the  history  of  the  nation  had  anything  occur- 
red which  so  nearly  froze  the  blood  of  the  people 
for  the  moment  as  this  awful  deed.  He  was 
smitten  on  the  brightest,  gladdest  day  of  all  his 
life,  at  the  summit  of  his  power  and  hope.  For 
eighty  days,  all  during  the  hot  months  of  July 
and  August,  he  lingered  and  suffered.  He,  how- 
ever, remained  master  of  himself  till  the  last,  and 
by  his  magnificent  bearing  taught  the  country 
and  the  world  one  of  the  noblest  of  human  les- 
sons— how  to  live  grandly  in  the  very  clutch  of 
death.  Great  in  life,  he  was  surpassingly  great 
in  death.  He  passed  serenely  away  September 
19,  1883,  at  Elberon,  N.  J.,  on  the  very  bank  of 
the  ocean,  where  he  had  been  taken  shortly  be- 
fore. The  world  wept  at  his  death,  as  it  rarely 
ever  had  done  on  the  death  of  any  other  great 
and  noble  man. 


LIBRARY 

OF  (HI 

UNIVBBI!>  Of  ILLINOIS 


CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR,  twenty-first  Presi- 
I  (  dent  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Frank- 
\J  lin  County,  Vt.,  on  the  5th  day  of  October, 
1830,  and  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  two  sons 
and  five  daughters.  His  father  was  the  Rev.  Dr. 
William  Arthur,  a  Baptist  clergyman,  who  emi- 
grated to  this  country  from  County  Antrim,  Ire- 
land, in  his  eighteenth  year,  and  died  in  1875,  in 
Newtonville,  near  Albany,  after  a  long  and  suc- 
cessful ministry. 

Young  Arthur  was  educated  at  Union  College, 
Schenectady,  where  he  excelled  in  all  his  studies. 
After  his  graduation  he  taught  school  in  Ver- 
mont for  two  years,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that 
time  came  to  New  York,  with  $500  in  his  pocket, 
and  entered  the  office  of  ex -Judge  E.  D.  Culver 
as  a  student.  After  being  admitted  to  the  Bar,  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  intimate  friend  and 
room-mate,  Henry  D.  Gardiner,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  practicing  in  the  West,  and  for  three 
months  they  roamed  about  in  the  Western  States 
in  search  of  an  eligible  site,  but  in  the  end  re- 
turned to  New  York,  where  they  hung  out  their 
shingle,  and  entered  upon  a  successful  career  al- 
most from  the  start.  Gen.  Arthur  soon  after  mar- 
ried the  daughter  of  Lieut.  Herndon,  of  the 
United  States  Navy,  who  was  lost  at  sea.  Con- 
gress voted  a  gold  medal  to  his  widow  in  recog- 
nition of  the  bravery  he  displayed  on  that  occa- 
sion. Mrs.  Arthur  died  shortly  before  Mr. 
Arthur's  nomination  to  the  Vice-Presidency,  leav- 
ing two  children. 

Gen.  Arthur  obtained  considerable  legal  celeb- 
rity in  his  first  great  case,  the  famous  Lemmon 
suit,  brought  to  recover  possession  of  eight  slaves 
who  had  been  declared  free  by  Judge  Paine,  of 
the  Superior  Court  of  New  York  City.  It  was  in 


1852  that  Jonathan  Lemmon,  of  Virginia,  went  to 
New  York  with  his  slaves,  intending  to  ship  them 
to  Texas,  when  they  were  discovered  and  freed. 
The  Judge  decided  that  they  could  not  be  held  by 
the  owner  under  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.  A  howl 
of  rage  went  up  from  the  South,  and  the  Virginia 
Legislature  authorized  the  Attorney-General  of 
that  State  to  assist  in  an  appeal.  William  M. 
Evarts  and  Chester  A.  Arthur  were  employed  to 
represent  the  people,  and  they  won  their  case, 
which  then  went  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States.  Charles  O' Conor  here  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  slaveholders,  but  he,  too,  was 
beaten  by  Messrs.  Evarts  and  Arthur,  and  a  long 
step  was  taken  toward  the  emancipation  of  the 
black  race. 

Another  great  service  was  rendered  by  Gen. 
Arthur  in  the  same  cause  in  1856.  Lizzie  Jen- 
nings, a  respectable  colored  woman,  was  put  off 
a  Fourth  Avenue  car  with  violence  after  she  had 
paid  her  fare.  Gen.  Arthur  sued  on  her  behalf, 
and  secured  a  verdict  of  $500  damages.  The  next 
day  the  company  issued  an  order  to  admit  colored 
persons  to  ride  on  their  cars,  and  the  other  car 
companies  quickly  followed  their  example.  Be- 
fore that  the  Sixth  Avenue  Company  ran  a  few 
special  cars  for  colored  persons,  and  the  other  lines 
refused  to  let  them  ride  at  all. 

Gen.  Arthur  was  a  delegate  to  the  convention 
at  Saratoga  that  founded  the  Republican  party. 
Previous  to  the  war  he  was  Judge-Advocate  of 
the  Second  Brigade  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
and  Gov.  Morgan,  of  that  State,  appointed  him 
Engineer-in-Chief  of  his  staff.  In  1861,  he  was 
made  Inspector- General,  and  soon  afterward  be- 
came Quartermaster-General.  In  each  of  these 
offices  he  rendered  great  service  to  the  Govern- 


100 


CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


ment  during  the  war.  At  the  end  of  Gov.  Mor- 
gan's term  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  form- 
ing a  partnership  with  Mr.  Ransom,  and  then 
Mr.  Phelps,  the  District  Attorney  of  New  York, 
was  added  to  the  firm.  The  legal  practice  of  this 
well-known  firm  was  very  large  and  lucrative, 
as  each  of  the  gentlemen  composing  it  was  an  able 
lawyer,  and  possessed  a  splendid  local  reputa- 
tion, if  not,  indeed,  one  of  national  extent. 

Mr.  Arthur  always  took  a  leading  part  in  State 
and  city  politics.  He  was  appointed  Collector  of 
the  Port  of  New  York  by  President  Grant,  No- 
vember 21,  1872,  to  succeed  Thomas  Murphy, 
and  he  held  the  office  until  July  20,  1878,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  Collector  Merritt. 

Mr.  Arthur  was  nominated  on  the  Presidential 
ticket,  with  Gen.  James  A.  Garfield,  at  the 
famous  National  Republican  Convention  held  at 
Chicago  in  June,  1880.  This  was  perhaps  the 
greatest  political  convention  that  ever  assembled 
on  the  continent.  It  was  composed  of  the  lead- 
ing politicians  of  the  Republican  party,  all  able 
men,  and  each  stood  firm  and  fought  vigorously 
and  with  signal  tenacity  for  his  respective  can- 
didate that  was  before  the  convention  for  the 
nomination.  Finally  Gen.  Garfield  received  the 
nomination  for  President,  and  Gen.  Arthur  for 
Vice-President.  The  campaign  which  followed 
was  one  of  the  most  animated  known  in  the  his- 
tory of  our  country.  Gen.  Hancock,  the  stand- 
ard-bearer of  the  Democratic  party,  was  a  popular 
man,  and  his  party  made  a  valiant  fight  for  his 
election. 

Finally  the  election  came,  and  the  country's 
choice  was  Garfield  and  Arthur.  They  were  in- 
augurated March  4,  1881,  as  President  and  Vice- 
President.  A  few  months  only  had  passed  ere 
the  newly-chosen  President  was  the  victim  of  the 
assassin's  bullet.  Then  came  terrible  weeks  of 
suffering — those  moments  of  anxious  suspense, 
when  the  hearts  of  all  civilized  nations  were 
throbbing  in  unison,  longing  for  the  recovery  of 
the  noble,  the  good  President.  The  remarkable 
patience  that  he  manifested  during  those  hours 
and  weeks,  and  even  months,  of  the  most  terrible 
suffering  man  has  ever  been  called  upon  to  en- 
dure, was  seemingly  more  than  human.  It  was 


certainly  godlike.  During  all  this  period  of 
deepest  anxiety  Mr.  Arthur's  every  move  was 
watched,  and,  be  it  said  to  his  credit,  that  his  every 
action  displayed  only  an  earnest  desire  that  the 
suffering  Garfield  might  recover  to  serve  the  re- 
mainder of  the  term  he  had  so  auspiciously  be- 
gun. Not  a  selfish  feeling  was  manifested  in 
deed  or  look  of  this  man,  even  though  the  most 
honored  position  in  the  world  was  at  any  moment 
likely  to  fall  to  him. 

At  last  God  in  his  mercy  relieved  President 
Garfield  from  further  suffering,  and  the  world,  as 
never  before  in  its  history  over  the  death  of  any 
other  man,  wept  at  his  bier.  Then  it  became  the 
duty  of  the  Vice-President  to  assume  the  respon- 
sibilities of  the  high  office,  and  he  took  the  oath 
in  New  York,  September  20,  1881.  The  position 
was  an  embarrassing  one  to  him,  made  doubly  so 
from  the  fact  that  all  eyes  were  on  him,  anxious 
to  know  what  he  would  do,  what  policy  he  would 
pursue,  and  whom  he  would  select  as  advisers. 
The  duties  of  the  office  had  been  greatly  neglected 
during  the  President's  long  illness,  and  many  im- 
portant measures  were  to  be  immediately  decided 
by  him;  and  to  still  further  embarass  him  he  did 
not  fail  to  realize  under  what  circumstances  he 
became  President,  and  knew  the  feelings  of  many 
on  this  point.  Under  these  trying  circumstances, 
President  Arthur  took  the  reins  of  the  Govern- 
ment in  his  own  hands,  and,  as  embarrassing  as 
was  the  condition  of  affairs,  he  happily  surprised 
the  nation,  acting  so  wisely  that  but  few  criticized 
his  administration.  He  served  the  nation  well 
and  faithfully  until  the  close  of  his  administra- 
tion, March  4,  1885,  and  was  a  popular  candidate 
before  his  party  for  a  second  term.  His  name 
was  ably  presented  before  the  convention  at  Chi- 
cago, and  was  received  with  great  favor,  and 
doubtless  but  for  the  personal  popularity  of  one 
of  the  opposing  candidates,  he  would  have  been 
selected  as  the  standard-bearer  of  his  party  for 
another  campaign.  He  retired  to  private  life,  car- 
rying with  him  the  best  wishes  of  the  American 
people,  whom  he  had  served  in  a  manner  satisfac- 
tory to  them  and  with  credit  to  himself.  One 
year  later  he  was  called  to  his  final  rest. 


LIBRARY 
Of  fHt 
WHVBBI7Y  Of 


STEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVELAND. 


(STEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVELAND,  the 
r\  twenty  -second  President  of  the  United  States, 
\~J  was  born  in  1837,  'n  the  obscure  town  of 
Caldwell,  Essex  County,  N.  J.,  and  in  a  little 
two-and-a-half-story  white  house,  which  is  still 
standing  to  characteristically  mark  the  humble 
birthplace  of  one  of  America's  great  men,  in 
striking  contrast  with  the  Old  World,  where  all 
men  high  in  office  must  be  high  in  origin  and 
born  in  the  cradle  of  wealth.  When  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  three  years  of  age,  his  father, 
who  was  a  Presbyterian  minister  with  a  large 
family  and  a  small  salary,  moved,  by  way  of  the 
Hudson  River  and  Erie  Canal,  to  Fayetteville,  N. 
Y.,  in  search  of  an  increased  income  and  a  larger 
field  of  work.  Fayetteville  was  then  the  most 
straggling  of  country  villages,  about  five  miles 
from  Pompey  Hill,  where  Governor  Seymour 
was  born. 

At  the  last-mentioned  place  young  Grover  com- 
menced going  to  school  in  the  good,  old-fashioned 
way,  and  presumably  distinguished  himself  after 
the  manner  of  all  village  boys — in  doing  the 
things  he  ought  not  to  do.  Such  is  the  dis- 
tinguishing trait  of  all  geniuses  and  independent 
thinkers.  When  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen years,  he  had  outgrown  the  capacity  of  the 
village  school,  and  expressed  a  most  emphatic  de- 
sire to  be  sent  to  an  academy.  To  this  his  fa- 
ther decidedly  objected.  Academies  in  those 
days  cost  money ;  besides,  his  father  wanted  him 
to  become  self-supporting  by  the  quickest  pos- 
sible means,  and  this  at  that  time  in  Fayetteville 
seemed  to  be  a  position  in  a  country  store,  where 
his  father  and  the  large  family  on  his  hands  had 


considerable  influence.  Grover  was  to  be  paid 
$50  for  his  services  the  first  year,  and  if  he  proved 
trustworthy  he  was  to  receive  $100  the  second 
year.  Here  the  lad  commenced  his  career  as 
salesman,  and  in  two  years  he  had  earned  so  good 
a  reputation  for  trustworthiness  that  his  employ- 
ers desired  to  retain  him  for  an  indefinite  length 
of  time. 

But  instead  of  remaining  with  this  firm  in 
Fayetteville,  he  went  with  the  family  in  their  re- 
moval to  Clinton,  where  he  had  an  opportunity 
of  attending  a  High  School.  Here  he  industri- 
ously pursued  his  studies  until  the  family  re- 
moved with  him  to  a  point  on  Black  River  known 
as  the  "Holland  Patent,"  a  village  of  five  or  six 
hundred  people,  fifteen  miles  north  of  Utica,  N.  Y. 
At  this  place  his  father  died,  after  preaching  but 
three  Sundays.  This  event  broke  up  the  family, 
and  Grover  set  out  for  New  York  City  to  accept, 
at  a  small  salary,  the  position  of  under- teacher 
in  an  asylum  for  the  blind.  He  taught  faithfully 
for  two  years,  and  although  he  obtained  a  good 
reputation  in  this  capacity,  he  concluded  that 
teaching  was  not  his  calling  in  life,  and,  revers- 
ing the  traditional  order,  he  left  the  city  to  seek 
his  fortune,  instead  of  going  to  the  city.  He  first 
thought  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  as  there  was  some 
charm  in  that  name  for  him;  but  before  proceed- 
ing to  that  place  he  went  to  Buffalo  to  ask  advice 
of  his  uncle,  Lewis  F.  Allan,  a  noted  stock- 
breeder of  that  place.  The  latter  did  not  speak 
enthusiastically.  "What  is  it  you  want  to  do, 
my  boy?"  he  asked.  "Well,  sir,  I  want  to  study 
law,"  was  the  reply  "Good  gracious!"  remarked 
the  old  gentleman;  "  do  you,  indeed?  Whatever 


104 


STEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVELAND. 


put  that  into  your  head  ?  How  much  money 
have  you  got?"  "Well,  sir,  to  tell  the  truth,  I 
haven't  got  any." 

After  a  long  consultation,  his  uncle  offered  him 
a  place  temporarily  as  assistant  herd-keeper,  at 
$50  a  year,  while  he  could  look  around.  One 
day  soon  afterward  he  boldly  walked  into  the  of- 
fice of  Rogers,  Bowen  &  Rogers,  of  Buffalo,  and 
told  them  what  he  wanted.  A  number  of  young 
men  were  already  engaged  in  the  office,  but  Gro- 
ver's  persistency  won,  and  he  was  finally  per- 
mitted to  come  as  an  office  boy  and  have  the  use 
of  the  law  library,  receiving  as  wages  the  sum  of 
$3  or  $4  a  week.  Out  of  this  he  had  to  pay  for  his 
board  and  washing.  The  walk  to  and  from  his 
uncle's  was  a  long  and  rugged  one;  and  although 
the  first  winter  was  a  memorably  severe  one,  his 
shoes  were  out  of  repair,  and  as  for  his  overcoat  he 
had  none;  yet  he  was,  nevertheless,  prompt  and 
regular.  On  the  first  day  of  his  service  there,  his 
senior  employer  threw  down  a  copy  of  Black- 
stone  before  him,  with  a  bang  that  made  the  dust 
fly,  saying  "That's  where  they  all  begin."  A 
titter  ran  around  the  little  circle  of  clerks,  and 
students,  as  they  thought  that  was  enough  to 
scare  young  Grover  out  of  his  plans;  but  in  due 
time  he  mastered  that  cumbersome  volume. 
Then,  as  ever  afterward,  however,  Mr.  Cleve- 
land exhibited  a  talent  for  .executiveness  rather 
than  for  chasing  principles  through  all  their 
metaphysical  possibilities.  '  'L,et  us  quit  talking 
and  go  and  do  it, ' '  was  practically  his  motto. 

The  first  public  office  to  which  Mr.  Cleveland 
was  elected  was  that  of  Sheriff  of  Erie  County, 
N.  Y.,  in  which  Buffalo  is  situated;  and  in  such 
capacity  it  fell  to  his  duty  to  inflict  capital  punish- 
ment upon  two  criminals.  In  1881  he  was 
elected  Mayor  of  the  City  of  Buffalo,  on  the 
Democratic  ticket,  with  especial  reference  to  bring- 
ing about  certain  reforms  in  the  administration 
of  the  municipal  affairs  of  that  city.  In  this  of- 
fice, as  well  as  in  that  of  Sheriff,  his  performance 
of  duty  has  generally  been  considered  fair,  with 
possibly  a  few  exceptions,  which  were  ferreted 
out  and  magnified  during  his  Presidential  cam- 
paign. As  a  specimen  of  his  plain  language  in 
a  veto  message,  we  quote  from  one  vetoing  an 


iniquitous  street-cleaning  contract:  "This  is  a 
time  for  plain  speech,  and  my  objection  to  your 
action  shall  be  plainly  stated.  I  regard  it  as  the 
culmination  of  a  most  bare-faced,  impudent  and 
shameless  scheme  to  betray  the  interests  of  the 
people  and  to  worse  than  squander  the  people's 
money."  The  New  York  Sun  afterward  very 
highly  commended  Mr.  Cleveland's  administra- 
tion as  Mayor  of  Buffalo,  and  thereupon  recom- 
mended him  for  Governor  of  the  Empire  State. 
To  the  latter  office  he  was  elected  in  1882,  and 
his  administration  of  the  affairs  of  State  was 
generally  satisfactory.  The  mistakes  he  made, 
if  any,  were  made  very  public  throughout  the  na- 
tion after  he  was  nominated  for  President  of  the 
United  States.  For  this  high  office  he  was 
nominated  July  n,  1884,  by  the  National  Demo- 
cratic Convention  at  Chicago,  when  other  com- 
petitors were  Thomas  F.  Bayard,  Roswell  P. 
Flower,  Thomas  A.  Hendricks,  Benjamin  F. 
Butler,  Allen  G.  Thurman,  etc. ;  and  he  was 
elected  by  the  people,  by  a  majority  of  about  a 
thousand,  over  the  brilliant  and  long-tried  Re- 
publican statesman,  James  G.  Elaine.  President 
Cleveland  resigned  his  office  as  Governor  of  New 
York  in  January,  1885,  in  order  to  prepare  for 
his  duties  as  the  Chief  Executive  of  the  United 
States,  in  which  capacity  his  term  commenced  at 
noon  on  the  4th  of  March,  1885. 

The  silver  question  precipitated  a  controversy 
between  those  who  were  in  favor  of  the  continu- 
ance of  silver  coinage  and  those  who  were  op- 
posed, Mr.  Cleveland  answering  for  the  latter, 
even  before  his  inauguration. 

On  June  2,  1886,  President  Cleveland  married 
Frances,  daughter  of  his  deceased  friend  and  part- 
ner, Oscar  Folsom,  of  the  Buffalo  Bar.  Their 
union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  two  daugh- 
ters. In  the  campaign  of  1888,  President  Cleve- 
land was  renominated  by  his  party,  but  the 
Republican  candidate,  Gen.  Benjamin  Harrison, 
was  victorious.  In  the  nominations  of  1892 
these  two  candidates  for  the  highest  position  in 
the  gift  of  the  people  were  again  pitted  against 
each  other,  and  in  the  ensuing  election  Presideat 
Cleveland  was  victorious  by  an  overwhelming 
majority. 


LIBRARY 

OFFHt 

UNIVERSITY  Of  ILLINOIS 


BENJAMIN  HARRISON. 


HENJAMIN  HARRISON,  the  twenty-third 

IC\  President,  is  the  descendant  of  one  of  the 
d/  historical  families  of  this  country.  The  first 
known  head  of  the  family  was  Maj.-Gen.  Harrison, 
one  of  Oliver  Cromwell's  trusted  followers  and 
fighters.  In  the  zenith  of  Cromwell' s  power  it  be- 
came the  duty  of  this  Harrison  to  participate  in 
the  trial  of  Charles  I.,  and  afterward  to  sign  the 
death  warrant  of  the  king.  He  subsequently 
paid  for  this  with  his  life,  being  hung  October  13, 
1660.  His  descendants  came  to  America,  and 
the  next  of  the  family  that  appears  in  history  is 
Benjamin  Harrison,  of  Virginia,  great-grandfa- 
ther of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  after  whom 
he  was  named.  Benjamin  Harrison  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Continental  Congress  during  the  years 
1774,  1775  and  1776,  and  was  one  of  the  original 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He 
was  three  times  elected  Governor  of  Virginia. 

Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison,  the  son  of  the 
distinguished  patriot  of  the  Revolution,  after  a 
successful  career  as  a  soldier  during  the  War  of 
1812,  and  with  a  clean  record  as  Governor  of  the 
Northwestern  Territory,  was  elected  President  of 
the  United  States  in  1840.  His  career  was  cut 
short  by  death  within  one  month  after  his  in- 
auguration. 

President  Harrison  was  born  at  North  Bend, 


Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  August  20,  1833.  His 
life  up  to  the  time  of  his  graduation  from  Miami 
University,  at  Oxford,  Ohio,  was  the  uneventful 
one  of  a  country  lad  of  a  family  of  small  means. 
His  father  was  able  to  give  him  a  good  education, 
and  nothing  more.  He  became  engaged  while  at 
college  to  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Scott,  Principal  of 
a  female  school  at  Oxford.  .  After  graduating,  he 
determined  to  enter  upon  the  study  of  law.  He 
went  to  Cincinnati  and  there  read  law  for  two 
years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  young  Har- 
rison received  the  only  inheritance  of  his  life — his 
aunt,  dying,  left  him  a  lot  valued  at  $800.  He 
regarded  this  legacy  as  a  fortune,  and  decided  to 
get  married  at  once,  take  this  money  and  go  to 
some  Eastern  town  and  begin  the  practice  of  law. 
He  sold  his  lot,  and,  with  the  money  in  his  pocket, 
he  started  out  with  his  young  wife  to  fight  for  a 
place  in  the  world.  He  decided  to  go  to  Indian- 
apolis, which  was  even  at  that  time  a  town  of 
promise.  He  met  with  slight  'encouragement  at 
first,  making  scarcely  anything  the  first  year. 
He  worked  diligently,  applying  himself  closely  to 
his  calling,  built  up  an  extensive  practice  and 
took  a  leading  rank  in  the  legal  profession. 

In  1860,  Mr.  Harrison  was  nominated  for  the 
position  of  Supreme  Court  Reporter,  and  then  be- 
gan his  experience  as  a  stump  speaker.  He  can- 


io8 


BENJAMIN  HARRISON. 


vassed  the  State  thoroughly,  and  was  elected  by 
a  handsome  majority.  In  1862  he  raised  the 
Seventeenth  Indiana  Infantry,  and  was  chosen  its 
Colonel.  His  regiment  was  composed  of  the  raw- 
est material,  but  Col.  Harrison  employed  all  his 
time  at  first  in  mastering  military  tactics  and  drill- 
ing his  men,  and  when  he  came  to  move  toward 
the  East  with  Sherman,  his  regiment  was  one  of 
the  best  drilled  and  organized  in  the  army.  At 
Resaca  he  especially  distinguished  himself,  and 
(br  his  bravery  at  Peachtree  Creek  he  was  made 
a  Brigadier-General,  Gen.  Hooker  speaking  of 
him  in  the  most  complimentary  terms. 

During  the  absence  of  Gen.  Harrison  in  the 
field,  the  Supreme  Court  declared  the  office  of 
Supreme  Court  Reporter  vacant,  and  another 
person  was  elected  to  the  position.  From  the 
time  of  leaving  Indiana  with  his  regiment  until 
the  fall  of  1864  he  had  taken  no  leave  of  absence, 
but  having  been  nominated  that  year  for  the  same 
office,  he  got  a  thirty-day  leave  of  absence,  and 
during  that  time  made  a  brilliant  canvass  of  the 
State,  and  was  elected  for  another  term.  He  then 
started  to  rejoin  Sherman,  but  on  the  way  was 
stricken  down  with  scarlet  fever,  and  after  a  most 
trying  attack  made  his  way  to  the  front  in  time  to 
participate  in  the  closing  incidents  of  the  war. 

In  1868  Gen.  Harrison  declined  a  re-election 
as  Reporter,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  In 
1876  he  was  a  candidate  for  Governor.  Although 
defeated,  the  brilliant  campaign  he  made  won  for 
him  a  national  reputation,  and  he  was  much  sought 
after,  especially  in  the  East,  to  make  speeches. 
In  1880,  as  usual,  he  took  an  active  part  in  the 
campaign,  and  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate.  Here  he  served  for  six  years,  and  was 
known  as  one  of  the  ablest  men,  best  lawyers  and 
strongest  debaters  in  that  body.  With  the  ex- 
piration of  his  senatorial  term  he  returned  to  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  becoming  the  head  of 
one  of  the  strongest  firms  in  the  State. 

The  political  campaign  of  1888  was  one  of  the 
most  memorable  in  the  history  of  our  country. 
The  convention  which  assembled  in  Chicago  in 
June  and  named  Mr.  Harrison  as  the  chief  stand- 
ard-bearer of  the  Republican  party  was  great  in 
every  particular,  and  on  this  account,  and  the  at- 


titude it  assumed  upon  the  vital  questions  of  the 
day,  chief  among  which  was  the  tariff,  awoke  a 
deep  interest  in  the  campaign  throughout  tin: 
nation.  Shortly  after  the  nomination,  delegations 
began  to  visit  Mr.  Harrison  at  Indianapolis,  his 
home.  This  movement  became  popular,  and  from 
all  sections  of  the  country  societies,  clubs  and. 
delegations  journeyed  thither  to  pay  their  re- 
spects to  the  distinguished  statesman. 

Mr.  Harrison  spoke  daily  all  through  the  sum- 
mer and  autumn  to  these  visiting  delegations, 
and  so  varied,  masterly,  and  eloquent  were  his 
speeches  that  they  at  once  placed  him  in  the  fore- 
most rank  of  American  orators  and  statesmen. 
Elected  by  a  handsome  majority,  he  served  his 
country  faithfully  and  well,  and  in  1892  was  nom- 
inated for  re-election;  but  the  people  demanded  a 
change  and  he  was  defeated  by  his  predecessor 
in  office,  Grover  Cleveland. 

On  account  of  his  eloquence  as  a  speaker  and 
his  power  as  a  debater,  Gen.  Harrison  was  called 
upon  at  an  early  age  to  take  part  in  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  great  questions  that  then  began  to 
agitate  the  country.  He  was  an  uncompromising 
anti-slavery  man,  and  was  matched  against  some 
of  the  most  eminent  Democratic  speakers  of  his 
State.  No  man  who  felt  the  touch  of  his  blade 
desired  to  be  pitted  with  him  again.  With  all 
his  eloquence  as  an  orator  he  never  spoke  for  ora- 
torical effect,  but  his  words  always  went  like  bul- 
lets to  the  mark.  He  is  purely  American  in  his 
ideas,  and  is  a  splendid  type  of  the  American 
statesman.  Gifted  with  quick  perception,  a  logi- 
cal mind  and  a  ready  tongue,  he  is  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  impromptu  speakers  in  the 
nation.  Many  of  these  speeches  sparkled  with  the 
rarest  eloquence  and  contained  arguments  of  great 
weight,  and  many  of  his  terse  statements  have 
already  become  aphorisms.  Original  in  thought, 
precise  in  logic,  terse  in  statement,  yet  withal 
faultless  in  eloquence,  he  is  recognized  as  the 
sound  statesman  and  brilliant  orator  of  the  day. 
During  the  last  days  of  his  administration  Presi- 
dent Harrison  suffered  an  irreparable  loss  in  the 
death  of  his  devoted  wife,  Caroline  (Scott)  Har- 
rison, a  lady  of  many  womanly  charms  and  vir- 
tues. They  were  the  parents  of  two  children. 


LIBRARY 

Of  THE 

UMVEMSin  Of  ILUNOB 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


HADRACH  BOND,  the  first 
Governor  of  Illinois  after  its 
organization  as  a  State,  serving 
from  1818  to  1822,  was  born  in 
Frederick  County,  Maryland, 
in  the  year  1773,  and  was 
raised  a  farmer  on  his  father's 
plantation,  receiving  only  a  plain 
English  education.  He  emigrated 
to  this  State  in  1794,  when  it  was  a 
part  of  the  "Northwest  Territory," 
continuing  in  the  vocation  in  which 
he  had  been  brought  up  in  his  native 
State,  in  the  "  New  Design,"  near 
Eagle  Creek,  in  what  is  now  Monroe 
County.  He  served  several  terms  as 
a  member  of  the  General  Assembly 
of  Indiana  Territory,  after  it  was  organized  as  such, 
and  in  1812-14  he  was  a  Delegate  to  the  Twelfth 
and  Thirteenth  Congresses,  taking  his  seat  Dec.  3, 
1812,  and  serving  until  Oct.  3,  1814.  These  were 
the  times,  the  reader  will  recollect,  when  this  Gov- 
ernment had  its  last  struggle  with  Great  Britain. 
The  year  1812  is  also  noted  in  the  history  of  this 
State  as  that  in  which  the  first  Territorial  Legislature 
was  held.  It  convened  at  Kaskaskia,  Nov.  25,  and 
adjourned  Dec.  26,  following. 

While  serving  as  Delegate  to  Congress,  Mr.  Bond 
was  instrumental  in  procuring  the  right  of  pre-emp- 
tion on  the  public  domain.  On  the  expiration  of  his 
term  at  Washington  he  was  appointed  Receiver  of 
Public  Moneys  at  Kaskaskia,  then  the  capital  of  the 
Territory.  In  company  with  John  G.  Comyges, 


Thomas  H.  Harris,  Charles  Slade,  Michael  Jones, 
Warren  Brown.  Edward  Humphries  and  Charles  W 
Hunter,  he  became  a  proprietor  of  the  site  of  the 
initial  city  of  Cairo,  which  they  hoped,  from  its  favor-- 
able location  at  the  junction  of  the  two  great 
rivers  near  the  center  of  the  Great  West,  would 
rapidly  develop  into  a  metropolis.  To  aid  the  enter- 
prise, they  obtained  a  special  charter  from  the  Legis- 
lature, incorporating  both  the  City  and  the  Bank  of 
Cairo. 

In  i8r8  Mr.  Bond  was  elected  the  first  Governor 
of  the  State  of  Illinois,  being  inaugurated  Oct.  6 
that  year,  which  was  several  weeks  before  Illinois 
was  actually  admitted.  The  facts  are  these :  In 
January,  1818,  the  Territorial  Legislature  sent  a  peti- 
tion to  Congress  for  the  admission  of  Illinois  as  a 
State,  Nathaniel  Pope  being  then  Delegate.  The 
petition  was  granted,  fixing  the  northern  line  of  the 
State  on  the  latitude  of  the  southern  extremity  of 
Lake  Michigan;  but  the  bill  was  afterward  so  amend- 
ed as  to  extend  this  line  to  its  present  latitude.  In 
July  a  convention  was  called  at  Kaskaskia  to  draft  a 
constitution,  which,  however,  was  not  submitted  to 
the  people.  By  its*  provisions,  supreme  judges,  pros 
ecuting  attorneys,  county  and  circuit  judges,  record- 
ers and  justices  of  the  peace  were  all  to  be  appointed 
by  the  Governor  or  elected  by  the  Legislature.  This 
constitution  was  accepted  by  Congress  Dec.  30.  At 
that  time  Illinois  comprised  but  eleven  counties, 
namely,  Randolph,  Madison,  Gallatin,  Johnson, 
Pope,  Jackson,  Crawford,  Bond,  Union,  Washington 
and  Franklin,  the  northern  portion  of  the  State  be- 
ing mainly  in  Madison  County.  Thus  it  appears 
that  Mr.  Bond  was  honored  by  the  naming  of  a 


i  r  » 


SHADRACH  BOND. 


county  before  he  was  elected  Governor.  The  present 
county  of  Bond  is  of  small  limitations,  about  60  to  80 
miles  south  of  Springfield.  For  Lieutenant  Governor 
the  people  chose  Pierre  Menard,  a  prominent  and 
worthy  Frenchman,  after  whom  a  county  in  this  State 
is  named.  In  this  election  there  were  no  opposition 
candidates,  as  the  popularity  of  these  men  had  made 
their  promotion  to  the  chief  offices  of  the  Slate,  even 
before  the  constitution  was  drafted,  a  foregone  con- 
clusion. 

The  principal  points  that  excited  the  people  in 
reference  to  political  issues  at  this  period  were  local 
or  "internal  improvements,"  as  they  were  called, 
State  banks,  location  of  the  capital,  slavery  and  the 
personal  characteristics  of  the  proposed  candidates. 
Mr.  Bond  represented  the  "  Convention  party,"  for 
introducing  slavery  into  the  State,  supported  by  Elias 
Ke.it  Kane,  his  Secretary  of  State,  and  John  Mc- 
Lean, while  Nathaniel  Pope  and  John  P.  Cook  led 
the  anti-slavery  element.  The  people,  however,  did 
not  become  very  much  excited  over  this  issue  until 
1820,  when  the  famous  Missouri  Compromise  was 
adopted  by  Congress,  limiting  slavery  to  the  south 
of  the  parallel  of  36°  30'  except  in  Missouri.  While, 
this  measure  settled  the  great  slavery  controversy, 
so  far  as  the  average  public  sentiment  was  tempor- 
arily concerned,  until  1854,  when  it  was  repealed 
under  the  leadership  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  the  issue 
as  considered  locally  in  this  State  was  not  decided 
until  1824,  after  a  most  furious  campaign.  (See 
sketch  of  Gov.  Coles.)  The  ticket  of  1818  was  a 
compromise  one,  Bond  representing  (moderately)  the 
pro-slavery  sentiment  and  Menard  the  anti-slavery. 

An  awkward  element  in  the  State  government 
under  Gov.  Bond's  administration,  was  the  imperfec- 
tion of  the  State  constitution.  The  Convention 
wished  to  have  Elijah  C.  Berry  for  the  first  Auditor 
of  Public  Accounts,  but,  as  it  was-believed  that  the 
new  Governor  would  not  appoint  him  to  the  office, 
the  Convention  declared  in  a  schedule  that  "an 
auditor  of  public  accounts,  an  attorney  general  and 
such  other  officers  of  the  State  as  may  be  necessary, 
may  be  appointed  by  the  General  Assembly."  The 
Constitution,  as  it  stood,  vested  a  very  large  appoint- 
ing power  in  the  Governor ;  but  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  one  man  into  office,  a  total  change  was  made, 
*nd  the  power  vested  in  the  Legislature.  Of  this 
provision  the  Legislature  took  advantage,  and  de- 


clared that  State's  attorneys,  canal  commissioners, 
bank  directors,  etc.,  were  all  "  officers  of  the  State '' 
and  must  therefore  be  appointed  by  itself  independ- 
ently of  the  Governor. 

During  Gov.  Bond's  administration  a  general  law 
was  passed  for  the  incorporation  of  academies  and 
towns,  and  one  authorizing  lotteries.  The  session  of 
1822  authorized  the  Governor  to  appoint  commis- 
sioners, to  act  in  conjunction  with  like  commissioners 
appointed  by  the  State  of  Indiana,  to  report  on  the 
practicability  and  expediency  of  improving  the  navi- 
gation of  the  Wabash  River ;  also  inland  navigation 
generally.  Many  improvements  were  recommended, 
some  of  which  have  been  feebly  worked  at  even  till 
the  present  day,  those  along  the  Wabash  being  of  no 
value.  Also,  during  Gov.  Bond's  term  of  office,  the 
capital  of  the  State  was  removed  from  Kaskaskia  to 
Vandalia.  In  1820  a  law  was  passed  by  Congress 
authorizing  this  State  to  open  a  canal  through  the 
public  lands.  The  State  appointed  commissioners 
lo  explore  the  route  and  prepare  the  necessary  sur- 
veys and  estimates,  preparatory  to  its  execution; 
but,  being  unable  out  of  its  own  resources  to  defray 
the  expenses  of  the  undertaking,  it  was  abandoned 
until  some  time  after  Congress  made  the  grant  of 
land  for  the  purpose  of  its  construction. 

On  the  whole,  Gov.  Bond's  administration  was 
fairly  good,  not  being  open  to  severe  criticism  from 
any  party.  In  1824,  two  years  after  the  expiration 
of  his  term  of  office,  he  was  brought  out  as  a  candi- 
date for  Congress  against  the  formidable  John  P. 
Cook,  but  received  only  4,374  votes  to  7,460  for  the 
latter.  Gov.  Bond  was  no  orator,  but  had  made 
many  fast  friends  by  a  judicious  bestowment  of  his 
gubernatorial  patronage,  and  these  worked  zealously 
for  him  in  the  campaign. 

In  1827  ex-Gov.  Bond  was  appointed  by  the  Leg- 
islature, with  Wm.  P.  McKee  and  Dr.  Gershom 
Jayne,  as  Commissioners  to  locate  a  site  for  a  peni- 
tentiary on  the  Mississippi  at  or  near  Alton. 

Mr.  Bond  was  of  a  benevolent  and  convivial  dis- 
position, a  man  of  shrewd  observation  and  clear  ap- 
preciation of  events.  His  person  was  erect,  stand- 
ing six  feet  in  height,  and  after  middle  life  became 
portly,  weighing  200  pounds.  His  features  were 
strongly  masculine,  complexion  dark,  hair  jet  and 
eyes  hazel ;  was  a  favorite  with  the  ladies.  He  died 
April  n,  1830,  in  peace  and  contentment 


LIBRARY 

of  m 

UNIVERSITY  Of  HUNUIS 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


)££>war&  Coles 


DWARD  COLES,  second 
Governor  of  Illinois,  1823- 
6,  was  born  Dec.  15,  1786, 
in  Albemarle  Co.,  Va.,  on 
the  old  family  estate  called 
"Enniscorthy,"  on  the 
Green  Mountain.  His  fath- 
er, John  Coles,  was  a  Colonel  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  Having  been  fit- 
ted for  college  by  private  tutors,  he 
was  sent  to  Hampden  Sidney,  where 
he  remained  until  the  autumn  of  1805, 
when  he  was  removed  to  William  and 
Mary  College,  at  Williamsburg,  Va. 
This  college  he  left  in  the  summer  of 
1807,  a  short  time  before  the  final  and  graduating 
examination.  Among  his  classmates  were  Lieut. 
Gen.  Scott,  President  John  Tyler,  Wm.  S.  Archer, 
United  States  Senator  from  Virginia,  and  Justice 
Baldwin,  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.  The 
President  of  the  latter  college,  Bishop  Madison,  was 
a  cousin  of  President  James  Madison,  and  that  cir- 
cumstance was  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Coles  becoming 
personally  acquainted  with  the  President  and  re- 
ceiving a  position  as  his  private  secretary,  1809—15. 
The  family  of  Coles  was  a  prominent  one  in  Vir- 
ginia, and  their  mansion  was  the  seat  of  the  old- 
fashioned  Virginian  hospitality.  It  was  visited  by 
such  notables  as  Patrick  Henry,  Jefferson,  Madison, 
Monroe,  the  Randolphs,  Tazewell,  Wirt,  etc.  At  the 
age  of  23,  young  Coles  founa  himself  heir  to  a  plant- 
ation and  a  considerable  number  of  slaves.  Ever 
since  his  earlier  college  days  his  attention  had  been 
drawn  to  the  question  of  slavery.  He  read  every- 


thing on  the  subject  that  came  in  his  way,  and 
listened  to  lectures  on  the  rights  of  man.  The  more 
he  reflected  upon  the  subject,  the  more  impossible 
was  it  for  him  to  reconcile  the  immortal  declaration 
"that  all  men  are  born  free  and  equal  "  with  the 
practice  of  slave-holding.  He  resolved,  therefore,  to 
free  his  slaves  the  first  opportunity,  and  even  remove 
his  residence  to  a  free  State.  One  reason  which  de- 
termined him  to  accept  the  appointment  as  private 
secretary  to  Mr.  Madison  was  because  he  believed 
that  through  the  acquaintances  he  could  make  at 
Washington  he  could  better  determine  in  what  part 
of  the  non-slaveholding  portion  of  the  Union  he  would 
prefer  to  settle. 

The  relations  between  Mr.  Coles  and  President 
Madison,  as  well  as  Jefferson  and  other  distinguished 
men,  were  of  a  very  friendly  character,  arising  from 
the  similarity  of  their  views  on  the  question  of  slavery 
and  their  sympathy  for  each  other  in  holding  doc- 
trines so  much  at  variance  with  the  prevailing  senti- 
ment in  their  own  State. 

In  1857,  he  resigned  his  secretaryship  and  spent  a 
portion  of  the  following  autumn  in  exploring  the 
Northwest  Territory,  for  the  purpose  of  finding  a  lo- 
cation and  purchasing  lands  on  which  to  settle  his 
negroes.  He  traveled  with  a  horse  and  buggy,  with 
an  extra  man  and  horse  for  emergencies,  through 
many  parts  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Missouri, 
determining  finally  to  settle  in  Illinois.  At  this  time, 
however,  a  misunderstanding  arose  between  our 
Government  and  Russia,  and  Mr.  Coles  was  selected 
to  repair  to  St.  Petersburg  on  a  special  mission,  bear- 
ing important  papers  concerning  the  matter  at  issue 
The  result  was  a  conviction  of  the  Emperor  (Alex- 


1.0 


EDWARD  COLES. 


ander)  of  the  error  committed  by  his  minister  at 
Washington,  and  the  consequent  withdrawal  of  the 
the  latter  from  the  post.  On  his  return,  Mr.  Coles 
visited  other  parts  of  Europe,  especially  Paris,  where 
he  was  introduced  to  Gen.  Lafayette. 

In  the  spring  of  1819,  he  removed  with  all  his 
negroes  from  Virginia  to  Edwardsville,  111.,  with  the 
intention  of  giving  them  their  liberty.  He  did  not 
make  known  to  them  his  intention  until  one  beautiful 
morning  in  April,  as  they  were  descending  the  Ohio 
River.  He  lashed  all  the  boats  together  and  called 
all  the  negroes  on  deck  and  made  them  a  short  ad- 
dress, concluding  his  remarks  by  so  expressing  him- 
self that  by  a  turn  of  a  sentence  he  proclaimed  in 
the  shortest  and  fullest  manner  that  they  were  no 
longer  slaves,  but  free  as  he  was  and  were  at  liberty 
to  proceed  with  him  or  go  ashore  at  their  pleas- 
ure. A  description  of  the  effect  upon  the  negroes  is 
best  desctibed  in  his  own  language  : 

"  The  effect  upon  them  was  electrical.  They  stared 
at  rne  and  then  at  each  other,  as  if  doubting  the  ac- 
curacy or  reality  of  what  they  heard.  In  breathless 
silence  they  stood  before  me,  unable  to  utter  a  word, 
but  with  countenances  beaming  with  expression  which 
no  words  could  convey,  and  which  no  language 
can  describe.  As  they  began  to  see  the  truth  of 
what  they  had  heard,  and  realize  their  situation,  there 
came  on  a  kind  of  hysterical,  giggling  laugh.  After 
a  pause  of  intense  and  unutterable  emotion,  -bathed 
in  tears,  and  with  tremulous  voices,  they  gave  vent  to 
their  gratitude  and  implored  the  blessing  of  God 
on  me." 

Before  landing  he  gave  them  a  general  certificate 
of  freedom,  and  afterward  conformed  more  particu- 
larly with  the  law  of  this  State  requiring  that  each 
individual  should  have  a  certificate.  This  act  of 
Mr.  Coles,  all  the  more  noble  and  heroic  considering 
the  overwhelming  pro-slavery  influences  surrounding 
him,  has  challenged  the  admiration  of  every  philan- 
thropist of  modern  times. 

March  5,  1819,  President  Monroe  appointed  Mr. 
Coles  Registrar  of  the  Land  Office  at  Edwardsvihe, 
at  that  time  one  of  the  principal  land  offices  in  the 
State.  While  acting  in  this  capacity  and  gaining 
many  friends  by  his  politeness  and  general  intelli- 
g^nce,  the  greatest  struggle  that  ever  occurred  in 
Illinois  on  the  slavery  question  culminated  in  the 
furious  contest  characterizing  the  campaigns  and 
elections  of  1822-4.  1°  the  summer  of  1823,  when  a 
new  Governor  was  to  be  elected  to  succeed  Mr. 
Bond,  the  pro-slavery  element  divided  into  factions, 
putting  forward  for  the  executive  office  Joseph 
Phillips,  Chief  Justice  of  the  State,  Thomas  C. 
Browne  and  Gen.  James  B.  Moore,  of  the  State  Mil- 
itia. The  anti-slavery  element  united  upon  Mr. 
Coles,  and,  after  one  of  the  most  bitter  campaigns, 
succeeded  in  electing  him  as  Governor.  His  plural- 
ity over  Judge  Phillips  was  only  59  in  a  total  vote  of 


over  8,000.  The  Lieutenant  Governor  was  elected 
by  the  slavery  men.  Mr.  Coles' inauguration  speech 
was  marked  by  calmness,  deliberation  and  such  a 
wise  expression  of  appropriate  suggestions  as  to 
elicit  the  sanction  of  all  judicious  politicians.  But 
he  compromised  not  with  evil.  In  his  message  to 
the  Legislature,  the  seat  of  Government  being  then 
at  Vandalia,  he  strongly  urged  the  abrogation  of  the 
modified  form  of  slavery  which  then  existed  in  this 
State,  contrary  to  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  His  posi- 
tion on  this  subject  seems  the  more  remarkable,  when 
it  is  considered  that  he  was  a  minority  Governor,  the 
population  of  Illinois  being  at  that  time  almost  ex- 
clusively from  slave-holding  States  and  by  a  large 
majority  in  favor  of  the  perpetuation  of  that  old  relic 
of  barbarism.  The  Legislature  itself  was,  of  course, 
a  reflex  of  the  popular  sentiment,  and  a  majority  of 
them  were  led  on  by  fiery  men  in  denunciations  of 
the  conscientious  Governor,  and  in  curses  loud  and 
deep  upon  him  and  all  his  friends.  Some  of  the 
public  men,  indeed,  went  so  far  as  to  head  a  sort  of 
mob,  or  "  shiveree  "  party,  who  visited  the  residence 
of  the  Governor  and  others  at  Vandalia  and  yelled 
and  groaned  and  spat  fire. 

The  Constitution,  not  establishing  or  permitting 
slavery  in  this  State,  was  thought  therefore  to  be 
defective  by  the  slavery  politicians,  and  they  desired 
a  State  Convention  to  be  elected,  to  devise  and  sub- 
mit a  new  Constitution ;  and  the  dominant  politics 
of  the  day  was  "Convention"  and  "anti-Conven- 
tion." Both  parties  issiled  addresses  to  the  people, 
Gov.  Coles  himself  being  the  author  of  the  address 
published  by  the  latter  party.  This  address  revealed 
the  schemes  of  the  conspirators  in  a  masterly  man- 
ner. It  is  difficult  for  us  at  this  distant  day  to  esti- 
mate the  critical  and  extremely  delicate  situation  in 
which  the  Governor  was  placed  at  that  time. 

Our  hero  maintained  himself  honorably  and  with 
supreme  dignity  throughout  his  administration,  and 
in  his  honor  a  county  in  this  State  is  named.  He 
was  truly  a  great  man,  and  those  who  lived  in 
this  State  during  his  sojourn  here,  like  those  who 
live  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  were  too  near  to  see 
and  recognize  the  greatness  that  overshadowed  them. 

Mr.  Coles  was  married  Nov.  28,  1833,  by  Bishop 
De  Lancey,  to  Miss  Sally  Logan  Roberts,  a  daughter 
of  Hugh  Roberts,  a  descendant  of  Welsh  ancestry, 
who  cams  to  this  country  with  Wm.  Penn  in  1682. 

After  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  Gov. 
Coles  continued  his  residence  in  Edwardsville,  sup- 
erintending his  farm  in  the  vicinity.  He  was  fond 
of  agriculture,  and  was  the  founder  of  the  first  agri- 
cultural society  in  the  State.  On  account  of  ill 
health,  however,  and  having  no  family  to  tie  him 
down,  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  Eastern  cities. 
About  1832  he  changed  his  residence  to  Philadel- 
phia, where  he  died  July  7,  1868,  and  is  buried  at 
Woodland,  near  that  city. 


LIBRARY 

Of  tHt 

UNIVERSITY  Of  ILLINOIS 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


119 


INI  AN  EDWARDS,  Governor 
from  1827  to  1830,  was  a  son 
of  Benjamin    Edwards,  and 
was     born    in    Montgomery 
County,  Maryland,  in  March, 
1775.     His  domestic  train- 
ing was  well  fitted  to  give 
his   mind   strength,  firmness  and 


honorable  principles,  and  a  good 
foundation  was  laid  for  the  elevated 
character  to  which  he  afterwards 
attained.  His  parents  were  Bap- 
tists, and  very  strict  in  their  moral 
principles.  His  education  in  early 
youth  was  in  company  with  and 
partly  under  the  tuition  of  Hon.  Wm. 
Wirt,  whom  his  father  patronized? 
and  who  was  more  than  two  years 
older.  An  intimacy  was  thus 
formed  between  them  which  was  lasting  for  life.  He 
was  further  educated  at  Dickinson  College,  at  Car- 
lisle, Pa.  He  next  commenced  the  study  of  law,  but 
before  completing  his  course  he  moved  to  Nelson 
County,  Ky.,  to  open  a  farm  for  his  father  and  to 
purchase  homes  and  locate  lands  for  his  brothers  and 
sisters.  Here  he  fell  in  the  company  of  dissolute 
companions,  and  for  several  years  led  the  life  of  a 
spendthrift.  He  was,  however,  elected  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  Kentucky  as  the  Representative  of  Nelson 
bounty  before  he  was  21  years  of  age,  and  was  re- 
lectecl  by  an  almost  unanimous  vote. 


In  1798  he  was  licensed  to  practice  law,  and  the 
following  year  was  admitted  to  the  Courts  of  Tennes- 
see. About  this  time  he  left  Nelson  County  for 
Russellville,  in  Logan  County,  broke  away  from  his 
dissolute  companions,  commenced  a  reformation  and 
devoted  himself  to  severe  and  laborious  study.  He 
then  began  to  rise  rapidly  in  his  profession,  and  soon 
became  an  eminent  lawyer,  and  inside  of  four  years 
he  filled  in  succession  the  offices  of  Presiding  Judge 
of  the  General  Court,  Circuit  Judge,  fourth  Judge  of 
the  Court  of  Appeals  and  Chief  Justice  of  the  State, 
— all  before  he  was  32  years  of  age!  In  addition,  in 
1802,  he  received  a  commission  as  Major  of  a  battal- 
ion of  Kentucky  militia,  and  in  1804  was  chosen  a 
Presidential  Elector,  on  the  Jefferson  and  Clinton 
ticket.  In  1806  he  was  a  candidate  for  Congress, 
but  withdrew  on  being  promoted  to  the  Court  of 
Appeals. 

Illinois  was  organized  as  a  separate  Territory  in 
the  spring  of  1809,  when  Mr.  Edwards,  then  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  Kentucky,  received 
from  President  Madison  the  appointment  as  Gover- 
nor of  the  new  Territory,  his  commission  bearing  date 
April  24,  1809.  Edwards  arrived  at  Kaskaskia  in 
June,  and  on  the  i  ith  of  that  month  took  the  oath  of 
office.  At  the  same  time  he  was  appointed  Superin- 
tendent of  the  United  States  Saline,  this  Government 
interest  then  developing  into  considerable  proportions 
in  Southern  Illinois.  Although  during  the  first  three 
years  of  his  administration  he  had  the  power  to  make 
new  counties  and  appoint  all  the  officers,  yet  he  always 
allowed  the  people  of  each  county,  by  an  informal 


NINIAM  EDWARDS. 


vote,  to  select  their  own  officers,  both  civil  and  mili- 
tary. The  noted  John  J.  Crittenden,  afterward 
United  States  Senator  from  Kentucky,  was  appointed 
by  Gev.  Edwards  to  the  office  of  Attorney  General  of 
the  Territory,  which  office  was  accepted  for  a  short 
time  only. 

The  Indians  in  1810  committing  sundry  depreda- 
tions in  the  Territory,  crossing  the  Mississippi  from 
the  Territory  of  Louisiana,  a  long  correspondence  fol- 
lowed between  the  respective  Governors  concerning 
the  remedies,  which  ended  in  a  council  with  the  sav- 
ages at  Peoria  in  1812,  and  a  fresh  interpretation  of 
the  treaties.  Peoria  was  depopulated  by  these  de- 
predations, and  was  not  re-settled  for  many  vej.rs 
afterward. 

As  Gov.  Edwards'  term  of  office  expired  by  law  in 
1812,  he  was  re-appointed  for  another  term  of  three 
years,  and  again  in  1815  for  a  third  term,  serving 
until  the  organization  of  the  State  in  the  fall  of  1818 
and  the  inauguration  of  Gov.  Bond.  At  this  time 
ex-Gov.  Edwards  was  sent  to  the  United  States 
Senate,  his  colleague  being  Jesse  B.  Thomas.  As 
Senator,  Mr.  Edwards  took  a  conspicuous  part,  and 
acquitted  himself  honorably  in  all  the  measures  that 
came  up  in  that  body,  being  well  posted,  an  able  de- 
bater and  a  conscientious  statesman.  He  thought 
seriously  of  resigning  this  situation  in  1821,  but  was 
persuaded  by  his  old  friend,  Wm.  Wirt,  and  others  to 
continue  in  office,  which  he  did  to  the  end  of  the 
term. 

He  was  then  appointed  Minister  to  Mexico  by 
President  Monroe.  About  this  time,  it  appears  that 
Mr.  Edwards  saw  suspicious  signs  in  the  conduct  of 
Wm.  H.  Crawford,  Secretary  of  the  United  States 
Treasury,  and  an  ambitious  candidate  for  the  Presi- 
dency, and  being  implicated  by  the  latter  in  some  of 
his  statements,  he  resigned  his  Mexican  mission  in 
order  fully  to  investigate  the  charges.  The  result 
was  the  exculpation  of  Mr.  Edwards. 

Pro-slavery  regulations,  often  termed  "Black  Laws," 
disgraced  the  statute  books  of  both  the  Territory  and 
'.he  State  of  Illinois  during  the  whole  of  his  career  in 
ihis  commonwealth,  and  Mr.  Edwards  always  main- 
tained the  doctrines  of  freedom,  and  was  an  important 
actor  in  the  great  struggle  which  ended  in  a  victory 
for  his  parfy  in  1824. 

In  i826--7  the  Winnebago  and  other  Indians  com- 
mitted sorre  depredations  in  the  northern  part  of  the 


State,  and  the  white  settlers,  who  desired  the  lands 
and  wished  to  exasperate  the  savages  into  an  evacu- 
ation of  the  country,  magnified  the  misdemeanors  of 
the  aborigines  and  thereby  produced  a  hostility  be- 
tween the  races  so  great  as  to  precipitate  a  little  war, 
known  in  history  as  the  "Winnebago  War."  A  few 
chases  and  skirmishes  were  had,  when  Gen.  Atkinson 
succeeded  in  capturing  Red  Bird,  the  Indian  chief, 
and  putting  him  to  death,  thus  ending  the  contest,  at 
least  until  the  troubles  commenced  which  ended  in 
the  "  Black  Hawk  War  "  of  1832.  In  the  interpre- 
tation of  treaties  and  execution  of  their  provisions 
Gov.  Edwards  had  much  vexatious  work  to  do.  The 
Indians  kept  themselves  generally  within  the  juris- 
diction of  Michigan  Territory,  and  its  Governor, 
Lewis  Cass,  was  at  a  point  so  remote  that  ready  cor- 
respondence with  him  was  difficult  or  impossible. 
Gov.  Edwards'  administration,  however,  in  regard  to 
the  protection  of  the  Illinois  frontier,  seems  to  hava 
been  very  efficient  and  satisfactory. 

For  a  considerable  portion  of  his  time  after  his  re- 
moval to  Illinois,  Gov.  Edwards  resided  upon  his 
far'rij  rrear'Kaslfaskia,  which  he  had  well  stocked  with 
horses,  cattle  and  sheep  from  Kentucky,  also  with 
fruit-trees,  grape-vines  and  shrubbery.  He  estab- 
lished saw  and  grist-mills,  and  engaged  extensively 
in  mercantile  business,  having  no  less  than  eight  or  ten 
stores  in  this  State  and  Missouri.  Notwithstanding 
the  arduous  duties  of  his  office,  he  nearly  always  pur- 
chased the  goods  himself  with  which  to  supply  the 
stores.  Although  not  a  regular  practitioner  of  medi- 
cine, he  studied  the  healing  art  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, and  took  great  pleasure  in  prescribing  for,  and 
taking  care  of,  the  sick,  generally  without  charge. 
He  was  also  liberal  to  the  poor,  several  widows  and 
ministers  of  the  gospel  becoming  indebted  to  him 
even  for  their  homes. 

He  married  Miss  Elvira  Lane,  of  Maryland,  in 
1803,  and  they  became  the  affectionate  parents  of 
several  children,  one  of  whom,  especially,  is  weli' 
known  to  the  people  of  the  "  Prairie  State,"  namel/v 
Ninian  Wirt  Edwards,  once  the  Superintendent  c< 
Public  Instruction  and  still  a  resident  of  Springfield 
Gov.  Edwards  resided  at  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Kas- 
kaskia  from  180910  1818;  in  Edwardsville  (named 
after  him)  from  that  time  to  1824;  and  from  the  lat- 
ter date  at  Belleville,  St.  Clair  County,  until  his 
death,  July  20,  1833,  of  Asiatic  cholera.  Edwards 
County  is  also  named  in  his  honor. 


LIBRARY 

Of  mt 

UMVEftSIlT  Of  ILLINOkS 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


123 


:OHN  REYNOLDS,  Governor  1831- 
4,  was  born  in  Montgomery  Coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  Feb.  26,  1788. 
His  father,  Robert  Reynolds  and 
his  mother,  nee  Margaret  Moore, 
were  both  natives  of  Ireland,  from 
which  country  they  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  in  1785,  land- 
ing at  Philadelphia.  The  senior 
Reynolds  entertained  an  undying 
hostility  to  the  British  Govern- 
ment. When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  about  six  months  old, 
his  parents  emigrated  with  him  to 
Tennessee,  where  many  of  their 
relatives  had  already  located,  at  the  base  of  the 
Copper  Ridge  Mountain,  about  14  miles  northeast  of 
the  present  city  of  Knoxville.  There  they  were  ex- 
oosed  to  Indian  depredations,  and  were  much  molest- 
ed by  them.  In  1794  they  moved  into  the  interior 
of  the  State.  They  were  poor,  and  brought  up  their 
children  to  habits  of  manual  industry. 

In  1800  the  family  removed  to  Kaskaskia,  111.,  with 
eight  horses  and  two  wagons,  encountering  many 
Hardships  on  the  way.  Here  young  Reynolds  passed 
the  most  of  his  childhood,  while  his  character  began 
to  develop,  the  most  prominent  traits  of  which  were 
ambition  and  energy.  He  also  adopted  the  principle 
and  practice  of  total  abstinence  from  intoxicating 
liquors.  In  1807  the  family  made  another  removal. 


this  time  to  the  "  Goshen  Settlement,"  at  the  foot  of 
the  Mississippi  bluffs  three  or  four  miles  southwest 
of  Edwardsville. 

On  arriving  at  his  2oth  year,  Mr.  Reynolds,  seeing 
that  he  must  look  about  for  his  own  livelihood  and 
not  yet  having  determined  what  calling  to  pursue, 
concluded  first  to  attend  college,  and  he  accordingly 
went  to  such  an  institution  of  learning,  near  Knox- 
ville, Tenn.,  where  he  had  relatives.  Imagine  his 
diffidence,  when,  after  passing  the  first  20  years  of 
his  life  without  ever  having  seen  a  carpet,  a  papered 
wall  or  a  Windsor  chair,  and  never  having  lived  in  a 
shingle-roofed  house,  he  suddenly  ushered  himself 
into  the  society  of  the  wealthy  in  the  vicinity  of 
Knoxville!  He  attended  college  nearly  two  years, 
going  through  the  principal  Latin  authors;  but  it 
seems  that  he,  like  the  rest  of  the  world  in  modem 
times,  had  but  very  little  use  for  his  Latin  in  after 
life.  He  always  failed,  indeed,  to  exhibit  any  good 
degree  of  literary  discipline.  He  commenced  the 
study  of  law  in  Knoxville,  but  a  pulmonary  trouble 
came  on  and  compelled  him  to  change  his  mode 
of  life.  Accordingly  he  returned  home  and  re- 
cuperated, and  in  1812  resumed  his  college  and 
law  studies  at  Knoxville.  In  the  fall  of  1812  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Kaskaskia.  About  this  time 
he  also  learned  the  French  language,  which  he 
practiced  with  pleasure  in  conversation  with  his 
family  for  many  years.  He  regarded  this  language 
as  being  superior  to  all  others  for  social  intercourse. 


124 


JOHN  REYNOLDS. 


From  his  services  in  the  West,  in  the  war  of  1812, 
he  obtained  the  sobriquet  of  the  "  Old  Ranger."  He 
was  Orderly  Sergeant,  then  Judge  Advocate. 

Mr.  Reynolds  opened  his  first  law  office  in  the 
winter  and  spring  of  1814,  in  the  French  village  of 
Cahokia,  then  the  capital  of  St.  Clair  County. 

In  the  fall  of  1818  he  was  elected  an  Associate 
Justice  upon  the  Supreme  Bench  by  the  General 
Assembly.  In  1825  he  entered  more  earnestly  than 
ever  into  the  practice  of  law,  and  the  very  next  year 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  where  he 
acted  independently  of  all  cliques  and  private  inter- 
ests. In  1828  the  Whigs  and  Democrats  were  for 
the  first  time  distinctively  organized  as  such  in  Illi- 
nois, and  the  usual  party  bitterness  grew  up  and 
raged  on  all  sides,  while  Mr.  Reynolds  preserved  a 
Judicial  calmness  and  moderation.  The  real  animus 
.if  the  campaign  was  "  Jackson  "  and  "  anti-Jackson," 
'he  former  party  carrying  the  State. 

In  August,  1830,  Mr.  Reynolds  was  elected  Gov- 
ernor, amid  great  excitement.  Installed  in  office,  he 
did  all  within  his  power  to  advance  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation, internal  improvements,  the  Illinois  &  Mich- 
igan Canal,  the  harbor  at  Chicago,  settling  the  coun- 
try, etc.;  also  recommended  the  winding  up  of  the 
State  Bank,  as  its  affairs  had  become  dangerously 
complicated.  In  his  national  politics,  he  was  a 
moderate  supporter  of  General  Jackson.  But  'the 
most  celebrated  event  of  his  gubernatorial  admin- 
istration was  the  Black  Hawk  War,  which  occurred 
in  1832.  He  called  out  the  militia  and  prosecuted 
the  contest  with  commendable  diligence,  appearing 
in  person  on  the  battle-grounds  during  the  most 
critical  periods.  He  was  recognized  by  the  President 
as  Major-General,  and  authorized  by  him  to  make 
treaties  with  the  Indians.  By  the  assistance  of  the 
general  Government  the  war  was  terminated  without 
much  bloodshed,  but  after  many  serious  fights.  This 
war,  as  well  as  everything  else,  was  materially  re- 
tarded by  the  occurrence  of  Asiatic  cholera  in  the 
West.  This  was  its  first  appearance  here,  and  was 
the  next  event  in  prominence  during  Gov.  Reynolds' 
Verm. 

South  Carolina  nullification  coming  up  at  this  time, 
t  was  heartily  condemned  by  both  President  Jackson 
and  Gov.  Reynolds,  who  took  precisely  the  same 
grounds  as  the  Unionists  in  the  last  war. 

On  the  termination  of  his  gubernatorial  term  in 
..834,  Gov.  Reynolds  was  elected  a  Member  of  Con- 
gress, still  considering  himself  a  backwoodsman,  as 
r.e  had  scarcely  been  outside  of  the  State  since  he 
became  of  age,  and  had  spent  nearly  all  his  youthful 
days  >n  the  wildest  region  of  the  frontier.  His  first 
move  in  Congress  was  to  adopt  a  resolution  that  in 
all  elections  made  by  the  House  for  officers  the  votes 
should  be  given  viva  zwe,  each  member  in  his  place 
naming  aloud  the  person  for  whom  he  votes.  This 
created  considerable  heated  discussion,  but  was  es- 


sentially adopted,  and  remained  the  controlling  prin- 
ciple for  many  years.  The  ex-Governor  was  scarcely 
absent  from  his  seat  a  single  day,  during  eight  ses-  < 
sions  of  Congress,  covering  a  period  of  seven  years, 
and  he  never  vacillated  in  a  party  vote;  but  he  failed 
to  get  the  Democratic  party  to  foster  his  "  National 
Road"  scheme.  He  says,  in  "My  Own  Times"  (a 
large  autobiography  he  published),  that  it  was  only 
by  rigid  economy  that  he  avoided  insolvency  while  in 
Washington.  During  his  sojourn  in  that  city  he  was 
married,  to  a  lady  of  the  place. 

In  1837,  while  out  of  Congress,  and  in  company 
with  a  few  others,  he  built  the  first  railroad  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  namely,  one  about  six  miles  long, 
leading  from  his  coal  mine  in  the  Mississippi  bluff  to 
the  bank  of  the  river  opposite  St.  Louis.  Hiving  not 
the  means  to  purchase  a  locomotive,  they  operated  it 
by  horse-power.  The  next  spring,  however,  the  com- 
pany sold  out,  at  great  sacrifice. 

In  1839  the  ex-Governor  was  appointed  one  of  the 
Canal  Commissioners,  and  authorized  to  borrow 
money  to  prosecute  the  enterprise.  Accord' ugly,  he 
repaired  to  Philadelphia  and  succeeding  in  obtaining 
a  million  dollars,  which,  however,  was  only  a  fourth 
of  what  was  wanted.  The  same  year  he  and  his 
wife  made  at  our  of  Europe.  This  year,  also,  Mr. 
Reyn&lds  had'the  rather  awkward  little  responsibility 
of 'introducing  to  President  Van  Buren  the  noted 
Mormon  Prophet,  Joseph  Smith,  as  a  "  Latter-Day 
Saint!" 

In  1846  Gov.  Reynolds  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  from  St.  Clair  County,  more  particu 
larly  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  feasible  charter 
for  a  macadamized  road  from  Belleville  to  St.  Louis, 
a  distance  of  nearly  14  miles.  This  was  immediately 
built,  and  was  the  first  road  of  the  kind  in  the  State. 
He  was  again  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1852,  when 
he  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House.  In  1860,  aged 
and  infirm,  he  attended  the  National  Democratic 
Convention  at  Charleston,  S.  C.,  as  an  anti-Douglas 
Delegate,  where  he  received  more  attention  from  the 
Southern  Delegates  than  any  other  member.  He 
supported  Breckenridge  for  the  Presidency.  After 
the  October  elections  foreshadowed  the  success  of 
Lincoln,  he  published  an  address  urging  the  Demo- 
crats to  rally  to  the  support  of  Douglas.  Immedi- 
ately preceding  and  during  the  late  war,  his  corre- 
spondence evinced  a  clear  sympathy  for  the  Southern 
secession,  and  about  the  first  of  March,  i86r,  he 
urged  upon  the  Buchanan  officials  the  seizure  of  the 
treasure  and  arms  in  the  custom-house  and  arsenal 
at  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Reynolds  was  a  rather  talkative 
man,  and  apt  in  all  the  Western  phrases  and  catch- 
words that  ever  gained  currency,  besides  many  cun- 
ning and  odd  ones  of  his  own  manufacture. 

He  was  married  twice,  but  had  no  children.  He 
died  in  Belleville,  in  May,  1865,  just  after  the  close 
of  the  war. 


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ILLIAM  LEE  D.  EWING, 
Governor  of  Illinois  Nov.  3 
to  17,  1834,  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  and  probably 
of  Scotch  ancestry.  He  had 
a  fine  education,  was  a  gentle- 
man of  polished  manners  and 
refined  sentiment.  In  1830  John  Rey- 
nolds was  elected  Governor  of  the  State, 
and  Zadok  Casey  Lieutenant  Governor, 
and  for  the  principal  events  that  followed, 
and  the  characteristics  of  the  times,  see 
sketch  of  Gov.  Reynolds.  The  first  we 
see  in  history  concerning  Mr.  Ewing,  in- 
forms us  that  he  was  a  Receiver  of  Public 
Mor  eys  at  Vandalia  soon  after  the  organization  of 
tfti.s  State,  and  that  the  public  moneys  in  his  hands 
v/ere  deposited  in  various  banks,  as  they  are  usually 
tf.  tin  present  day.  In  1823  the  State  Bank  was 
•ubbed,  by  which  disaster  Mr.  Ewing  lost  a  thousand- 
dollar  deposit. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  had  a  commission  as 
Colonel  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  in  emergencies 
n«?  acted  also  as  Major.  In  the  summer  of  1832, 
Vhen  i ;-»ras  rumored  among  the  whites  that  Black 
Hawk  ar.d  nis  men  had  encamped  somewhere  on 
Rock  River,  Gen.  Henry  was  sent  on  a  tour  of 
reconnoisance,  and  with  orders  to  drive  the  Indians 
from  the  State.  After  some  opposition  from  his 
subordinate  officers,  Henry  resolved  to  proceed  up 
Rock  River  in  search  of  the  enemy.  On  the  ipth  of 
'uly,  early  in  the  morning,  five  baggage  wagons, 


camp  equipage  and  all  heavy  and  cumbersome  arti- 
cles were  piled  up  and  left,  so  that  the  army  might 
make  speedy  and  forced  marches.  For  some  miles 
the  travel  was  exceedingly  bad,  crossing  swamps 
and  the  worst  thickets ;  but  the  large,  fresh  trail 
gave  life  and  animation  to  the  Americans.  Gen. 
Dodge  and  Col.  Ewing  were  both  acting  as  Majors, 
and  composed  the  "  spy  corps  "  or  vanguard  of  the 
army.  It  is  supposed  the  army  marched  nearly  50 
miles  this  day,  and  the  Indian  trail  they  followed 
became  fresher,  and  was  strewed  with  much  property 
and  trinkets  of  the  red-skin's  that  they  had  lost  or 
thrown  away  to  hasten  their  march.  During  the 
following  night  there  was  a  terrific  thunder-storm,  and 
the  soldiery,  with  all  their  appurtenances,  were  thor- 
oughly drenched. 

On  approaching  nearer  the  Indians  the  next  day. 
Gen.  Dodge  and  Major  Ewing,  each  commanding  a 
battalion  of  men,  were  placed  in  front  to  bring  on  the 
battle,  but  the  savages  were  not  overtaken  this  day 
Forced  marches  were  continued  until  they  reached. 
Wisconsin  River,  where  a  veritable  battle  ensued, 
resulting  in  the  death  of  about  68  of  Black  Hawk's 
men.  The  next  day  they  continued  the  chase,  and 
as  soon  as  he  discovered  the  trail  of  the  Indians 
leading  icvvurd  the  Mississippi,  Maj.  Ewing  formed 
his  battalion  in  order  of  battle  and  awaited  the  order 
of  Gen.  Henry.  The  latter  soon  appeared  on  the 
ground  and  ordered  a  charge,  which  directly  resulted 
in  chasing  the  red  warriors  across  the  great  river. 
Maj.  Ewing  and  his  command  proved  particularly 
efficient  in  war,  as  it  seems  they  were  the  chief  actors 
in  driving  the  main  body  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  in- 


128 


WILLIAM  L.  D.  EWING. 


eluding  Black  Hawk  himself,  across  the  Mississippi, 
while  Gen.  Atkinson,  commander-in-chief  of  the  ex- 
pedition, with  a  body  of  the  army,  was  hunting  for 
them  in  another  direction. 

In  the  above  affair  Maj.  Ewmg  is  often  referred  to 
as  a  "  General,"  which  title  he  had  derived  from  his 
connection  with  the  militia. 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year  (1832) 
that  Lieutenant  Governor  Casey  was  elected  to  Con- 
gress and  Gen.  Ewing,  who  had  been  elected  to  the 
Senate,  was  chosen  to  preside  over  that  body.  At 
the  August  election  of  1 834,  Gov.  Reynolds  was  also 
elected  to  Congress,  more  than  a  year  ahead  of  the 
time  at  which  he  could  actually  take  his  seat,  as  was 
then  the  law.  His  predecessor,  Chailes  Slade,  had 
just  died  of  Asiatic  cholera,  soon  after  the  elec- 
tion, and  Gov.  Reynolds  was  chosen  to  serve  out  his 
unexpired  term.  Accordingly  he  set  out  for  Wash- 
ington in  November  of  that  year  to  take  his  seat  in 
Congress,  and  Gen.  Ewing,  by  virtue  of  his  office  .as 
President  of  the  Senate,  became  Governor  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  his  term  covering  only  a  period  of 
15  days,  namely,  from  the  3d  to  the  iyth  days,  in- 
clusive, of  November.  On  the  171)1  the  Legislature 
met,  and  Gov.  Ewing  transmitted  to  that  body  his 
message,  giving  a  statement  of  the  condition  of  the 
affairs  of  the  State  at  that  time,  and  urging  a  contin- 
uance of  the  policy  adopted  by  his  predecessor ;  and 
on  the  same  day  Governor  elect  Joseph  Duncan 
was  sworn  into  office,  thus  relieving  Mr.  Ewing  from 


the  responsible  situation.  This  is  the  only  time  that 
such  a  juncture  has  happened  in  the  history  of  Illi- 
nois. 

On  the  agth  of  December,  1835,  Gen.  Ewing  was 
elected  a  United  States  Senator  to  serve  out  the 
unexpired  term  of  Elias  Kent  Kane,  deceased.  The 
latter  gentleman  was  a  very  prominent  figure  in  the 
early  politics  of  Illinois,  and  a  county  in  this  State  is 
named  in  his  honor.  The  election  of  Gen.  Ewing  to 
the  Senate  was  a  protracted  struggle.  His  competi- 
tors were  James  Semple,  who  afterwards  held  several 
important  offices  in  this  State,  and  Richard  M. 
Young,  afterward  a  United  States  Senator  and  a 
Supreme  Judge  and  a  man  of  vast  influence.  On 
the  first  ballot  Mr.  Semple  had  25  votes,  Young  19 
and  Ewing  18.  On  the  eighth  ballot  Young  was 
dropped  ;  the  ninth  and  tenth  stood  a  tie  ;  but  on 
the  1 2th  Ewing  received  40,  to  Semple  37,  and  was 
accordingly  declared  elected.  In  1837  Mr.  Ewing 
received  some  votes  for  a  continuance  of  his  term  in 
Congress,  when  Mr.  Young,  just  referred  to,  was 
elected.  In  1842  Mr.  Ewing  was  elected  State 
Auditor  on  the  ticket  with  Gov.  Ford. 

Gen.  Ewing  was  a  gentleman  of  culture,  a  lawyer 
by  profession,  and  was  much  in  public  life.  In  person 
he  was  above  medium   height  and  of  heavy  build,' 
with  auburn  hair,  blue  eyes,  large-sized   head   and] 
short   face.      He   was   genial,   social,   friendly    and 
affable,  with  fair  talent,  though  of  no  high  degree  of 
originality.    He  died  March  25,  1846. 


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OSEPH  DUNCAN,  Governor 
1834-8,  was  born  at  Paris, 
Ky.,  Feb.  23,  1794.  At  the 
tender  age  of  19  years  he  en- 
listed in  the  war  against  Great 
Britain,  and  as  a  soldier  he 
acquitted  himself  with  credit.  He 
was  an  Ensign  under  the  daunt- 
less Croghan  at  Lower  Sandusky, 
or  Fort  Stephenson.  In  Illinois 
he  first  appeared  in  a  public  capa- 
city as  Major-General  of  the  Militia, 
a  position  which  his  military  fame 
had  procured  him.  Subsequently 
he  became  a  State  Senator  from 
Jackson  County,  and  is  honorably 
mentioned  for  introducing  the  first  bill  providing  for 
a  free-school  system.  In  1826,  when  the  redoubt- 
able John  P.  Cook,  who  had  previously  beaten  such 
men  as  John  McLean,  Elias  Kent  Kane  and  ex- 
Gov.  Bond,  came  up  for  the  fourth  time  for  Congress, 
Mr.  Duncan  was  brought  forward  against  him  by  his 
friends,  greatly  to  the  surprise  of  all  the  politicians. 
As  yet  he  was  but  little  known  in  the  State.  He  was 
an  original  Jackson  man  at  that  time,  being  attached 
to  his  political  fortune  in  admiration  of  the  glory  of 
his  military  achievements.  His  chances  of  success 
against  Cook  were  generally  regarded  as  hopeless, 
Imt  he  entered  upon  the  campaign  undaunted.  His 
speeches,  though  short  and  devoid  of  ornament,  were 
full  of  good  sense.  He  made  a  diligent  canvass  of 
the  State,  Mr.  Cook  being  hindered  by  the  condition  of 
his  health.  The  most  that  was  expected  of  Mr. 
Duncan,  under  the  circumstances,  was  that  he  would 


obtain  a  respectable  vote,  but  without  defeating  Mr 
Cook.  The  result  of  the  campaign,  however,  was  a 
source  of  surprise  and  amazement  to  both  friends 
and  foes,  as  Mr.  Duncan  came  out  641  votes  ahead! 
He  received  6,321  votes,  and  Mr.  Cook  5,680.  Un- 
til this  denouement,  the  violence  of  party  feeling 
smoldering  in  the  breasts  of  the  people  on  account 
of  the  defeat  of  Jackson,  was  not  duly  appreciated. 
Aside  from  the  great  convention  struggle  of  1824,  no 
other  than  mere  local  and  personal  considerations 
had  ever  before  controlled  an  election  in  Illinois. 

From  the  above  date  Mr.  Duncan  retained  his 
seat  in  Congress  until  his  election  as  Governor  in 
August,  1834.  The  first  and  bloodless  year  of  the 
Black  Hawk  War  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Rey- 
nolds to  the  position  of  Brigadier-General  of  the 
volunteers,  and  he  conducted  his  brigade  to  Rock 
Island.  But  he  was  absent  from  the  State,  in  Wash- 
ington, during  the  gubernatorial  campaign,  and  did 
not  personally  participate  in  it,  but  addressed  circu- 
lars to  his  constituents.  His  election  was,  indeed, 
attributed  to  the  circumstance  of  his  absence,  be- 
cause his  estrangement  from  Jackson,  formerly  his 
political  idol,  and  also  from  the  Democracy,  largely 
in  ascendency  in  the  State,  was  complete;  but  while 
his  defection  was  well  known  to  his  Whig  friends, 
and  even  to  the  leading  Jackson  men  of  this  State, 
the  latter  were  unable  to  carry  conviction  of  that  fact 
to  the  masses,  as  mail  and  newspaper  facilities  at 
that  day  were  far  inferior  to  those  of  the  present 
time.  Of  course  the  Governor  was  much  abused 
afterward  by  the  fossilized  Jackson  men  who  re- 
garded party  ties  and  affiliations  as  nbove  all 
other  issues  that  could  arise ;  but  he  was  douut less 


JOSEPH  DUNCAN. 


sincere  in  his  opposition  to  the  old  hero,  as  the  latter 
fiad  vetoed  several  important  western  measures 
which  were  dear  to  Mr.  Duncan.  In  his  inaugural 
message  he  threw  off  the  mask  and  took  a  bold  stand 
against  the  course  of  the  President.  The  measures 
f.e  recommended  in  his  message,  however,  were  so 
desirable  that  the  Legislature,  although  by  a  large 
majority  consisting  of  Jackson  men,  could  not  refrain 
from  endorsing  them.  These  measures  related 
mainly  to  banks  and  internal  improvements. 

It  was  while  Mr.  Duncan  was  Governor  that  the 
people  of  Illinois  went  whirling  on  with  bank  and  in- 
ternal improvement  schemes  that  well  nigh  bank- 
rupted the  State.  The  hard  times  of  1837  came  on, 
and  the  disasters  that  attended  the  inauguration  of 
ihese  plans  and  the  operation  of  the  banks  were  mu- 
tually charged  upon  the  two  political  parties.  Had 
any  one  man  autocratic  power  to  introduce  and 
carry  on  any  one  of  these  measures,  he  would  proba- 
bly have  succeeded  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  public ; 
but  as  many  jealous  men  had  hold  of  the  same  plow 
handle,  no  success  followed  and  each  blamed  the  other 
for  the  failure.  In  this  great  vortex  Gov.  Duncan 
was  carried  along,  suffering  the  like  derqgation;  ofr. 
character  with  his  fellow  citizens. 

At  the  height  of  the  excitement  the  Legislature 
"  provided  for  "  railroads  from  Galena  to  Cairo,  Alton 
to  Shawneetown,  Alton  to  Mount  Carmel,  Alton  to  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  State  in  the  direction  of 
Terre  Haute,  Quincy  via  Springfield  to  the  Wabasli, 
Bloomington  to  Pekin,  and  Peoria  to  Warsaw, — in  all 
about  1,300  miles  of  road.  It  also  provided  for  the 
improvement  of  the  navigation  of  the  Kaskaskia, 
Illinois,  Great  and  Little  Wabash  and  Rock  Rivers  ; 
also  as  a  placebo,  $200,000  in  money  were  to  be  dis- 
jibuted  to  the  various  counties  wherein  no  improve 
ments  were  ordered  to  be  made  as  above.  The 
estimate  for  the  expenses  for  all  these  projects  was 
)laced  at  a  little  over  $10,000,000,  which  was  not 
more  man  half  enough !  That  would  now  be  equal  to 
saddling  upon  the  State  a  debt  of  $225,000,000!  It 
was  sufficient  to  bankrupt  the  State  several  times 
over,  even  counting  all  the  possible  benefits. 

One  of  the  most  exciting  events  that  ever  occurred 
in  this  fair  State  was  the  murder  of  Elijah  P.  Love- 
ioy  in  the  fall  of  1837,  at  Alton,  during  Mr.  Duncan's 
term  as  Governor.  Lovejoy  was  an  "  Abolitionist," 
editing  the  Observer  at  that  place,  and  the  pro- 
slavery  slums  there  formed  themselves  into  a.  mob, 


and  after  destroying  successively  three  presses  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Lovejoy,  surrounded  the  warehouse 
where  the  fourth  press  was  stored  away,  endeavoring 
to  destroy  it,  and  where  Lovejoy  and  his  friends 
were  entrenching  themselves,  and  shot  and  killed  the 
brave  reformer! 

About  this  time,  also,  the  question  of  removing  th; 
State  capital  again  came  up,  as  the  20  years'  limit  for 
its  existence  at  Vandalia  was  drawing  to  a  close 
There  was,  of  course,  considerable  excitement  over 
the  matter,  the  two  main  points  competing  for  it  be- 
ing Springfield  and  Peoria.  The  jealousy  of  the  lat- 
ter place  is  not  even  yet,  45  years  afterward,  fully 
allayed. 

Gov.  Duncan's  term  expired  in  1838.  In  1842 
he  was  again  proposed  as  a  candidate  for  the  Execu- 
tive chair,  this  time  by  the  Whig  party,  against  .Ulara 
W.  Snyder,  of  St.  Clair  County,  the  nominee  of  the 
Democrats.  Charles  W.  Hunter  was  a  third  candi 
date  for  the  same  position.  Mr.  Snyder,  however,  died 
before  the  campaign  had  advanced  very  far,  and  his 
party  substituted  Thomas  Ford,  who  was  elected 
receiving  46,901  votes,  to  38,584  for  Duncan,  and 
pqp.for -Hunter.  The  cause  of  Democratic  success 
at  this  time  is  mainly  attributed  to  the  temporary 
support  of  the  Mormons  which  they  enjoyed,  and  the 
want  o.r  any  knowledge,  on  the  part  of  the  masses, 
ihat  Mr.  Ford  was  opposed  to  any  given  |x>licy  en- 
tertained in  the  respective  localities. 

Gov.  Duncan  was  a  man  of  rather  limited  educa- 
tion, but  with  naturally  fine  abilities  he  profited 
greatly  by  his  various  public  services,  and  gathered 
a  store  of  knowledge  regarding  public  affairs  which 
served  him  a  ready  purpose.  He  possessed  a  clear 
judgment,  decision,  confidence  in  himself  and  moral 
courage  to  carry  out  his  convictions  of  tight.  In  his 
deportment  he  was  well  adapted  to  gain  the  admira 
tion  of  the  people.  His  intercourse  with  them  was 
both  affable  and  dignified.  His  portrait  at  the  Gov- 
ernor's mansion,  from  which  the  accompanying  was 
made,  represents  him  as  having  a  swarthy  complex- 
ion, high  cheek  bones,  broad  forehead,  piercing  black 
eyes  and  straight  black  hair. 

He  was  a  liberal  patron  of  the  Illinois  College  at 
Jacksonville,  a  member  of  its  Board  of  Trustees,  and 
died,  after  a  short  illness,  Jan.  15,  1844,  a  devoted 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  leaving  a  wife 
but  no  children.  Two  children,  born  to  them,  had 
died  in  infancy. 


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UNIYERSm  Of  ILLINOIS 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'35 


HOMAS  CARLIN,  the  sixth 
Governor  of  the  State  of 
Illinois,  serving  from  1838 
to  1842,  was  also  a  Ken- 
tuckian,  being  born  near 
Frankfort,  that  State,  July 
18,  1789,  of  Irish  paternity. 
The  opportunities  for  an  education 
being  very  meager  in  his  native 
place,  he,  on  approaching  years  of 
jud"ment  and  maturity,  applied 
himself  to  those  branches  of  learn- 
•ng  that  seemed  most  important, 
,nd  thus  became  a  self-made  man  ; 
.nd  his  taste  for  redding  and 
tudy  remained  with  him  through 
ife.  In  1803  his  father  removed 
jp  Missouri,  then  a  part  of  "  New  Spain,"  where  he 
Hied  in  1810. 

In  1812  young  Carlin  came  to  Illinois  and  partici- 
pated in  all  the  "ranging"  service  incident  to  the 
rar  of  that  period,  proving  himself  a  soldier  of  un- 
daunted bravery.  In  1814  he  married  Rebecca 
puitt,  and  lived  for  four  years  on  the  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Mis- 
jojri,  where  he  followed  farming,  and  then  removed 
10  Greene  County.  He  located  the  town  site  of  Car- 
k»'.ton,  in  that  county,  and  in  1825  made  a  liberal 
lunation  of  land  for  county  building  purposes.  He 
vas  the  first  Sheriff  of  that  county  after  its  separate 
organization,  and  afterward  was  twice  elected,  as  a 
Jackson  Democrat,  to  the  Illinois  Senate.  In  the 
Black  Hawk  War  he  commanded  a  spy  battalion,  a 
post  of  considerable  danger.  In  1834  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Jackson  to  the  position  of 
Receiver  of  Public  Moneys,  and  to  fulfill  the  office 


more  conveniently  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Quincy. 

While,  in  1838,  the  unwieldy  internal  improvement 
system  of  the  State  was  in  full  operation,  with  all  its 
expensive  machinery,  amidst  bank  suspensions 
throughout  the  United  States,  a  great  stringency  in 
the  money  market  everywhere,  and  Illinois  bonds 
forced  to  sale  at  a  heavy  discount,  and  the  "  hardest 
times"  existing  that  the  people  of  the  Prairie  State 
ever  saw,  the  general  election  of  State  officers  was 
approaching.  Discreet  men  who  had  cherished  the 
hope  of  a  speedy  subsidence  of  the  public  infatua- 
tion, met  with  disappointment.  A  Governor  and 
Legislature  were  to  be  elected,  and  these  were  now 
looked  forward  to  for  a  repeal  of  the  ruinous  State 
policy.  But  the  grand  scheme  had  not  yet  lost  its 
dazzling  influence  upon  the  minds  of  the  people. 
Time  and  experience  had  not  yet  fully  demonstrated 
its  utter  absurdity.  Hence  the  question  of  arresting 
its  career  of  profligate  expenditures  did  not  become 
a  leading  one  with  the  dominant  party  during  the 
campaign,  and  most  of  the  old  members  of  the  Leg 
islature  were  returned  at  this  election. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  Democrats,  in  State 
Convention  assembled,  nominated  Mr.  Carlin  for  the 
office  of  Governor,  and  S.  H.  Anderson  for  Lieuten- 
ant Governor,  while  the  Whigs  nominated  Cyrus  Ed- 
wards, brother  of  Ninian  Edwards,  formerly  Governor, 
and  W.  H.  Davidson.  Edwards  came  out  strongly 
for  a  continuance  of  the  State  policy,  while  Caritr 
remained  non-committal.  This  was  the  first  time 
that  the  two  main  political  parties  in  this  State  were 
unembarrassed  by  any  third  party  in  the  field.  The 
result  of  the  election  was:  Carlin,  35,573;  Ander- 
son, 30,335  ;  Edwards,  29,629  ;  and  Davidson,  28,- 

7*5- 

Upon  the  meeting  of  the  subsequent  Legislature 

(1839),  the  retiring  Governor  (Duncan)  in    his  rues- 


'36 


THOMAS  CARLTN. 


sage  spoke  in  emphatic  terms  of  the  impolicy  of  the 
internal  improvement  system,  presaging  the  evils 
threatened,  and  uiged  that  body  to  do  their  utmost 
to  correct  the  great  error;  yet,  on  the  contrary,  the 
Legislature  not  only  decided  to  continue  the  policy 
but  also  added  to  its  burden  by  voting  more  appro- 
priations and  ordering  more  improvements.  Although 
the  money  market  was  still  stringent,  a  further  loan 
of  $4,000,000  was  ordered  for  the  Illinois  &  Mich- 
igan Canal  alone.  Ch'cago  at  that  time  began  to 
loom  up  and  promise  to  be  an  important  city,  even 
the  great  emporium  of  the  West,  as  it  has  since  in- 
deed came  to  be.  Ex-Gov.  Reynolds,  an  incompe- 
tent financier,  was  commissioned  to  effect  the  loan, 
and  accordingly  hastened  to  the  East  on  this  respons- 
ible errand,  and  negotiated  the  loans,  at  considera- 
ble sacrifice  to  the  State.  Besides  this  embarrassment 
to  Carlin's  administration,  the  Legislature  also  de- 
clared that  he  had  no  authority  to  appoint  a  Secretary 
of  State  until  a  vacancy  existed,  and  A.  P.  Field,  a 
Whig,  who  had  already  held  the  post  by  appointment 
.hrough  three  administrations,  was  determined  to 
keep  the  place  a  while  longer,  in  spite  of  Gov.  Car- 
lin's preferences.  The  course  of  the  Legislature  in 
this  regard,  however,  was  finally  sustained  by  the 
Supreme  Court,  in  a  quo  warranto  case  brought  up 
before  it  by  John  A.  McClernand,  whom  the  Gov- 
ernor had  nominated  for  the  office.  Thereupon  that 
dignified  body  was  denounced  as  a  "Whig  Court!" 
endeavoring  to  establish  the  principle  of  life-tenure 
of  office. 

A  new  law  was  adopted  re-organizing  the  Judici- 
ary, and  under  it  five  additional  Supreme  Judges 
were  elected  by  the  Legislature,  namely,  Thomas 
Ford  (afterward  Governor),  Sidney  Breese,  Walter  B. 
Scales,  Samuel  H.  Treat  and  Stephen  A.  Douglas — 
all  Democrats. 

It  was  during  Cov.  Carlin's  administration  that  the 
noisy  campaign  of  "  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too  "  oc- 
curred, resulting  in  a  Whig  victory.  This,  however, 
did  net  affect  Illinois  politics  very  seriously. 

Another  prominent  event  in  the  West  during  Gov. 
Carlin's  term  of  office  was  the  excitement  caused  by 
the  Mormons  and  their  removal  from  Independence, 
Mo.,  to  Nauvoo,  111.,  in  1840.  At  the  same  time 
they  began  to  figure  somewhat  in  State  politics.  On 
account  of  their  believing — as  they  thought,  accord- 
ing to  the  New  Testament — that  they  should  have 


"  all  things  common,"  and  that  consequently  "  all 
the  earth  "  and  all  that  is  upon  it  were  the"  Lord's  " 
and  therefore  the  property  of  his  "  saints,"  they 
were  suspected,  and  correctly,  too,  of  committing 
many  of  the  deeds  of  larceny,  robbery,  etc.,  that 
were  so  rife  throughout  this  country  in  those  days. 
Hence  a  feeling  of  violence  grew  up  between  the 
Mormons  and  "anti-Mormons."  In  the  State  of 
Missouri  the  Mormons  always  supported  the  Dem- 
ocracy until  they  were  driven  out  by  the  Democratic 
government,  when  they  turned  their  support  to  the 
Whigs.  They  were  becoming  numerous,  and  in  the 
Legislature  of  1840-1,  therefore,  it  became  a  matter 
of  great  interest  with  both  parties  to  conciliate  these 
people.  Through  the  agency  of  one  John  C.  Ben- 
nett, a  scamp,  the  Mormons  succeeded  in  rushing 
through  the  Legislature  (both  parties  not  daring  to 
oppose)  a  charter  for  the  city  of  Nauvoo  which  vir- 
tually erected  a  hierarchy  co-ordinate  with  the  Fed- 
eral Government  itself.  In  the  fall  of  1841  the 
.Governor  of  Missouri  made  a  demand  upon  Gov. 
Carlin  for  the  body  of  Joe  Smith,  the  Mormon  leader, 
as; a"' fugitive  from  justice.  Gov.  Carlin  issued  th» 
writ,  but  for  some  reason  it  was  returned  unserved. 
It  was  again  issued  in  1842,  and  Smith  was  arrested, 
but  was  either  rescued  by  his  followers  or  discharged 
by  the  municipal  court  on  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus. 

In  December,  1841,  the  Democratic  Convention 
nominated  Adam  W.  Snyder,  of  Belleville,  for  Gov- 
ernor. As  he  had  been,  as  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, rather  friendly  to  the  Mormons,  the  latter 
naturally  turned  their  support  to  the  Democratic 
party.  The  next  spring  the  Whigs  nominated  Ex- 
Gov.  Duncan  for  the  same  office.  In  the  meantime 
the  Mormons  began  to  grow  more  odious  to  the 
masses  of  the  people,  and  the  comparative  prospects 
of  the  respective  parties  for  success  became  very 
problematical.  Mr.  Snyder  died  in  May,  and 
Thomas  Ford,  a  Supreme  Judge,  was  substituted  as 
a  candidate,  and  was  elected. 

At  the  close  of  his  gubernatorial  term,  Mr.  Carlin 
removed  back  to  his  old  home  at  Carrollton,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  i.z  before  his  ele- 
vation to  office,  in  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1849 
he  served  out  the  unexpired  term  of  J.  D.  Fry  in  the 
Illinois  House  of  Representatives,  and  died  Feb.  4, 
1852,  at  his  residence  at  Carrollton,  leaving  a  wife 
and  seven  children. 


LIBRARY 

Of  m 

UNIVEKSUY  Of  ILLINOIS 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


139 


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HOMAS  FORD,  Governor 
from  1842  to  1846,  and  au- 
thor of  a  very  interesting 
history  of  Illinois,  was  born 
at  Uniontown,  Pa.,  in  the 
year  1 800.  His  mother,  after 
the  death  of  her  first  hus- 
band (Mr.  Forquer),  married  Rob- 
ert Ford,  who  was  killed  in  1802, 
by  the  Indians  in  the  mountains 
of  Pennsylvania.  She  was  conse- 
quently left  in  indigent  circum- 
stances, with  a  large  family,  mostly 
girls.  With  a  view  to  better  her 
condition,  she,  in  1804,  removed  to 
Missouri,  where  it  had  been  cus- 
tomary by  the  Spanish  Govern- 
ment to  give  land  to  actual  settlers;  but  upon  her 
arrival  at  St.  Louis  she  found  the  country  ceded  to 
the  United  States,  and  the  liberal  policy  toward  set- 
tlers changed  by  the  new  ownership.  After  some 
sickness  to  herself  and  family,  she  finally  removed  to 
Illinois,  and  settled  some  three  miles  south  of  Water- 
loo, but  the  following  year  moved  nearer  the  Missis- 
sippi bluffs.  Here  young  Ford  received  his  first  I 


schooling,  under  the  instructions  of  a  M".  Humphrey, 
for  which  he  had  to  walk  three  miles.  His  mother, 
though  lacking  a  thorough  education,  was  a  woman 
of  superior  mental  endowments,  joined  to  energy 
and  determination  of  character.  She  inculcated  in) 
her  children  those  high-toned  principles  which  dis- 
tinguished her  sons  in  public  life.  She  exercised  a 
rigid  economy  to  provide  her  children  an  education ; 
but  George  Forquer,  her  oldest  son  (six  years  older 
than  Thomas  Ford),  at  an  early  age  had  to  quit 
school  to  aid  by  his  labor  in  the  support  of  the  family. 
He  afterward  became  an  eminent  man  in  Illinois 
affairs,  and  but  for  his  early  death  would  probably 
have  been  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

Young  Ford,  with  somewhat  better  opportunities, 
received  a  better  education,  though  limited  to  the 
curriculum  of  the  common  school  of  those  pioneer 
times.  His  mind  gave  early  promise  of  superior  en- 
dowments, with  an  inclination  for  mathematics.  His 
proficiency  attracted  the  attention  of  Hon.  Daniel  P. 
Cook,  who  became  his  efficient  patron  and  friend. 
The  latter  gentleman  was  an  eminent  Illinois  states- 
man who,  as  a  Member  of  Congress,  outamedagrant 
of  300,000  acres  of  land  to  aid  in  completing  the 
Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal,  and  after  whom  the 
county  of  Cook  was  named.  Through  the  advice  of 


THOMAS  FORD. 


this  gentleman,  Mr.  Ford  turned  his  attention  to  the 
study  of  law;  but  Forquer,  then  merchandising,  re- 
garding his  education  defective,  sent  him  to  Transyl- 
vania University,  where,  however,  he  remained  but 
one  term,  owing  to  Forquer's  failure  in  business.  On 
his  return  he  alternated  his  law  reading  with  teach- 
ir.g  school  for  support. 

In  1829  Gov.  Edwards  appointed  him  Prosecuting 
Attorney,  and  in  1831  he  was  re-appointed  by  Gov. 
Reynolds,  and  after  that  he  was  four  times  elected  a 
Judge  by  the  Legislature,  without  opposition,  twice  a 
Circuit  Judge,  once  a  Judge  of  Chicago,  and  as  As- 
sociate Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  when,  in  1841, 
the  latter  tribunal  was  re-organized  by  the  addition 
of  five  Judges,  all  Democrats.  Ford  was  assigned  to 
the  Ninth  Judicial  Circuit,  and  while  in  this  capacity 
he  was  holding  Court  in  Ogle  County  he  received  a 
notice  of  his  nomination  by  the  Democratic  Conven- 
tion for  the  office  of  Governor.  He  immediately  re- 
signed his  place  and  entered  upon  the  canvass.  In 
August,  1842,  he  was  elected,  and  on  the  8th  of  De- 
cember following  he  was  inaugurated. 

All  the  offices  which  he  had  held  were  unsolicited 
by  him.  He  received  them  upon  the  true  Jefferson- 
jan  principle, — Never  to  ask  and  never  to  refuse 
office.  Both  as  a  lawyer  and  as  a  Judge  he. stood. . 
deservedly  high,  but  his  cast  of  intellect  fitted  him 
rather  for  a  writer  upon  law  than  a  practicing  advo- 
cate in  the  courts.  In  the  latter  capacity  he  was  void 
of  the  moving  power  of  eloquence,  so  necessary  to 
success  with  juries.  As  a  Judge  his  opinions  were 
round,  lucid  and  able  expositions  of  the  law.  In 
practice,  he  was  a  stranger  to  the  tact,  skill  and  in- 
sinuating address  of  the  politician,  but  he  saw  through 
'.he  arts  of  demagogues  as  well  as  any  man.  He  was 
plain  in  his  demeanor,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  at 
one  time  after  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office, 
during  a  session  of  the  Legislature,  he  was  taken  by 
a  stranger  to  be  a  seeker  for  the  position  of  door- 
keeper, and  was  waited  upon  at  his  hotel  near  mid- 
night by  a  knot  of  small  office-seekers  with  the  view 
of  effecting  a  "  combination  !  " 

Mr.  Ford  had  not  the  "  brass  "  of  the  ordinary 
politician,  nor  that  impetuosity  which  characterizes  a 
political  leader.  He  cared  little  for  money,  and 
hardly  enough  for  a  decent  support.  In  person  he 
was  of  small  stature,  slender,  of  dark  complexion, 
with  black  hair,  sharp  features,  deep-set  eyes,  a 
pointed,  aquiline  nose  having  a  decided  twist  to  one 
side,  and  a  small  mouth. 

The  three  most  important  events  in  Gov.  Ford's 
administration  were  the  establishment  of  the  high 
financial  credit  of  the  State,  the  "  Mormon  War  "and 
;he  Mexican  War. 

In  the  first  of  these  the  Governor  proved  himself 
to  be  eminently  wise.  On  coming  into  office  he  found 
the  State  badly  paralyzed  by  the  ruinous  effects  of 
the  notorious  "  internal  improvement "  schemes  of 


the  preceding  decade,  with  scarcely  anything  to 
show  by  way  of  "improvement."  The  enterprise 
that  seemed  to  be  getting  ahead  more  than  all  the 
rest  was  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.  As  this 
promised  to  be  the  most  important  thoroughfare, 
feasible  to  the  people,  it  was  well  under  headway  in 
its  construction.  Therefore  the  State  policy  was 
almost  concentrated  upon  it,  in  order  to  rush  it  on  tc 
completion.  The  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  State 
was  growing  so  large  as  to  frighten  the  people,  and 
they  were  about  ready  to  entertain  a  proposition  for 
repudiation.  But  the  Governor  had  the  foresight  to 
recommend  such  measures  as  would  maintain  the 
public  credit,  for  which  every  citizen  to-day  feels 
thankful. 

But  perhaps  the  Governor  is  remembered  more  for 
his  connection  with  the  Mormon  troubles  than  for 
anything  else;  for  it  was  during  his  term  of  office 
that  the  "  Latter-Day  Saints"  became  so  strong  at 
Nauvoo,  built  their  temple  there,  increased  their  num- 
bers throughout  the  count-y,  committed  misdemean- 
ors, taught  dangerous  doctrines,  suffered  the  loss  of 
their  leader,  Jo  Smith,  by  a  violent  death,  were  driven 
out  of  Nauvoo  to  the  far  West,  etc.  Ha.ving  been  a 
Judge  for  so  many  years  previously,  Mr.  Ford  of 
course  was  non-committal  concerning  Mormon  affairs, 
and  Avas  therefore  claimed  by  both  parties  and  also 
accused  by  each  of  sympathizing  too  greatly  with  the 
other  side.  Mormonism  claiming  to  be  a  system  of 
religion,  the  Governor  no  doubt  was  "  between  two 
fires,"  and  felt  compelled  to  touch  the  matter  rather 
"  gingerly,"  and  doubtless  felt  greatly  relieved  when 
that  pestilential  people  left  the  State.  Such  compli- 
cated matters,  especially  when  religion  is  mixed  up 
with  them,  expose  every  person  participating  in 
them  to  criticism  from  all  parties. 

The  Mexican  War  was  begun  in  the  spring  of 
1845,  and  was  continued  into  the  gubernatorial  term 
of  Mr.  Ford's  successor.  The  Governor's  connection 
with  this  war,  however,  was  not  conspicuous,  as  it 
was  only  administrative,  commissioning  officers,  etc. 

Ford's  "  History  of  Illinois  "  is  a  very  readable  and 
entertaining  work,  of  450  small  octavo  pages,  and  is 
destined  to  increase  in  value  with  the  lapse  of  time. 
It  exhibits  a  natural  flow  of  compact  and  forcible 
thought,  never  failing  to  convey  the  nicest  sense.  In 
tracing  with  his  trenchant  pen  the  devious  operations 
of  the  professional  politician,  in  which  he  is  inimit- 
able, his  account  is  open,  perhaps,  to  the  objection 
that  all  his  contemporaries  are  treated  as  mere  place- 
seekers,  while  many  of  them  have  since  been  judged 
by  the  people  to  be  worthy  statesmen.  His  writings 
seem  slightly  open  to  the  criticism  that  they  exhibit 
a  little  splenetic  partiality  against  those  of  his  con- 
temporaries who  were  prominent  during  his  term  of 
office  as  Governor. 

The  death  of  Gov.  Ford  took  place  at  Peoria,  111., 
Nov.  2,  1850. 


LIBRARY 
Oft* 

UNWiRSm  Of  ILLINOIS 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


143 


Augustus  C.  French. 


jUGUSTUS  C.  FRENCH, 
Governor  of  Illinois  from 
1846  to  1852,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Hill,  in  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire, 
Aug.  2,  1808.  He  was  a 
descendant"  in  the  fourth 
generation  of  Nathaniel 
French,  who  emigrated  from  England 
in  1687  and  settled  in  Saybury,  Mass. 
In  early  life  young  French  lost  his 
father,  but  continued  to  receive  in- 
struction from  an  exemplary  and 
Christian  mother  until  he  was  19  years 
old,  when  she  also  died,  confiding  to 
his  care  and  trust  four  younger  broth- 
ers and  one  sister.  He  discharged  his  trust  with 
parental  devotion.  His  education  in  early  life  was 
such  mainly  as  a  common  school  afforded.  For  a 
brief  period  he  attended  Dartmouth  College,  but 
from  pecuniary  causes  and  the  care  of  his  brothers 
and  sister,  he  did  not  graduate.  He  subsequently 
read  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1831,  and 
shortly  afterward  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  first  at 
Albion,  Edwards  County,  where  he  established  him- 
self in  the  practice  of  law.  The  following  year  he 
removed  to  Paris,  Edgar  County.  Here  he  attained 
eminence  in  his  profession,  and  entered  public  life 
by  representing  that  county  in  the  Legislature.  A 
strong  attachment  sprang  up  between  him  and  Ste- 
phen A.  Douglas. 

In  1839,  Mr.  French  was  appointed  Receiver  of 
the  United  States  Land  Office  at  Palestine,  Craw- 
ford (x>unty,  at  which  place  he  was  a  resident  when 


elevated  to  the  gubernatorial  chair.  In  1844  he  was 
a  Presidential  Elector,  and  as  such  he  voted  for 
James  K.  Polk. 

The  Democratic  State  Convention  of  1846,  meet- 
ing at  Springfield  Feb.  10,  nominated  Mr.  French 
for  Governor.  Other  Democratic  candidates  were 
Lyman  Trumbull,  John  Calhoun  (subsequently  of 
Lecompton  Constitution  notoriety),  Walter  B.  Scales. 
Richard  M.  Young  and  A.  W.  Cavarly, — an  array  of 
very  able  and  prominent  names.  Trumbull  was  per- 
haps defeated  in  the  Convention  by  the  rumor  that 
he  was  opposed  to  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal, 
as  he  had  been  a  year  previously.  For  Lieutenant 
Governor  J.  B.  Wells  was  chosen,  while  other  candi- 
dates were  Lewis  Ross,  Wm.  McMurtry,  Newton 
Cloud,  J.  B.  Hamilton  and  W.  W.  Thompson.  The 
resolutions  declared  strongly  against  the  resuscita- 
tion of  the  old  State  Banks. 

The  Whigs,  who  were  in  a  hopeless  minority,  held 
their  convention  June  8,  at  Peoria,  and  selected 
Thomas  M.  Kilpatrick,  of  Scott  County,  for  Governor, 
and  Gen.  Nathaniel  G.  Wilcox,  of  Schuyler,  for 
Lieutenant  Governor. 

In  the  campaign  the  latter  exposed  Mr.  French's 
record  and  connection  with  the  passage  of  the  in- 
ternal improvement  system,  urging  it  against  his 
election ;  but  in  the  meantime  the  war  with  Mexico 
broke  out,  regarding  which  the  Whig  record  was  un- 
popular in  this  State.  The  war  was  the  absorbing 
and  dominating  question  of  the  period,  sweeping 
every  other  political  issue  in  its  course.  The  elec- 
tion in  August  gave  Mr.  French  58,700  votes,  and 
Kilpatrick  only  36,775.  Richard  Eells,  Abolitionist 
candidate  for  the  same  office,  received  5,152  vot«»s. 


AUGUSTUS  C.  FRENCH. 


By  the  new  Constitution  of  1848,  a  new  election  for 
State  officers  was  ordered  in  November  of  that  year, 
before  Gov.  French's  term  was  half  out,  and  he  was 
re-elected  for  the  term  of  four  years.  He  was  there- 
fore the  incumbe.it  for  six  consecutive  years,  the 
only  Governor  of  this  State  who  has  ever  served  in 
that  capacity  so  long  at  one  time.  As  there  was  no 
organized  opposition  to  his  election,  he  received  67,- 
453  votes,  to  5,639  for  Pierre  Menard  (son  of  the 
first  Lieutenant  Governor),  4,748  for  Charles  V. 
Dyer,  3,834  for  W.  L.  D.  Morrison,  and  1,361  for 
James  L.  D.  Morrison.  But  Wm.  McMurtry,  of 
Knox  County,  was  elected  Lieutenant  Governor,  in 
place  of  Joseph  B.  Wells,  who  was  before  elected 
and  did  not  run  again. 

Governor  French  was  inaugurated  into  office  dur- 
ing the  progress  of  the  Mexican  War,  which  closed 
during  the  summer  of  1847,  although  the  treaty  of 
Guadalupe  Hidalgo  was  not  made  until  Feb.  2, 
1848.  The  policy  of  Gov.  French's  party  was  com- 
mitted to  that  war,  but  in  connection  with  that  affair 
he  was,  of  course,  only  an  administrative  officer. 
During  his  term  of  office,  Feb.  19,  1847,  the  Legisla- 
ture, by  special  permission  of  Congress,  declared  that 
all  Government  lands  sold  to  settlers  should  be  'irh-' 
mediately  subject  to  State  taxation ;  before  this  they 
were  exempt  for  five  years  after  sale.  By  this  ar- 
rangement the  revenue  was  materially  increased. 
About  the  same  time,  the  distribution  of  Government 
Jand  warrants  among  the  Mexican  soldiers  as  bounty 
threw  upon  the  market  a  great  quantity  of  good 
lands,  and  this  enhanced  the  settlement  of  the  State. 
The  same  Legislature  authorized,  with  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  Governor,  the  sale  of  the  Northern 
Cross  Railroad  (from  Springfield  to  Meredosia,  the 
first  in  the  State  and  now  a  section  of  the  Wabash, 
St.  Louis  &  Pacific).  It  sold  for  $100,000  in  bonds, 
although  it  had  cost  the  State  not  less  than  a  million. 
The  salt  wells  and  canal  lands  in  the  Saline  reserve 
in  Gallatin  County,  granted  by  the  general  Govern- 
ment to  the  State,  were  also  authorized  by  the 
Governor  to  be  sold,  to  apply  on  the  State  debt.  In 
1850,  for  the  first  time  since  1839,  the  accruing  State 
revenue,  exclusive  of  specific  appropriations,  was 
sufficient  to  meet  the  current  demands  upon  the 
treasury.  The  aggregate  taxable  property  of  the 
State  at  this  time  was  over  $100,000,000,  and  the 
population  851,470. 


In  1849  the  Legislature  adopted  the  township  or- 
ganization law,  which,  however,  proved  defective 
and  was  properly  amended  in  1851.  At  its  session 
in  the  latter  year,  the  General  Assembly  also  pas=>ed 
a  law  to  exempt  homesteads  from  sate  on  executions 
This  beneficent  measure^  had  been  repeatedly  utge<J 
upon  that  body  by  Gov.  French. 

In  1850  some  business  men  in  St.  Louis  com- 
menced to  build  a  dike  opposite  the  lower  part  of 
their  city  on  the  Illinois  side,  to  keep  the  Mississippi 
in  its  channel  near  St.  Louis,  instead  of  breaking 
away  from  them  as  it  sometimes  threatened  to  do. 
This  they  undertook  without  permission  from  the 
Legislature  or  Executive  authority  of  this  State ;  and 
as  many  of  the  inhabitants  thera  complained  that 
the  scheme  would  inundate  and  ruin  much  valuable 
land,  there  was  a  slight  conflict  of  jurisdictions,  re- 
sulting in  favor  of  the  St.  Louis  project ;  r>.nd  since 
then  a  good  site  has  existed  there  for  a  city  (East  St. 
Louis),  and  now  a  score  of  railroads  center  there. 

It  was  in  September,  1850,  that  Congress  granted 
to  this  State  nearly  3,000,000  acres  of  land  in  aid  of 
the  completion  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
which  constituted  the  most  important  epoch  in  the 
railroad— we  might  say  internal  improvement — his- 
tory of  the  State.  The  road  was  rushed  on  to  com- 
pletion, which  accelerated  the  settlement  of  the  in- 
terior of  the  State  by  a  good  class  of  industrious  citi- 
zens, and  by  the  charter  a  good  income  to  the  State 
Treasury  is  paid  in  from  the  earnings  of  the  road. 

In  1851  the  Legislature  passed  a  law  authorizing 
free  stock  banks,  which  was  the  source  of  much  leg- 
islative discussion  for  a  number  of  years. 

But  we  have  not  space  further  to  particularize 
concerning  legislation.  Gov.  French's  administra- 
tion was  not  marked  by  any  feature  to  be  criticised, 
while  the  country  was  settling  up  as  never  before. 

In  stature,  Gov.  French  was  of  medium  height, 
squarely  built,  light  complexioned,  with  ruddy  face 
and  pleasant  countenance.  In  manners  he  was 
plain  and  agreeable.  By  nature  he  was  somewhat 
diffident,  but  he  was  often  very  outspoken  in  his  con- 
victions of  duty.  In  public  speech  he  was  not  an 
orator,  but  was  chaste,  earnest  and  persuasive.  In 
business  he  was  accurate  and  methodical,  and  in  his 
administration  he  kept  up  the  credit  of  the  State. 

He  died  in  1865,  at  his  home  in  Lebanon,  St 
Clair  Co.,  HI. 


LIBRARY 

of  m 

UNIVERSITY  Of  ILLINOIS 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


iOEL  A.  MATTESON,  Governor 
1853-6,  was  born  Aug.  8,  1808, 
in  Jefferson  County,  New  York, 
to  which  place  his  father  had  re- 
moved from  Vermont  three  years 
before.  His  father  was  a  farmer 
in  fair  circumstances,  but  a  com- 
mon English  education  was  all 
that  his  only  son  received.  Young 
Joel  first  tempted  fortune  as  a 
small  tradesman  in  Prescott, 
Canada,  before  he  was  of  age. 
He  returned  from  that  place  to 
his  home,  entered  an  academy, 
taught  school,  visited  the  prin- 
cipal Eastern  cities,  improved  a  farm  his  father  had 
given  him,  made  a  tour  in  the  South,  worked  there 
in  building  railroads,  experienced  a  storm  on  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  visited  the  gold  diggings  of  Northern 
Georgia,  and  returned  via  Nashville  to  St.  Louis  and 
through  Illinois  to  his  father's  home,  when  he  mar- 
ried. In  1833,  having  sold  his  farm,  he  removed, 
with  his  wife  and  one  child,  to  Illinois,  and  entered 
a  claim  on  Government  land  near  the  head  of  Au 
Sable  River,  in  what  is  now  Kendall  County.  At 
that  time  there  were  not  more  than  two  neighbors 
within  a  range  of  ten  miles  of  his  place,  and  only 
\hree  or  four  houses  between  him  and  Chicago.  He 
opened  a  large  farm.  His  family  was  boarded  12 


miles  away  while  he  erected  a  house  on  his  claim, 
sleeping,  during  this  time,  under  a  rude  pole  shed. 
Here  his  life  was  once  placed  in  imminent  peril  by 
a  huge  prairie  rattlesnake  sharing  his  bed. 

In  1835  he  bought  largely  at  the  Government  land 
sales.  During  the  speculative  real-estate  mania  which 
broke  out  in  Chicago  in  1 836  and  spread  over  the  State, 
he  sold  his  lands  under  the  inflation  of  that  period 
and  removed  to  Joliet.  In  1838  he  became  a  heavy 
contractor  on  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.  Upon 
the  completion  of  his  job  in  i84r,  when  hard  times 
prevailed,  business  at  a  stand,  contracts  paid  in  State 
scrip;  when  all  the  public  works  except  the  canal 
were  abandoned,  the  State  offered  for  sale  700  tons 
of  railroad  iron,  which  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Mat- 
teson  at  a  bargain.  This  he  accepted,  shipped  and 
sold  at  Detroit,  realizing  a  very  handsome  profit, 
enough  to  pay  off  all  his  canal  debts  and  leave  him  a 
surplus  of  several  thousand  dollars.  His  enterprise 
next  prompted  him  to  start  a  woolen  mill  at  Joliet, 
in  which  he  prospered,  and  which,  after  successive 
enlargements,  became  an  enormous  establishment. 

In  1842  he  was  first  elected  a  State  Senator,  but, 
by  a  bungling  apportionment,  j&Sn  Pearson,  a  Senator 
holding  over,  was  found  to  be  in  the  same  district, 
and  decided  to  be  entitled  to  represent  it.  Mat- 
teson's  seat  was  declared  vacant.  Pearson,  however 
with  a  nobleness  difficult  to  appreciate  in  this  day  of 


JOEL  A.  MATTESON. 


greed  for  office,  unwilling  to  represent  his  district 
under  the  circumstances,  immediately  resigned  his 
unexpired  term  of  two  years.  A  bill  was  passed  in  a 
few  hours  ordering  a  new  election,  and  in  ten  days' 
time  Mr.  Matteson  was  returned  re-elected  and  took 
his  seat  as  Senator.  From  his  well-known  capacity 
as  a  business  man,  he  was  made  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Finance,  a  position  he  held  during 
this  half  and  two  full  succeeding  Senatorial  terms, 
discharging  its  important  duties  with  ability  and  faith- 
fulness. Besides  his  extensive  woolen-mill  interest, 
when  work  was  resumed  on  the  canal  under  the  new 
loan  of  $1,600,000  he  again  became  a  heavy  con- 
tractor, and  also  subsequently  operated  largely  in 
building  railroads.  Thus  he  showed  himself  a  most 
energetic  and  thorough  business  man. 

He  was  nominated  for  Governor  by  the  Demo- 
cratic State  Convention  which  met  at  Springfield 
April  20,  1852.  Other  candidates  before  the  Con- 
vention were  D.  L.  Gregg  and  F.  C.  Sherman,  of 
Cook ;  John  Dement,  of  Lee  ;  Thomas  L.  Harris,  of 
Menard ;  Lewis  W.  Ross,  of  Fulton ;  and  D.  P.  Bush, 
of  Pike.  Gustavus  Koerner,  of  St.  Clair,  was  nom- 
inated for  Lieutenant  Governor.  For  the  same  offices 
the  Whigs  nominated  Edwin  B.  Webb  and  Dexter  A':'. 
Knowlton.  Mr.  Matteson  received  80,645  votes  at 
the  election,  while  Mr.  Webb  received  64,408.  Mat- 
teson s  forte  was  not  on  the  stump;  he  had  not  cul- 
tivated the  art  of  oily  flattery,  or  the  faculty  of  being 
all  things  to  all  men.  His  intellectual  qualities  took 
rather  the  direction  of  efficient  executive  ability.  His 
turn  consisted  not  so  much  in  the  adroit  manage- 
ment of  party,  or  the  powerful  advocacy  of  great  gov- 
ernmental principles,  as  in  those  more  solid  and 
enduring  operations  which  cause  the  physical  devel- 
opment and  advancement  of  a  State, — of  commerce 
and  business  enterprise,  into  which  he  labored  with 
success  to  lead  the  people.  As  a  politician  he  was 
just  and  liberal  in  his  views,  and  both  in  official  and 
private  life  he  then  stood  untainted  and  free  from 
blemish.  As  a  man,  in  active  benevolence,  social 
rirtues  and  all  the  amiable  qualities  of  neighbor  or 
citizen,  he  had  few  superiors.  His  messages  present 
a  perspicuous  array  of  facts  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
State,  and  are  often  couched  in  forcible  and  elegant 
diction. 

The  greatest  excitement  during  his  term  of  office 
was  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise,  by  Con- 


gress, under  the  leadership  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas  in 
1854,  when  the  bill  was  passed  organizing  the  Terri- 
tory of  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  A  large  portion  of 
the  Whig  party  of  the  North,  through  their  bitter  op- 
position to  the  Democratic  party,  naturally  drifted 
into  the  doctrine  of  anti-slavery,  and  thus  led  to  what 
was  temporarily  called  the  "  Anti-Nebraska  "  party, 
while  the  followers  of  Douglas  were  known  as  "  Ne- 
braska or  Douglas  Democrats."  It  was  during  this 
embryo  stage  of  the  Republican  party  that  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  brought  forward  as  the  "Anti-Nebraska" 
candidate  for  the  United  States  Senatorship,  while 
Gen.  James  Shields,  the  incumbent,  was  re-nom- 
inated by  the  Democrats.  But  after  a  few  ballotings 
in  the  Legislature  (1855),  these  men  were  dropped, 
and  Lyman  Trumbull,  an  Anti-Nebraska  Democrat, 
was  brought  up  by  the  former,  and  Mr.  Matteson, 
then  Governor,  by  the  latter.  On  the  nth  ballot 
Mr.  Trumbull  obtained  one  majority,  and  was  ac- 
cordingly declared  elected.  Before  Gov.  Matteson 's 
term  expired,  the  Republicans  were  fully  organized 
as  a  national  party,  and  in  1856  put  into  the  field  a 
full  national  and  State  ticket,  carrying  the  State,  but 
not  the  nation. 

:";  Tlie  Legislature  of  1855  passed  two  very  import- 
ant measures, — the  present  free-school  system  and  a 
submission  of  the  Maine  liquor  law  to  a  vote  of  the 
people.  The  latter  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority 
of  the  popular  vote. 

During  the  four  years  of  Gov.  Matteson 's  admin- 
istration the  taxable  wealth  of  the  State  was  about 
trebled,  from  $137,8^,079  to  $349,951,272;  the  pub- 
lic debt  was  reduced  from  $17,398,985  to  $12,843,- 
T44;  taxation  was  at  the  same  time  reduced,  and  the 
State  resumed  paying  interest  on  its  debt  in  New 
York  as  fast  as  it  fell  due ;  railroads  were  increased 
in  their  mileage  from  something  less  than  400  to 
about  3.000;  and  the  population  of  Chicago  was 
nearly  doubled,  and  its  commerce  more  than  quad- 
rupled. 

Before  closing  this  account,  we  regret  that  we  have 
to  say  that  Mr.  Matteson,  in  all  other  respects  an 
upright  man  and  a  good  Governor,  was  implicated 
in  a  false  re-issue  of  redeemed  canal  scrip,  amount- 
ing to  $224,182.66.  By  a  suit  in  the  Sangamon  Cir- 
cuit Court  the  State  recovered  the  principal  and  all 
the  interest  excepting  $27,500. 

He  died  in   the  winter  of  1872-3,  at  Chicago. 


LiBRWtt 

of  rw 

UNIVEKSIh  Of  ILLINOIS 


GO  VKKNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


-«-« <**SS4 

ILLIAM  H.  BISSELL,  Gov- 
-  ernor  1857-60,  was  born 
April  25,  1811,  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  near 
Painted  Post,  Yates  County. 
His  parents  were  obscure, 
honest,  God-fearing  people, 
who  reared  their  children  under  the  daily 
example  of  industry  and  frugality,  accord- 
ing to  the  custom  of  that  class  of  Eastern 
society.  Mr.  Bissell  received  a  respecta- 
ble but  not  thorough  academical  education. 
By  assiduous  application  he  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  medicine,  and  in  his  early 
manhood  came  West  and  located  in  Mon- 
roe County,  this  State,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  that  profession.  But  he  was  not  enam- 
ored of  his  calling:  he  was  swayed  by  a  broader 
ambition,  to  such  an  extent  that  the  mysteries  of  the 
healing  art  and  its  arduous  duties  failed  to  yield  him 
further  any  charms.  In  a  few  years  he  discovered 
his  choice  of  a  profession  to  be  a  mistake,  and  when 
he  approached  the  age  of  30  he  sought  to  begin 
anew.  Dr.  Bissell,  no  doubt  unexpectedly  to  him- 
self, discovered  a  singular  facility  and  charm  of 
speech,  the  exercise  of  which  acquired  for  him  a 
ready  local  notoriety.  It  soon  came  to  be  under- 


stood  that  he  desired  to  abandon  his  profession  and 
take  up  that  of  the  law.  During  terms  of  Court  he 
would  spend  his  time  at  the  county  seat  among  the 
members  of  the  Bar,  who  extended  to  him  a  ready 
welcome. 

It  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  he  should  drift 
into  public  life.  In  1840  he  was  elected  as  a  Dem- 
ocrat to  the  Legislature  from  Monroe  County,  and 
was  an  efficient  member  of  that  body.  On  his  re- 
turn home  he  qualified  himself  for  admission  to  the 
Bar  and  speedily  rose  to  the  front  rank  as  an  advo- 
cate. His  powers  of  oratory  were  captivating.  With  a 
pure  diction,  charming  and  inimitable  gestures, 
clearness  of  statement,  and  a  remarkable  vein  of  sly 
humor,  his  efforts  before  a  jury  told  with  irresistible 
effect.  He  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  Prosecut- 
ing Attorney  for  the  Circuit  in  which  he  lived,  and 
in  that  position  he  fully  discharged  his  duty  to  the 
State,  gained  the  esteem  of  the  Bar,  and  seldom 
failed  to  convict  the  offender  of  the  law. 

In  stature  he  was  somewhat  tall  and  slender,  and 
with  a  straight,  military  bearing,  he  presented  a  dis- 
tinguished appearance.  His  complexion  was  dark, 
his  head  well  poised,  though  not  large,  his  address 
pleasant  and  manner  winning.  He  was  exemplary 
in  his  habits,  a  devoted  husband  and  kind  parent. 
He  was  twice  married,  the  first  time  to  Miss  James, 


WILLIAM  H.  BISSELL, 


of  Monroe  County,  by  whom  he  had  two  children, 
both  daughters.  She  died  soon  after  the  year  1840, 
and  Mr.  B.  married  for  his  second  wife  a  daughter 
of  Elias  K.  Kane,  previously  a  United  States  Senator 
from  this  State.  She  survived  him  but  a  short  time, 
and  died  without  issue. 

When  the  war  with  Mexico  was  declared  in  1 846, 
Mr.  Bissell  enlisted  and  was  elected  Colonel  of  his 
regiment,  over  Hon.  Don  Morrison,  by  an  almost 
unanimous  vote, — 807  to  6.  Considering  the  limited 
opportunities  he  had  had,  he  evinced  a  high  order  of 
military  talent.  On  the  bloody  field  of  Buena  Vista 
he  acquitted  himself  with  intrepid  and  distinguished 
ability,  contributing  with  his  regiment,  the  Second 
Illinois,  in  no  small  degree  toward  saving  the  waver- 
ing fortunes  of  our  arms  during  that  long  and  fiercely 
contested  battle. 

After  his  return  home,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
was  elected  to  Congress,  his  opponents  being  the 
Hons.  P.  B.  Fouke  and  Joseph  Gillespie.  He  served 
two  terms  in  Congress.  He  was  an  ardent  politician. 
During  the  great  contest  of  1850  he  voted  in  favor 
of  the  adjustment  measures;  but  in  1854  he  opposed 
the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  act  and 
therefore  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill  of  Dougla's,  and ' 
thus  became  identified  with  the  nascent  Republican 
party. 

During  his  first  Congressional  term,  while  the 
Southern  members  were  following  their  old  practice 
of  intimidating  the  North  by  bullying  language, 
and  claiming  most  of  the  credit  for  victories  in  the 
Mexican  War,  and  Jefferson  Davis  claiming  for  the 
Mississippi  troops  all  the  credit  for  success  at  Buena 
Vista,  Mr.  Bissell  bravely  defended  the  Northern 
troops ;  whereupon  Davis  challenged  BisseH  to  a  duel, 
which  was  accepted.  This  matter  was  brought  up 
against  Bissell  when  he  was  candidate  for  Governor 
and  during  his  term  of  office,  as  the  Constitution  of 
this  State  forbade  any  duelist  from  holding  a  State 
office. 

In  1856,  when  the  Republican  party  first  put  forth 
a  candidate,  John  C.  Fremont,  for  President  of  the 
United  States,  the  same  party  nominated  Mr.  Bissell 
for  Governor  of  Illinois,  and  John  Wood,  of  Quincy, 
for  Lieutenant  Governor,  while  the  Democrats  nomi- 
nated Hon.  W.  A.  Richardson,  of  Adams  County, 
for  Governor,  and  Col.  R.  J.  Hamilton,  of  Cook 
County,  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The  result  of  the 


election  was  a  plurality  of  4,729  votes  over  Richard- 
son. The  American,  or  Know-Nothing,  party  had  a 
ticket  in  the  field.  The  Legislature  was  nearly  bal- 
anced, but  was  politically  opposed  to  the  Governor. 
His  message  to  the  Legislature  was  short  and  rathei 
ordinary,  and  was  criticised  for  expressing  the  sup- 
posed obligations  of  the  people  to  the  incorporators 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  and  for  re- 
opening the  slavery  question  by  allusions  to  the 
Kansas  troubles.  Late  in  the  session  an  apportion- 
ment bill,  based  upon  the  State  census  of  1855,  was 
passed,  amid  much  partisan  strife.  The  Governor 
at  first  signed  the  bill  and  then  vetoed  it.  A  furious 
debate  followed,  and  the  question  whether  the  Gov- 
ernor had  the  authority  to  recall  a  signature  was 
referred  to  the  Courts,  that  of  last  resort  deciding  in 
favor  of  the  Governor.  Two  years  afterward  another 
outrageous  attempt  was  made  for  a  re-apportionment 
and  to  gerrymander  the  State,  but  the  Legislature 
failed  to  pass  the  bill  over  the  veto  of  the  Governor. 

It  was  during  Gov.  Bissell's  administration  that 
the  notorious  canal  scrip  fraud  was  brought  to  light, 
'implicating  ex-Gov.  Matteson  and  other  prominent 
!Sta.te,offieials.  The  principal  and  interest,  aggregat- 
ing $255,500,  was  all  recovered  by  the  State  except- 
ing $27,500.  (See  sketch  of  Gov.  Matteson.) 

In  1859  an  attempt  was  discovered  to  fraudu- 
lently refund  the  Macalister  and  Stebbins  bonds  and 
thus  rob  the  State  Treasury  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
million  dollars.  The  State  Government  was  impli- 
.  cated  in  this  affair,  and  to  this  day  remains  unex- 
plained or  unatoned  for.  For  the  above,  and  other 
matters  previously  mentioned,  Gov.  Bissell  has  been 
severely  criticised,  and  he  has  also  been  most  shame- 
fully libelled  and  slandered. 

On  account  of  exposure  in  the  army,  the  remote 
cause  of  a  nervous  form  of  disease  gained  entrance 
into  his  system  and  eventually  developed  paraplegia, 
affecting  his  lower  extremities,  which,  while  it  left 
his  body  in  comparative  health,  deprived  him  of  loco- 
motion except  by  the  aid  of  crutches.  While  he  was 
generally  hopeful  of  ultimate  recovery,  this  myste- 
rious disease  pursued  him,  without  once  relaxing  its 
stealthy  hold,  to  the  close  of  his  life,  March  18, 
1860,  over  nine  months  before  the  expiration  of  his 
gubernatorial  term,  at  the  early  age  of  48  years.  He 
died  in  the  faith  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  of 
which  he  hart  been  a  member  since  1854. 


LIBRARY 

Of  !Ht 

UNIVEftSUY  Of  ILUNOiS 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'55 


;OHN  WOOD,  Governor  1860-1,  and 
the  first  settler  of  Quincy,  111., 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Sempro- 
nius  (now  Moravia),  Cayuga  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  20,  1798.  He -was 
the  second  child  and  only  son  of 
Dr.  Daniel  Wood.  His  mother, 
nee  Catherine  Crause,  was  of 
German  parentage,  and  died 
while  he  was  an  infant.  Dr. 
Wood  was  a  learned  and  skillful 
physician,  of  classical  attain- 
ments and  proficient  in  several 
modern  lauguages,  who,  after 
serving  throughout  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  as  a  Surgeon,  settled  on  the  land  granted 
him  by  the  Government,  and  resided  there  a  re- 
spected and  leading  influence  in  his  section  until  his 
death,  at  the  ripe  age  of  92  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  impelled  by  the  spirit 
of  Western  adventure  then  pervading  everywhere, 
left  his  home,  Nov.  2,  1818,  and  passed  the  succeed- 
ing winter  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  following  sum- 
mer he  pushed  on  to  Illinois,  landing  at  Shawneetown, 
and  spent  the  fall  and  following  winter  in  Calhoun 
County.  In  1820,  in  company  with  Willard  Keyes, 
he  settled  in  Pike  County,  about  30  miles  southeast 
of  Quincy,  where  for  the  next  two  years  he  pursued 
farming.  In  182 r  he  visited  "the  Bluffs"  (as  the 
present  site  of  Quincy  was  called,  then  uninhabited) 
and,  pleased  with  its  prospects,  soon  after  purchased 
a  quarter-section  of  land  near  by,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing fall  (1822)  erected  near  the  river  a  small  cabin, 


1 8  x  20  feet,  the  first  building  in  Quincy,  of  which 
he  then  became  the  first  and  for  some  months  the 
only  occupant. 

About  this  time  he  visited  his  old  friends  in  Pike 
County,  chief  of  whom  was  William  Ross,  the  lead- 
ing man  in  building  up  the  village  of  Atlas,  of  that 
county,  which  was  thought  then  to  be  the  possible 
commencement  of  a  city.  One  day  they  and  others 
were  traveling  together  over  the  country  between  the 
two  points  named,  making  observations  on  the  com- 
parative merits  of  the  respective  localities.  On  ap- 
proaching the  Mississippi  near  Mr.  Wood's  place, 
the  latter  told  his  companions  to  follow  him  and  he 
would  show  them  where  he  was  going  to  build  a  city. 
They  went  about  a  mile  off  the  main  trail,  to  a  high 
point,  from  which  the  view  in  every  direction  was 
most  magnificent,  as  it  had  been  for  ages  and  as  yet 
untouched  by  the  hand  of  man.  Before  them  swept 
by  the  majestic  Father  of  Waters,  yet  unburdened  by 
navigation.  After  Mr.  Wood  had  expatiated  at 
length  on  the  advantages  of  the  situation,  Mr.  Ross 
replied,  "  But  it's  too  near  Atlas  ever  to  amount  to 
anything!" 

Atlas  is  still  a  cultivated  farm,  and  Quincy  is  a 
city  of  over  30,000  population. 

In  1824  Mr.  Wood  gave  a  newspaper  notice, 
as  the  law  then  prescribed,  of  his  intention  to  apply 
to  the  General  Assembly  for  the  formation  of  a  new 
county.  This  was  done  the  following  winter,  result- 
ing in  the  establishment  of  the  present  Adams 
County.  During  the  next  summer  Quincy  was  se- 
lected as  the  county  seat,  it  and  the  vicinity  then 
containing  but  four  adult  male  residents  and  half 


'5° 


JOHN  WOOD. 


that  number  of  females.  Sinoe  that  period  Mr. 
Wood  resided  at  the  place  of  his  early  adoption  un- 
til his  death,  and  far  more  than  any  other  man  was 
he  identified  with  every  measure  of  its  progress  and 
history,  and  almost  continuously  kept  in  public  posi- 
tions. 

He  was  one  of  the  early  town  Trustees,  and  after 
the  place  became  a  city  he  was  often  a  member  of 
the  City  Council,  many  times  elected  Mayor,  in  the 
face  of  a  constant  large  opposition  political  majority. 
In  1850  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate.  In  1856, 
on  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party,  he  was 
chosen  Lieutenant  Governor  of  the  State,  on  the 
ticket  with  Wm.  H.  Bissell  for  Governor,  and  on  the 
death  of  the  latter,  March  18,  1860,  he  succeeded  to 
the  Chief  Executive  chair,  which  he  occupied  until 
Gov.  Yates  was  inaugurated  nearly  ten  months  after- 
ward. 

Nothing  very  marked  characterized  the  adminis- 
tration of  Gov.  Wood.  The  great  anti-slavery  cam- 
paign of  1860,  resulting  in  the  election  of  the  honest 
Illinoisan,  Abraham  Lincoln,  to  the  Presidency  of  the 
United  States,  occurred  during  the  short  period 
while  Mr.  Wood  was  Governor,  and  the  excitement 
and  issues  of  that  struggle  dominated  over  every 
other  consideration, — indeed,  supplanted  them  in  a 
great  measure.  The  people  of  Illinois,  during  all 
that  time,  were  passing  the  comparatively  petty  strifes 
under  Bissell's  administration  to  the  overwhelming 
issue  of  preserving  the  whole  nation  from  destruction. 

In  1861  ex-Gov.  Wood  was  one  of  the  five  Dele- 
gates from  Illinois  to  the  "  Peace  Convention  "  at 
Washington,  and  in  April  of  the  same  year,  on  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  he  was  appointed 


Quartermaster-General  of  the  State,  which  position 
he  held  throughout  the  war.  In  1864  he  took  com- 
mand as  Colonel  of  the  i37th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  with 
whom  he  served  until  the  period  of  enlistment  ex- 
pired. 

Politically,  Gov.  Wood  was  always  actively  identi- 
fied with  the  Whig  and  Republican  parties.  Few 
men  have  in  personal  experience  comprehended  so 
many  surprising  and  advancing  local  changes  as 
vested  in  the  more  than  half  century  recollections  of 
Gov.  Wood.  Sixty-four  years  ago  a  solitary  settler 
on  the  "  Bluffs,"  with  no  family,  and  no  neighbor 
within  a  score  of  miles,  the  world  of  civilization  away 
behind  him,  and  the  strolling  red-man  almost  his 
only  visitant,  he  .lived  to  see  growing  around  him, 
and  under  his  auspices  and  aid,  overspreading  the 
wild  hills  and  scraggy  forest  a  teaming  city,  second 
only  in  size  in  the  State,  and  surpassed  nowhere  in 
beauty,  prosperity*  and  promise ;  whose  people  recog- 
nize as  with  a  single  voice  the  proverbial  honor  and 
liberality  that  attach  to  the  name  and  lengthened 
life  of  their  pioneer  settler,  "the  old  Governor." 

•Gov.  Wood  was  twice  married, — first  in  January, 
;.  i-8i6;:to  Ann  M.  Streeter,  daughter  of  Joshua  Streeter, 
formerly  of  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  had 
eight  children.  Mrs.  W.  died  Oct.  8,  1863,  and  in 
June,  1865,  Gov.  Wood  married  Mrs.  Mary  A.,  widow 
of  Rev.  Joseph  T.  Holmes.  Gov.  Wood  died  June  4, 
1880,  at  his  residence  in  Quincy.  Four  of  his  eight 
children  are  now  living,  namely:  Ann  E.,  wife  of 
Gen.  John  Tillson;  Daniel  C.,  who  married  Mary  J. 
Abernethy;  John,  Jr.,  who  married  Josephine  Skinner, 
and  Joshua  S.,  who  married  Annie  Bradley.  The 
last  mentioned  now  resides  at  Atchison,  Kansas,  and 
all  the  rest  are  still  at  Quincy. 


LIBRARY 

Of  TW 

UNIVERSITY  Of  IUJ&WS 


" 


HCHARD  YATES,  the  "War 
Governor,"  1861-4,  was  born 
Jan.  18,  1818,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Ohio  River,  at  Warsaw, 
Gallatin  Co.,  Ky.  His  lather 
moved  in  1831  to  Illinois,  and 
after  stopping  for  a  time  in 
Springfield,  settled  at  Island 
Grove,  Sangamon  County.  Here, 
after  attending  school,  Richard  joined 
the  family.  Subsequently  he  entered 
Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville, 
where,  in  1837,  he  graduated  with 
first  honors.  He  chose  for  his  pro- 
fession the  law,  the  Hon.  J.  J.  Har- 
din  being  his  instructor.  After  ad- 
mission to  the  Bar  he  soon  rose  to  distinction  as  an 
advocate. 

Gifted  with  a  fluent  and  ready  oratory,  he  soon 
appeared  in  the  political  hustings,  and,  being  a 
passionate  admirer  of  the  great  Whig  leader  of  the 
West.  Henry  Clay,  he  joined  his  political  fortunes  to 
•he  party  of  his  idol.  In  1840  he  engaged  with  great 
<=.rdor  in  the  exciting  "  hard  cider "  campaign  for 
Garrison.  Two  years  later  he  was  elected  to  the 
Legislature  from  Morgan  County,  a  Democratic 
stronghold.  He  served  three  or  four  terms  in  the 
Legislature,  and  such  was  the  fascination  of  his  ora- 
rnry  that  by  1850  his  large  Congressional  District, 
extending  from  Morgan  and  Sangamon  Counties 
i.orth  to  include  LaSalle,  unanimously  tendered  him 
tn^  Whig  nomination  for  Congress.  His  Democratic 
opponent  was  Maj.  Thomas  L.  Harris,  a  very  pop- 
v-lar  man  who  had  won  distinction  at  the  battle  of 
Cerro  Gordo,  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  who  had 
oeates.  Hull.  Stephen  T.  Logan  for  the  same  position. 


two  years  before,  by  a  large  majority.  Yates  war 
elected.  Two  years  later  he  was  re-elected,  over 
John  Calhoun. 

It  was  during  Yates  second  term  in  Congress  that 
the  great  question  of  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Com- 
promise was  agitated,  and  the  bars  laid  down  for  re- 
opening the  dreaded  anti-slavery  question.  He  took 
strong  grounds  against  the  repeal,  and  thus  became 
identified  with  the  rising  Republican  party.  Conse- 
quently he  fell  into  the  minority  in  his  district,  which 
was  pro-slavery.  Even  then,  in  a  third  contest,  he 
fell  behind  Major  Harris  only  200  votes,  after  the 
district  had  two  years  before  given  Pierce  2,000 
majority  for  President. 

The  Republican  State  Convention  of  1860  met  at 
Decatur  May  9,  and  nominated  for  the  office  of  Gov- 
ernor Mr.  Yates,  in  preference  to  Hon.  Norman  B. 
Judd,  of  Chicago,  and  Leonard  Swett,  of  Blooming- 
ton,  two  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  State,  who  were 
also  candidates  before  the  Convention.  Francis  A. 
Hoffman,  of  DuPage  County,  was  nominated  for 
Lieutenant  Governor.  This  was  the  year  when  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  a  candidate  for  President,  a  period  re- 
membered as  characterized  by  the  great  whirlpool 
which  precipitated  the  bloody  War  of  the  Rebellion. 
The  Douglas  Democrats  nominated  J.  C.  Allen  cf 
Crawford  County,  for  Governor,  and  Lewis  W.  Ross, 
of  Fulton  County,  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The 
Breckenridge  Democrats  and  the  Bell-Everett  party 
had  also  full  tickets  in  the  field.  After  a  most  fear- 
ful campaign,  the  result  of  the  election  gave  Mr. 
Yates  172,196  votes,  and  Mr,  Allen  159,253.  Mr. 
Yates  received  over  a  thousand  more  votes  than  did 
Mr.  Lincoln  himself. 

Gov.  Yates  occupied  the  chair  of  State  during  the 


i6o 


RICHARD    YATES. 


most  critical  period  of  our  country's  history.  In  the 
fate  of  the  nation  was  involved  that  of  each  State. 
The  life  struggle  of  the  former  derived  its  sustenance 
from  the  loyalty  of  the  latter;  and  Gov.  Yates 
seemed  to  realize  the  situation,  and  proved  himself 
both  loyal  and  wise  in  upholding  the  Government. 
He  had  a  deep  hold  upon  the  affections  of  the 
people,  won  by  his  moving  eloquence  and  genial 
manners.  Erect  and  symmetrical  in  person,  of  pre- 
possessing appearance,  with  a  winning  address  and  a 
magnetic  power,  few  men  possessed  more  of  the  ele- 
ments of  popularity.  His  oratory  was  scholarly  and 
captivating,  his  hearers  hardly  knowing  why  they 
were  transported.  He  was  social  and  convivial.  In 
the  latter  respect  he  was  ultimately  carried  too  far. 
-  The  very  creditable  military  efforts  of  this  State 
during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  in  putting  into  the 
field  the  enormous  number  of  about  200,000  soldiers, 
were  ever  promptly  and  ably  seconded  by  his  excel- 
lency ;  and  the  was  ambitious  to  deserve  the  title  of 
"the  soldier's  friend."  Immediately  after  the  battleof 
Shiloh  he  repaired  to  the  field  of  carnage  to  look 
after  the  wounded,  and  his  appeals  for  aid  were 
promptly  responded  to  by  the  people.  His  procla-; 
mations  calling  for  volunteers  were  impassionate 
appeals,  urging  upon  the  people  the  duties  and  re- 
quirements of  patriotism;  and  his  special  message 
in  1863  to  the  Democratic  Legislature  of  this  State 
pleading  for  material  aid  for  the  sick  and  wounded 
soldiers  of  Illinois  regiments,  breathes  a  deep  fervor 
of  noble  sentiment  and  feeling  rarely  equaled  in 
beauty  or  felicity  of  expression.  Generally  his  mes- 
sages on  political  and  civil  affairs  were  able  and  com- 
prehensive. During  his  administration,  however, 
there  were  no  civil  events  of  an  engrossing  character, 
although  two  years  of  his  time  were  replete  with 
partisan  quarrels  of  great  bitterness.  Military  ar- 
rests, Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,  riot  in  Fulton 
County,  attempted  suppression  of  the  Chicago  Times 
and  the  usurping  State  Constitutional  Convention  of 
1862,  were  the  chief  local  topics  that  were  exciting 
during  the  Governor's  term.  This  Convention  assem- 
bled Jan.  7,  and  at  once  took  the  high  position  that 
'he  law  calling  it  was  no  longer  binding,  and  that  it 
:,ad  supreme  power;  that  it  represented  a  virtual 
assemblage  of  the  whole  people  of  the  State,  and  was 
sovereign  in  the  exercise  of  all  power  necessary  to 
effect  a  peaceable  revolution  of  the  State  Government 


and  to  the  re-establishment  of  one  for  the  "happiness, 
prosperity  and  freedom  of  the  citizens,"  limited  only 
by  the  Federal  Constitution.  t  Notwithstanding  the 
law  calling  the  Convention  required  its  members  to 
take  an  oath  to  support  the  Constitution  of  the  State 
as  well  as  that  of  the  general  Government,  they 
utterly  refused  to  take  such  oath.  They  also  as- 
sumed legislative  powers  and  passed  several  import- 
ant "laws!"  Interfering  with  the  (then)  present 
executive  duties,  Gov.  Yates  was  ^  revoked  to  tell 
them  plainly  that  "  lie  did  not  acknowledge  the  right 
of  the  Convention  to  instruct  him  in  the  performance 
of  his  duty." 

In  1863  the  Governor  astonished  the  Democrats 
by  "  proroguing  "  their  Legislature.  This  body,  after 
a  recess,  met  June  2,  that  year,  and  soon  began  to 
waste  time  upon  various  partisan  resolutions ;  and, 
while  the  two  houses  were  disagreeing  upon  the 
question  of  adjourning  sine  die,  the  Governor,  having 
the  authority  in  such  cases,  surprised  them  all  by 
adjourning  them  "  to  the  Saturday  next  preceding  the 
.  first  Monday  in  January,  1865  !  "  This  led  to  great 
excitement  and  confusion,  and  to  a  reference  of  the 
'Govecnor's  act  to  the  Supreme  Court,  who  decided  in 
his  favor.  Then  it  was  the  Court's  turn  to  receive 
abuse  for  weeks  and  months  afterward. 

During  the  autumn  of  1864  a  conspiracy  was  de- 
tected at  Chicago  which  had  for  its  object  the  liber- 
ation of  the  prisoners  of  war  at  Camp  Douglas,  the 
burning  of  the  city  and  the  inauguration  of  rebellion 
in  the  North.  Gen.  Sweet,  who  had  charge  of  the 
camp  at  the  time,  first  had  his  suspicions  of  danger 
aroused  by  a  number  of  enigmatically  worded  letters 
which  passed  through  the  Camp  postoffice.  A  de- 
tective afterward  discovered  that  the  rebel  Gen. 
Marmaduke  was  in  the  city,  under  an  assumed 
name,  and  he,  with  other  rebel  officers — Grenfell, 
Morgan,  Cantrell,  Buckner  Morris,  and  Charles 
Walsh — was  arrested,  most  of  whom  were  convicted 
by  a  court  martial  at  Cincinnati  and  sentenced  to 
imprisonment, — Grenfell  to  be  hung.  The  sentence 
of  the  latter  was  afterward  commuted  to  imprison- 
ment for  life,  and  all  the  others,  after  nine  months' 
imprisonment,  were  pardoned. 

In  March,  1873,  Gov.  Yates  was  appointed  a  Gov 
ernment  Director  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  in 
which  office  he  continued  until  his  decease,  at  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  on  the  27th  of  November  following. 


LIBRARY 

OF  (H» 

UNIVEKSUY  Of  ILLINOIS 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


163 


^2@flg!!^ 


Richard  JT.  Ogles 


.ICHARD  J.  OGLESBY,  Gov- 
ernor 1865-8,  and  re-elected 
in  1872  and  1884,  was  born 
July  25,  1824,  in  Oldham  Co., 
Ky., — the  State  which  might 
be  considered  the  "  mother  of 
Illinois  Governors."  Bereft  of 
his  parents  at  the  tender  age 
of  eight  years,  his  early  education 
was  neglected.  When  12  years  of 
age,  and  after  he  had  worked  a  year 
and  a  half  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
he  removed  with  an  uncle,  Willis 
Oglesby,  into  whose  care  he  had 
been  committed,  to  Decatur,  this 
State,  where  he  continued  his  ap- 
prenticeship as  a  mechanic,  working  six  months  for 
Hon.  E.  O.  Smith. 

In  1844  he  commenced  studying  law  at  Spring- 
field, with  Judge  Silas  Robbins,  and  read  with  him 
one  year.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1845,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  at 
Sullivan,  the  county  seat  of  Moultrie  County. 

The  next  year  the  war  with  Mexico  was  com- 
menced, and  in  June,  1846,  Mr.  Oglesby  volunteered, 
was  elected  First  Lieutenant  of  Co.  C,  Fourth  Illinois 
Regiment  of  Volunteers,  and  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Vera  Cruz  and  Cerro  Gordo. 

On  his  return  he  sought  to  perfect  his  law  studies 
by  attending  a  course  of  lectures  at  Louisville,  but 
on  the  breaking  out  of  the  California  "gold  fever  "  in 
1849,  he  crossed  the  plains  and  mountains  to  the 
new  Eldorado,  driving  a  six-mule  team,  with  a  com- 


pany of  eight  men,  Henry  Prather  being  the  leader. 

In  1852  he  returned  home  to  Macon  County,  and 
was  placed  that  year  by  the  Whig  party  on  the  ticket 
of  Presidential  Electors.  In  1856  he  visited  Europe, 
Asia  and  Africa,  being  absent  20  months.  On  his 
return  home  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Gallagher,  Wait  &  Oglesby. 
In  1858  he  was  the  Republican  noaiinee  for  the 
Lower  House  of  Congress,  but  was  defeated  by  the 
Hon.  James  C.  Robinson,  Democrat.  In  1860  he 
was  elected  to  the  Illinois  State  Senate ;  and  on  the 
evening  the  returns  of  this  election  were  coming  in, 
Mr.  Oglesby  had  a  fisticuff  encounter  with  "  Cerro 
Gordo  Williams,"  in  which  he  came  out  victorious, 
and  which  was  regarded  as  "  the  first  fight  of  the 
Rebellion."  The  following  spring,  when  the  war 
had  commenced  in  earnest,  his  ardent  nature 
quickly  responded  to  the  demands  of  patriotism  and 
he  enlisted.  The  extra  session  of  the  Legislature 
elected  him  Colonel  of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry, 
the  second  one  in  the  State  raised  to  suppress  the 
great  Rebellion. 

He  was  shortly  entrusted  with  important  com- 
mands. For  a  time  he  was  stationed  at  Bird's  Point 
and  Cairo ;  in  April  he  was  promoted  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral ;  at  Fort  Donelson  his  brigade  was  in  the  van, 
being  stationed  on  the  right  of  General  Grant's  army 
and  the  first  brigade  to  be  attacked.  He  lost  500 
men  before  re-inforcements  arrived.  Many  of  these 
men  were  from  Macon  County.  He  was  engaged  in 
the  battle  of  Corinth,  and,  in  a  brave  charge  at  this 
place,  was  shot  in  the  left  lung  with  an  ounce  ball, 
and  was  carried  from  the  field  in  expectation  of  im- 


i64 


RICHARD  J.    OGLESBY. 


mediate  death.  That  rebel  ball  he  carries  to  this 
day.  On  his  partial  recovery  he  was  promoted  as 
Major  General,  for  gillantry,  his  commission  to  rank 
from  November,  1862.  In  the  spring  of  1863  he 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  i6th  Army 
Corps,  but,  owing  to  inability  from  the  effects  of  his 
wound,  he  relinquished  this  command  in  July,  that 
year.  Gen.  Grant,  however,  refused  to  accept  his 
resignation,  and  he  was  detailed,  in  December  follow- 
ing, to  court-martial  and  try  the  Surgeon  General  of 
the  Army  at  Washington,  where  he  remained  until 
May,  1864,  when  he  returned  home. 

The  Republican,  or  Union,  State  Convention  of 

1864  was  held  at  Springfield,   May   25,   when   Mr. 
Oglesby  was  nominated  for  the  office  of  Governor, 
while  other  candidates  before  the  Convention  were 
Allen  C.  Fuller,  of  Boone,  Jesse  K.  Dubois,  of  Sanga- 
mon,   and    John   M.    Palmer,  of  Macoupin.     Wm. 
Bross,  of  Chicago,   was   nominated  for  Lieutenant 
Governor.      On  the  Democratic   State  ticket  were 
James  C.  Robinson,  of  Clark,  for  Governor,  and  S. 
Corning  Judd,  of  Fulton,  for  Lieutenant  Governor. 
The  general  election  gave  Gen.  Oglesby  a  majority 
of  about  31,000  votes.     The  Republicans  had  also  a 
majority  in  both  the  Legislature  and  in  the  repre- 
sentation in  Congress. 

Gov.  Oglesby  was  duly  inaugurated  Jan.  17,  1865. 
The  day  before  the  first  time  set  for  his  installation 
death  visited  his  home  at  Decatur,  and  toik  from  it 
his  only  son,  an  intelligent  and  sprightly  lad  of  six 
years,  a  great  favorite  of  the  bereaved  parents.  This 
caused  the  inauguration  to  be  postponed  a  week. 

The  political  events  of  the  Legislative  session  of 

1865  were  the   election   of  ex-Gov.    Yates   to  the 
United  States  Senate,  and  the  ratification  of  the  131)1 
amend. nent  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
abolishing  slavery.      This   session    also    signalized 
itself  by  repealing  the  notorious  "  black  laws,"  part 
of  which,  although  a  dead  letter,  had  held  their  place 
upon  the  statute  books  since  1819.     Also,  laws  re- 
quiring the  registration  of  voters,  and  establishing  a 
State  Board  of  Equalization,  were  passed  by  this  Leg- 
islature.    But  the  same  body  evinced  that  it  was  cor- 
ruptly influenced  by  a  mercenary  lobby,  as  it  adopted 
some  bad  legislation,  over  the  Governor's  veto,  nota- 
bly an  amendment  to  a  charter  for  a  Chicago  horse 
railway,   granted    in    1859  for  25   years,   and   now 
sought  to  be  extended  99  years.     As  this  measure 
was  promptly  passed  over  his  veto  by  both  branches 
of  the  Legislature,  he  deemed  it  useless  further  to 
attempt   to  check  their  headlong  career.     At   this 
session  no  law  of  a  general  useful  character  or  public 
interest  was  perfected,  unless  we  count  such  the 
turning  over  of  the  canal  to  Chicago  to  be  deepened. 
The  session  of  1867   was  still  more   productive  of 
private  and  special  acts.     Many  omnibus  bills  were 
proposed,  and  some  passed.     The  contests  over  the 
.ocation  of  the   Industrial  College,  the  Capital,  the 


Southern    Penitentiary    and   the  canal   enlargement 
and   Illinois   River  improvement,  dominated  every! 
thing  else. 

During  the  year  1872,  it  became  evident  that  if 
the  Republicans  could  re-elect  Mr.  Oglesby  to  the 
office  of  Governor,  they  could  also  elect  him  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  which  they  desired  to  do. 
Accordingly  they  re-nominated  him  for  the  Execu- 
tive chair,  and  placed  upon  the  ticket  with  him  for 
Lieutenant  Governor,  John  L.  Beveridge,  of  Cook 
County.  On  the  other  side  the  Democrats  put  into 
the  field  Gustavus  Koerner  for  Governor  and  John 
C.  Black  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The  election 
gave  the  Republican  ticket  majorities  ranging  from 
35>334  to  56,174, — the  Democratic  defection  being 
caused  mainly  by  their  having  an  old-time  Whig  and 
Abolitionist,  Horace  Greeley,  on  the  national  ticket 
for  President.  According  to  the  general  understand- 
ing had  beforehand,  as  soon  as  the  Legislature  nist 
it  elected  Gov.  Oglesby  to  the  United  States  Senate,  $ 
whereupon  Mr.  Beveridge  became  Governor.  Sena- 
tor Oglesby 's  term  expired  March  4,  1879,  having 
served  his  party  faithfully  and  exhibited  an  order  of 
statesmanship  beyond  criticism. 

During  the  campaign  of  1884  Mr.   Oglesby  was 
.nominated  for  a  "third  term"  as  Executive  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  against  Carter  H.   Harrison,  Mayor 
^of  'Chicago,   nominated  by   the    Democrats.      Both 
gentlemen  "stumped  "  the  State,  and  while  the  peo-j 
pie  elected  a  Legislature  which  was  a  tie  on  a  join:  i 
ballot,   as  between  the  two  parties,  they  gave   the 
jovial  "  Dick"  Oglesby  a  majority  of  15,018  for  Gov-i 
ernor,  and  he  was  inaugurated  Jan.  30,  1885.     The 
Legislature  did  not  fully  organize  until  this  date,  on 
account  of  its  equal  division  between  the  two  main 
parties  and  the  consequent  desperate  tactics  of  each  '• 
party  to  checkmate  the  latter  in  the  organization  of 
the  House. 

Gov.  Oglesby  is  a  fine-appearing,  affable  man,  with 
regular,  well  defined  features  and  rotund  face.  In 
stature  he  is  a  little  above  medium  height,  of  a  large  J 
frame  and  somewhat  fleshy.  His  physical  appear- j 
ance  is  striking  and  prepossessing,  while  his  straight- 
out,  not  to  say  bluff,  manner  and  speech  are  wel. 
calculated  favorably  to  impress  the  average  masses. 
Ardent  in  feeling  and  strongly  committed  to  the  pol- 
icies of  his  party,  he  intensifies  Republicanism 
among  Republicans,  while  at  the  same  time  hisjovia. 
and  liberal  manner  prevents  those  of  the  oppo?ite 
party  from  hating  him. 

He  is  quite  an  effective  stump  orator.  With  vehe- 
ment, passionate  and  scornful  tone  and  gestures 
tremendous  physical  power,  which  in  speaking  he 
exercises  to  the  utmost;  with  frequent  descents  la 
the  grotesque;  and  with  abundant  homely  compari- 
sons or  frontier  figures,  expressed  in  the  broadest 
vernacular  and  enforced  with  stentorian  emphar.is, 
he  delights  a  promiscuous  audience  beyond  measure 


or 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


u>t 


J  Q  gjy  J£  PA  L  HER 


jlOHN  Me  AULEY  PALMER,  Gov- 
ernor 1869-72,  was  born  on 
Eagle  Creek,  Scott  Co.,  Ky  , 
Sept.  13,  1817.  During  his  in- 
fancy, his  father,  who  had  been 
a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  re- 
moved to  Christian  Co.,  Ky., 
where  lands  were  cheap.  Here 
the  future  Governor  of  the  great 
Prairie  State  spent  his  childhood 
and  received  such  meager  school- 
ing as  the  new  and  sparsely  set- 
tled country  afforded.  To  this 
he  added  materially  by  diligent 
reading,  for  which  he  evinced  an 
eaily  aptitude.  His  father,  an  ardent  Jackson  man, 
was  also  noted  for  his  anti-slavery  sentiments,  which 
he  thoroughly  impressed  upon  his  children.  In  1831 
he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Madison  County. 
Here  the  labor  of  improving  a  farm  was  pursued  for 
al«'Ut  two  years,  when  the  death  of  Mr.  Palmer's 
mother  broke  up  the  family.  About  this  time  Alton 
College  was  opened,  on  the  "manual  labor  "  system, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1834  young  Palmer,  with  his 
elder  brother,  Elihu,  entered  this  school  and  remained 
1 8  months.  Next,  for  over  three  years,  he  tried 
variously  coopering,  peddling  and  school-teaching. 

During    the   summer  of   1838  he  formed  the  ac- 
quaintance of  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  then  making  his 


first  canvass  for  Congress.  Young,  eloquent  and  in 
political  accord  with  Mr.  Palmer,  he  won  his  confi- 
dence, fired  his  ambition  and  fixed  his  purpose.  The 
following  winter,  while  teaching  near  Canton,  he  be- 
gan to  devote  his  spare  time  to  a  desultory  reading 
of  law,  and  in  the  spring  entered  a  law  office  at  Car- 
linville,  making  his  home  with  his  elder  brother, 
Elihu.  (The  latter  was  a  learned  clergyman,  of  con- 
siderable orginality  of  thought  and  doctrine.)  On 
the  next  meeting  of  the  Supreme  Court  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar,  Douglas  being  one  of  his  examiners. 
He  was  not  immediately  successful  in  his  profession, 
and  would  have  located  elsewhere  than  Carlinville 
had  he  the  requisite  means.  Thus  his  early  poverty 
was  a  blessing  in  disguise,  for  to  it  he  now  attributes 
the  success  of  his  life. 

From  1839  on,  while  he  diligently  pursued  his 
profession,  he  participated  more  or  less  in  local 
politics.  In  1843  he  became  Probate  Judge.  In 
1847  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Constitutional  Con 
vention,  where  he  took  a  leading  part.  In  1852  lu 
was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  and  at  the  special 
session  of  February,  1854,  true  to  the  anti-slaverj 
sentiments  bred  in  him,  he  took  a  firm  stand  in  op- 
position to  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise, 
and  when  the  Nebraska  question  became  a  party 
issue  he  refused  to  receive  a  re-nomination  for  thi 
Senatorship  at  the  hands  of  the  Democracy,  issuinj 
a  circular  to  that  effect.  A  few  weeks  afterward 


i68 


JOHN  MC  AULEY  PALMER. 


however,  hesitating  to  break  with  his  party,  he  par- 
ticipated in  a  Congressional  Convention  which  nomi- 
T.  L.  Harris  against  Richard  Yates,  and  which 
unqualifiedly  approved  the  principles  of  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  act.  But  later  in  the  campaign  he  made 
the  plunge,  ran  for  the  Senate  as  an  Anti-Nebraska 
Democrat,  and  was  elected.  The  following  winter 
fle  put  in  nomination  for  the  United  States  Senate 
Mr.  Trumbull,  and  was  one  of  the  five  steadfast  men 
who  voted  for  him  until  all  the  Whigs  came  to  their 
support  and  elected  their  man. 

In  1856  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Republican  State 
Convention  at  Bloomington.  He  ran  for  Congress  in 
1859,  but  was  defeated.  In  1860  he  was  Republican 
Presidential  Elector  for  the  State  at  large.  In  1861 
fie  was  appointed  one  of  the  five  Delegates  (all  Re- 
publicans) sent  by  Illinois  to  the  peace  congress  at 
Washington. 

When  the  civil  conflict  broke  out,  he  offered  his 
services  to  his  country,  and  was  elected  Colonel  of  the 
/4th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  participated  in  the  engagements 
at  Island  No.  10;  at  Farmington,  where  he  skillfully 
extricated  his  command  from  a  dangerous  position  ; 
at  Stone  River,  where  his  division  for  several  hours, 
Dec.  31,  1862,  held  the  advance  and  stood  like  a: 
rock,  and  for  his  gallantry  there  he  was  made  Major 
General;  at  Chickamauga,  where  his  and  Van  Cleve's 
divisions  for  two  hours  maintained  their  position 
when  they  were  cut  off  by  overpowering  numbers. 
Under  Gen.  Sherman,  he  was  assigned  to  the  I4th 
Army  Corps  and  participated  in  the  Atlanta  campaign. 
At  Peach-Tree  Creek  his  prudence  did  much  to  avert 
disaster.  In  February,  1865,  Gen.  Palmer  was  as- 
signed to  the  military  administration  of  Kentucky, 
which  was  a  delicate  post.  That  State  was  about 
half  rebel  and  half  Union,  and  those  of  the  latter 
element  were  daily  fretted  by  the  loss  of  their  slaves. 
He,  who  had  been  bred  to  the  rules  of  common  law, 
trembled  at  the  contemplation  of  his  extraordinary 
power  over  the  persons  and  property  of  his  fellow 
men,  with  which  he  was  vested  in  his  capacity  as 
military  Governor ;  and  he  exhibited  great  caution  in 
the  execution  of  the  duties  of  his  post. 

Gen.  Palmer  was  nominated  for  Governor  of  Illi- 
nois by  the  Republican  State  Convention  which  met 
at  Peoria  May  6,  1868,  and  his  nomination  would 
probably  have  been  made  by  acclamation  had  he  not 
persistently  declared  that  he  could  not  accept  a  can- 


didature for  the  office.     The  result  of  the 
election  gave  Mr.  Palmer  a  majority  of  44,707  over. 
John  R.  Eden,  the  Democratic  nominee. 

On  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature  in  January, 
1869,  the  first  thing  to  arrest  public  attention  was 
that  portion  pf  the  Governor's  message  which  took 
broad  Slate's  rights  ground.  •  This  and  some  minor 
points,  which  were  more  in  keeping  with  the  Demo- 
cratic sentiment,  constituted  the  entering  wedge  fir 
the  criticisms  and  reproofs  he  afterward  received 
from  the  Republican  party,  and  ultimately  resulted 
in  his  entire  aleniation  from  the  latter  element.  The 
Legislature  just  referred  to  was  noted  for  the  intro- 
duction of  numerous  bills  in  the  interest  of  private 
parties,  which  were  embarrassing  to  the  Governor. 
Among  the  public  acts  passed  was  that  which  limited 
railroad  charges  for  passenger  travel  to  a  maximum 
of  three  cents  per  mile ;  and  it  was  passed  over  the 
Governor's  veto.  Also,  they  passed,  over  his  veto, 
the  "tax-grabbing  law"  to  pay  r^ilrocd  subscriptions, 
the  Chicago  Lake  Front  bill,  etc.  The  new  State 
Constitution  of  1870,  far  superior  to  the  old,  was  a 
peaceful  "  revolution  "  which  took  place  during  Gov. 
Palmer's  term  of  office.  The  suffering  caused  by  the 
•  'great  Chicago  Fire  of  October,  1871,  was  greatly 
alleviated  by  the  prompt  responses  of  his  excellency. 
Since  the  expiration  of  Gov.  Palmers 's  term,  he  has 
been  somewhat  prominent  in  Illinois  politics,  and 
has  been  talked  of  by  many,  especially  in  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  as  the  best  man  in  the.  State  for  a 
United  States  Senator.  His  business  during  life  has 
been  that  of  the  law.  Few  excel  him  in  an  accurate 
appreciation  of  the  depth  and  scope  of  its  principles- 
The  great  number  of  his  able  veto  messages  abun- 
dantly testify  not  only  this  but  also  a  rare  capacity  to 
point  them  out.  He  is  a  logical  and  cogent  reasoner 
and  an  interesting,  forcible  and  convincing  speaker, 
though  not  fluent  or  ornate.  Without  brilliancy,  his 
dealings  are  rather  with  facts  and  ideas  than  with 
appeals  to  passions  and  prejudices.  He  is  a  patriot 
and  a  statesman  of  very  high  order.  Physically  he  is 
above  the  medium  height,  of  robust  frame,  ruddy 
complexion  and  sanguine-nervous  temperament.  He 
has  a  large  cranial  development,  is  vivacious,  social 
in  disposition,  easy  of  approach,  unostentatious  in  his 
habits  of  life,  democratic  in  his  habits  and  manners 
and  is  a  true  American  in  his  fundamental  principle? 
of  statesmanship. 


LSBRAflY 

Of  m 

UNIVERSm  Of  &UMXS 


GV  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


171 


OHN  LOWRiE  BEVER- 
IDGE,  Governor  187  3-6,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Green- 
wich, Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
July  6,  1824.  His  parents 
were  George  and  Ann  Bever- 
idge.  His  father's  parents,  An- 
drew and  Isabel  Bcveridge,  be- 
fore their  marriage  emigrated 
from  Scotland  just  before  the 
Revolutionary  War,  settling  in 
Washington  County.  His  father 
was  the  eldest  of  eight  brothers,  the 
youngest  of  whom  was  60  years  of 
age  when  the  first  one  of  the  num- 
ber died.  His  mother's  parents, 
James  and  Agnes  Hoy,  emigrated 
from  Scotland  at  the  close  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  settling  also  in 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  with  their 
first-born,  whose  "  native  land  "  was 
the  wild  ocean.  His  parents  and 
grandparents  lived  beyond  the  time 
allotted  to  man,  their  average  age 
being  over  80  years.  They  belonged  to  the  "  Asso- 
ciate Church,"  a  seceding  Presbyterian  body  of 


America  from  the  old  Scotch  school ;  and  so  rigid 
was  the  training  of  young  Beveridge  that  he  never 
heard  a  sermon  from  any  other  minister  except  that 
of  his  own  denomination  until  he  was  in  his  igth 
year.  Later  in  life  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  relation  he  still 
holds. 

Mr.  Beveridge  received  a  good  common-school  ed- 
ucation, but  his  parents,  who  could  obtain  a  livelihood 
only  by  rigid  economy  and  industry,  could  not  send 
him  away  to  college.     He  was  raised  upon  a  farm, 
and  was  in  his  i8th  year  when  the  family  removed 
to  De  Kalb  County,  this  State,  when  that  section  was 
very  sparsely  settled.     Chicago  had  less  than  7,000 
inhabitants.     In  this  wild  West  he  continued  as  a 
farm    laborer,    teaching    school   during   the  winter 
months  to  supply  the  means  of  an  education.   In  the 
fall  of  1842  he  attended  one  term  at  the  academy  at 
Granville,  Putnam  Co.,  111.,  and  subsequently  several 
terms  at  the  Rock  River  Seminary  at  Mount  Morris, 
Ogle  Co.,  111.,  completing  the  academic  course.     At 
this  time,  the  fall  of  1845,  his  parents  and  brothers 
were  anxious  to  have  him  go  to  college,  even  though 
he  had  not  money  sufficient;  but,  njt  willing  to  bur- 
den the  family,  he  packed  his  trunk  and  with  only 
in  money  started   South    to  seek   his  fortune 


JOHN  L.  £E  VE RIDGE. 


Poor,  alone,  without  friends  and  influence,  he  thus 
entered  upon  the  battle  of  life. 

First,  he  taught  school  in  Wilson,  Overton  and 
Jackson  Cos.,  Tenn.,  in  which  experience  he  under- 
went considerable  mental  drill,  both  in  book  studies 
and  in  the  ways  of  the  world.  He  read  law  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar,  in  the  South,  but  did  not  learn 
to  love  the  institution  of  slavery,  although  he  ad- 
mired many  features  of  Southern  character.  In  De- 
cember, 1847,  he  returned  North,  and  Jan.  20,  1848, 
he  married  Miss  Helen  M.  Judson,  in  the  old  Clark- 
Street  M.  E.  church  in  Chicago,  her  father  at  that 
time  being  Pastor  of  the  society  there.  In  the  spring 
of  1848  he  returned  with  his  wife  to  Tennessee, 
where  his  two  children,  Alia  May  and  Philo  Judson, 
were  born. 

In  the  fall  of  1849,  through  the  mismanagement 
of  an  associate,  he  lost  what  little  he  had  accumu- 
lated and  was  left  in  debt.  He  soon  managed  to 
earn  means  to  pay  his  debts,  returned  to  De  Kalb 
Co.,  111.,  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Sycamore,  the  county  seat.  On  arrival 
from  the  South  he  had  but  one-quarter  of  a  dollar  in 
money,  and  scanty  clothing  and  bedding  for  himself,, 
and  family.  He  borrowed  a  little  money,  practiced 
.•aw,  worked  in  public  offices,  kept  books  for  some  of 
the  business  men  of  the  town,  and  some  railroad  en- 
gineering, till  the  spring  of  iS^4,  when  he  removed 
to  Evanston,  1 2  miles  north  of  Chicago,  a  place  then 
but  recently  laid  out,  under  the  supervision  of  the 
Northwestern  University,  a  Methodist  institution. 
Of  the  latter  his  father-in-law  was  then  financial 
agent  and  business  manager.  Here  Mr.  Beveridge 
prospered,  and  the  next  year  (1855)  opened  a  law 
office  in  Chicago,  where  he  found  the  battle  some- 
what hard;  but  he  persevered  with  encouragement 
and  increasing  success. 

Aug.  12,  1 86 1,  his  law  partner,  Gen.  John  F. 
Farnsworth,  secured  authority  to  raise  a  regiment  of 
cavalry,  and  authorized  Mr.  Beveridge  to  raise  a 
company  for  it.  He  succeeded  in  a  few  days  in  rais- 
ing the  company,  of  course  enlisting  himself  along 
with  it.  The  regiment  rendezvoused  at  St.  Charles, 
HI.,  was  mustered  in  Sept.  18,  and  on  its  organiza- 
tion Mr.  B.  was  elected  Second  Major.  It  was  at- 
tached, Oct.  1 1 ,  to  the  Eighth  Cavalry  and  to  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  served  with  the  regiment 
until  November,  1863,  participating  in  some  40  bat- 


tles and  skirmishes  :  was  at  Fair  Oaks,  the  seven  days 
fight  around  Richmond,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellors  - 
ville  and  Gettysburg.  He  commanded  the  regiment 
the  greater  part  of  the  summer  of  1863,  and  it  was  while 
lying  in  camp  this  year  that  he  originated  the  policy 
of  encouraging  recruits  as  well  as  the  fighting  capac- 
ity of  the  soldiery,  by  the  wholesale  furlough  system 
It  worked  so  well  that  many  other  officers  adopted 
it.  In  the  fall  of  this  year  he  recruited  another  com- 
pany, against  heavy  odds,  in  January,  1864,  was 
commissioned  Colonel  of  the  i-jth  111.  Cav.,  and 
skirmished  around  in  Missouri,  concluding  with  the 
reception  of  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Kirby  Smith's 
army  in  Arkansas.  In  1865  he  commanded  various 
sub-districts  in  the  Southwest.  He  was  mustered 
out  Feb.  6,  1866,  safe  from  the  casualties  of  war  and 
a  stouter  man  than  when  he  first  enlisted.  His  men 
idolized  him. 

He  then  returned  to  Chicago,  to  practice  law,  with 
no  library  and  no  clientage,  and  no  political  experi- 
ence except  to  help  others  into  office.  In  the  fall  of 
1866  he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Cook  County,  serving 
dne.term;  next,  until  November,  1870,  he  practiced 
'law.,  and -.dosed  up  the  unfinished  business  of  his 
office."  He  was  then  elected  State  Senator;  in  No- 
vember, 1871,  he  was  elected  Congressman  at  large; 
in  November,  1872,  he  was  elected  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor on  the  ticket  with  Gov.  Oglesby;  the  latter  be- 
ing elected  to  the  U.  S.  Senate,  Mr.  Beveridge  became 
Governor,  Jan.  21,  1873.  Thus,  inside  of  a  few 
weeks,  he  was  Congressman  at  large,  Lieutenant 
Governor  and  Governor.  The  principal  events  oc- 
curring during  Gov.  Beveridge 's  administration  were: 
The  completion  of  the  revision  of  the  statutes,  begun 
in  1869;  the  partial  success  of  the  "farmers'  move- 
ment;" "  Haines'  Legislature  "  and  Illinois'  exhibit  at 
the  Centennial. 

Since  the  close  of  his  gubernatorial  term  ex-Gov. 
Beveridge  has  been  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Bever- 
idge &  Dewey,  bankers  and  dealers  in  commercial 
paper  at  7 1  Dearborn  Street  (McCormick  Block), 
Chicago,  and  since  November,  1881,  he  has  also  been 
Assistant  United  States  Treasurer-  office  in  the 
Government  Building.  His  residence  is  still  at  Ev- 
anston. 

He  has  a  brother  and  two  sisters  yet  residing  Jn 
De  Kalb  County — James  H.  Beveridge,  Mrs.  Jennet 
Henry  and  Mrs.  Isabel  French. 


LIBRARY 

Of  m 

UNIVERSITY  Of  ILLINUIS 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


HELBY  M.  CULLOM,  Gover- 
nor 1877-83,15)  the  sixth  child 
of  the  late  Richard  N.  Cullom, 
and  was  born  Nov.  22,  1829,111 
Wayne  Co.,  Ky.,  where  his  fa- 
ther then  resided,  and  whence 
both  the  Illinois  and  Tennessee 
branches  of  the  family  originated.  In 
the  following  year  the  family  emi- 
grated to  the  vicinity  of  Washington, 
Tazewell  Co.,  111.,  when  that  section 
was  very  sparsely  settled.  They  lo- 
cated on  Deer  Creek,  in  a  grove  at 
the  time  occupied  by  a  party  of  In- 
dians, attracted  there  by  the  superior 
hunting  and  fishing  afforded  in  that 
vicinity.  The  following  winter  was 
known  as  the  "  hard  winter,"  the  snow  [being  very 
deep  and  lasting  and  the  weather  severely  cold ;  and 
the  family  had  to  subsist  mainly  on  boiled  corn  or 
hominy,  and  some  wild  game,  for  several  weeks.  In 
the  course  of  time  Mr.  R.  N.  Cullom  became  a  prom- 
inent citizen  and  was  several  times  elected  to  the 
•Legislature,  both  before  and  after  the  removal  of  the 
capital  from  Vandalia  to  Springfield.  He  died  about 
'873- 

Until  about  19  years  of  age  young  Cullom  grew  up 

to  agricultural  pursuits,  attending  school  as  he  had 

opportunity  during   the   winter.     Within   this   time, 

Swever,  he  spent  several  months  teachin<*  «chool, 


and  in  the  following  summer  he  "  broke  prairie  "  with 
an  ox  team  for  the  neighbors.  With  the  money  ob- 
tained by  these  various  ventures,  he  undertook  a 
course  of  study  at  the  Rock  River  Seminary,  a 
Methodist  institution  at  Mt.  Morris,  Ogle  County: 
but  the  sudden  change  to  the  in-door  life  of  a  stu- 
dent told  severely  upon  his  health,  and  he  was  taken 
home,  being  considered  in  a  hopeless  condition.  While 
at  Mt.  Morris  he  heard  Hon.  E.  B.  Washburne  make 
his  first  speech. 

On  recovering  health,  Mr.  Cullom  concluded  to 
study  law,  under  the  instruction  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
at  Springfield,  who  had  by  this  time  attained  some 
notoriety  as  an  able  lawyer ;  but  the  latter,  being  ab- 
sent from  his  office  most  of  the  time,  advised  Mr. 
Cullom  to  enter  the  office  of  Stuart  &  Edwards. 
After  about  a  year  of  study  there,  however,  his  health 
failed  again,  and  he  was  obliged  to  return  once  more 
to  out-door  life.  Accordingly  he  bought  hogs  for 
packing,  for  A.  G.  Tyng,  in  Peoria,  and  while  he  re- 
gained his  health  he  gained  in  purse,  netting  $400  in 
a  few  weeks.  Having  been  admitted  to  the  Bar,  he 
went  to  Springfield,  where  he  was  soon  elected  City 
Attorney,  on  the  Anti-Nebraska  ticket. 

In  1856  he  ran  on  the  Fillmore  ticket  as  a  Presi- 
dential Elector,  and,  although  failing  to  be  elected  as 
such,  he  was  at  the  same  time  elected  a  Representa- 
tive in  the  Legislature  from  Sangamon  County,  by  a 
local  coalition  of  the  American  and  Republican  par- 
ties. On  the  organization  of  the  House,  he  received 
the  vote  of  the  Fillmore  men  for  Speaker.  Practicing 


I76 


SHELB  Y  M.    CULLOM. 


law  until  i  %5o,  he  was  again  elected  to  the  Legisla- 
ture, as  a  Republican,  while  the  county  went  Demo- 
cratic on  the  Presidential  ticket.  In  January  follow- 
ing he  was  elected  Speaker,  probably  the  youngest 
man  who  had  ever  presided  over  an  Illinois  Legis- 
lature. After  the  session  of  1 86 1,  he  was  a  candidate 
for  the  State  Constitutional  Convention  called  for 
that  year,  but  was  defeated,  and  thus  escaped  the 
disgrace  of  being  connected  with  that  abortive  party 
scheme  to  revolutionize  the  State  Government.  In 
1862  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  State  Senate,  but 
was  defeated.  _  The  same  year,  however,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Lincoln  on  a  Government 
Commission,  in  company  with  Gov.  Boutwell  of 
Massachusetts  and  Cnarles  A.  Dana,  since  of  the 
New  York  Sun,  to  investigate  the  affairs  of  the 
Quartermaster's  and  Commissary  Departments  at 
Cairo.  He  devoted  several  months  to  this  duty. 

In  1864  he  enteied  upo'n  a  larger  political  field, 
being  nominated  as  the  Republican  candidate  for 
Congress  from  the  Eighth  (Springfield)  District,  in 
opposition  to  the  incumbent,  JohnT.  Stuart,  who  had 
been  elected  in  1862  by  about  1,500  majority  over 
Leonard  Swett,  then  of  Bloomington,  now  of  Cfiicago. 
The  result  was  the  election  of  Mr.  Cullom  in  Novem- 
ber following  by  a  majority  of  1,785.  In  1866  he 
was  re-elected  to  Congress,  over  Dr.  E.  S.  Fowler,  by 
the  magnificent  majority  of  4,103!  In  1868  he  was 
again  a  candidate,  defeating  the  Hon.  B.  S.  Edwards, 
another  of  his  old  preceptors,  by  2,884  votes. 

During  his  first  term  in  Congress  he  served  on  the 
Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs  and  Expenditures  in 
the  Treasury  Department;  in  his  second  term,  on 
the  Committees  on  Foreign  Affairs  and  0:1  Territories ; 
and  in  his  third  term  he  succeeded  Mr.  Ashley,  of 
Ohio,  to  the  Chairmanship  of  the  latter.  He  intro- 
duced a  bill  in  the  House,  to  aid  in  the  execution  of 
law  in  Utah,  which  caused  more  consternation  among 
the  Mormons  than  any  measure  had  previously,  but 
which,  though  it  passed  the  House,  failed  to  pass  the 
Senate. 

The  Republican  Convention  which  met  May  25, 
1876,  nominated  Mr.  Cullom  for  Governor,  while  the 
other  contestant  was  Gov.  Beveridge.  For  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor  they  nominated  Andrew  Shuman,  editor 
of  the  Chicago  Journal.  For  the  same  offices  the 
Democrats,  combining  with  the  Anti-Monopolists, 
olaced  in  nomination  Lewis  Steward,  a  wealthy 


farmer  and  manufacturer,  and  A.  A.  Glenn.  The 
result  of  the  election  was  rather  close,  Mr.  Cullom 
obtaining  only  6,800  majority.  He  was  inaugurated 
Jan.  8,  1877. 

Great  depression  prevailed  in  financial  circles  at 
this  time,  as  a  consequence  of  the  heavy  failures  of 
1873  and  afterward,  the  effect  of  which  had  seemed 
to  gather  force  from  that  time  *o  the  end  of  Gov. 
Cullom's  first  administration.  This  unspeculative 
period  was  not  calculated  to  call  forth  any  new 
issues,  but  the  Governor's  energies  were  at  one  time 
put  to  task  to  quell  a  spirit  of  insubordination  that 
had  been  begun  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  among  the  laboring 
classes,  and  transferred  to  Illinois  at  Chicago,  East 
St.  Louis  and  Braidwood,  at  which  places  laboring 
men  for  a  short  time  refused  to  work  or  allow  others 
to  work.  These  disturbances  were  soon  quelled  and 
the  wheels  of  industry  again  set  in  motion. 

In  May,  1880,  Gov.  Cullom  was  re-nominated  by 
the  Republicans,  against  Lyman  Trumbull,  by  the 
Democrats;  and  although  the  former  party  was  some- 
•  what  handicapped  in  the  campaign  by  A  zealous 
faction  opposed  to  Grant  for  President  and  to  Grant 
•4iien':ffir  office  generally,  Mr.  Cullom  was  re-elected 
by  about  314,565,  to  277,532  for  the  Democratic  State 
ticket.  The  Greenback  vote  at  the  same  time  was 
about  27,000.  Both  Houses  of  the  Legislature  again 
became  Republican,  and  no  representative  of  the 
Greenback  or  Socialist  parties  were  elected.  Gov. 
Cullom  was  inaugurated  Jan.  10,  iS8i.  In  his  mes- 
sage he  announced  that  the  last  dollar  of  the  State 
debt  had  been  provided  for. 

March  4,  1883,  the  term  of  David  Davis  as  United 
States  Senator  from  Illinois  expired,  and  Gov.  Cul- 
lon  was  chosen  to  succeed  him.  This  promoted 
Lieutenant-Governor  John  M.  Hamilton  to  the  Gov- 
ernorship. Senator  Cullom's  term  in  the  United 
States  Senate  will  expire  March  4,  1889. 

A.S  a  practitioner  of  law  Mr.  C.  has  been  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Cullom,  Scholes  &  Mather,  at  Spring- 
field ;  and  he  has  also  been  President  of  the  State 
National  Bank. 

He  has  been  married  twice, — the  first  time  Dec. 
Ut,  1855,  to  Miss  Hannah  Fisher,  by  whom  he  had 
t\4o  daughters;  and  the  second  time  May  5,  1863, 
to  Julia  Fisher.  Mrs.  C  is  a  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  with  which  religious  body  Mr. 
C.  is  also  in  sympathy. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  HLINW.S 


• 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


179 


M&9M$*9|IHHIK+4IIN^^ 


OHN  MARSHALL  HAMIL- 
TON, Governor  1883-5,  was 
born  May  28,  1847,  in  a  log 
house  upon  a  farm  about  two 
miles  from  Richwood,  Union 
County,  Ohio.  His  father  was 
Samuel  Hamilton,  the  eldest  son 
SHI  of  Rev.  Wm.  Hamilton,  who,  to- 
ffl*m&  gether  with  his  brother,  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Hamilton,  was  among  the 
early  pioneer  Methodist  preachers  in 
Ohio.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was,  before  her  marriage, 
Mrs.  Nancy  McMorris,  who  was 
born  and  raised  in  Fauquier  or  Lou- 
}  doun  County,  Va.,  and  related  to  the 
two  large  families  of  Youngs  and  Marshalls,  well 
known  in  that  commonwealth ;  and  from  the  latter 
family  name  was  derived  the  middle  name  of  Gov. 
Hamilton. 

In  March,  1854,  Mr.  Hamilton's  father  sold  out 
his  little  pioneer  forest  home  in  Union  County,  O., 
and,  loading  his  few  household  effects  and  family 
(of  six  children)  into  two  emigrant  covered  wagons, 
moved  to  Roberts  Township,  Marshall  Co.,  111.,  being 
2 1  days  on  the  route.  Swamps,  unbridged  streams 
and  innumerable  hardships  and  privations  met  them 
on  their  way.  Their  new  home  had  been  previously 
selected  by  the  father.  Here,  after  many  long  years 
of  toil,  they  succeeded  in  paying  for  the  land  and 
aiaking  a  comfort  "M*>  home.  John  was,  of  course, 


brought  up  to  hard  manual  labor,  with  no  schooling 
except  three  or  four  months  in  the  year  at  a  common 
country  school.  However,  he  evinced  a  capacity 
and  taste  for  a  high  order  of  self-education,  by 
studying  or  reading  what  books  lie  could  borrow,  as 
the  family  had  but  very  few  in  the  house.  Much  of 
his  study  he  prosecuted  by  the  light  of  a  log  fire  in 
the  old-fashioned  chimney  place.  The  financial 
panic  of  1857  caused  the  family  to  come  near  losing 
their  home,  to  pay  debts ;  but  the  father  and  two 
sons,  William  and  John,  "  buckled  to  "  and  perse- 
vered in  hard  labor  and  economy  until  they  redeemed 
their  place  from  the  mortgage. 

When  the  tremendous  excitement  of  the  political 
campaign  of  1860  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Rob- 
erts Township,  young  Hamilton,  who  had  been 
brought  up  in  the  doctrine  of  anti-slavery,  took  a  zeal- 
ous part  in  favor  of  Lincoln's  election.  Making  special 
efforts  to  procure  a  little  money  to  buy  a  uniform,  he 
joined  a  company  of  Lincoln  Wide-Awakes  at  Mag- 
nolia, a  village  not  far  away.  Directly  after  the 
ensuing  election  it  became  evident  that  trouble 
would  ensue  with  the  South,  and  this  Wide-Awake 
company,  like  many  others  throughout  the  country, 
kept  up  its  organization  and  transformed  itself  into  a 
military  company.  During  the  ensuing  summer  they 
met  often  for  drill  and  became  proficient ;  but  when 
they  offered  themselves  for  the  war,  young  Hamilton 
was  rejected  on  account  of  his  youth,  he  being  then 
but  14  years  of  age.  During  the  winter  of  1863-4  he 
attended  an  academy  at  Henry,  Marshall  County, 


r8o 


JOHN  MARSHALL  HAMILTON. 


and  in  the  following  May  he  again  enlisted,  for  the 
fourth  time,  when  he  was  placed  in  the  i4ist  111. 
Vol.  Inf.,  a  regiment  then  being  raised  at  Elgin,  111., 
for  the  loo-day  service.  He  took  with  him  13  other 
lads  from  his  neighborhood,  for  enlistment  in  the 
service.  This  regiment  operated  in  Southwestern 
Kentucky,  for  about  five  months,  under  Gen.  Paine. 

The  following  winter,  1864-5,  Mr.  Hamilton  taught 
school,  and  during  the  two  college  years  1865-7,  he 
went  through  three  years  of  the  curriculum  of  the 
Ohio  Wesleyan  University  at  Delaware,  Ohio.  The 
third  year  he  graduated,  the  fourth  in  a  class  of  46, 
in  the  classical  department.  In  due  time  he  received 
the  degree  of  M.  A.  For  a  few  months  he  was  the 
Principal  of  Marshall  "  College  "  at  Henry,  an  acad- 
emy under  the  auspices  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  By 
this  time  he  had  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and 
after  earning  some  money  as  a  temporary  Professor 
of  Latin  at  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  University  at 
B'.oomington,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Weldon, 
Tipton  &  Benjamin,  of  that  city.  Each  member  of 
this  firm  has  since  been  distinguished  as  a  Judge. 
Admitted  to  the  Bar  in  May,  1870,  Mr.  Hamilton 
was  given  an  interest  in  the  same  firm,  Tipton. hav- 
ing been  elected  Judge.  In  October  following  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  J.  H.  Rowell,  at  that  time 
Prosecuting  Attorney.  Their  business  was  then 
small,  but  they  increased  it  to  very  large  proportions, 
practicing  in  all  grades  of  courts,  including  even  the 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court,  and  this  partnership  continued 
•nbroken  until  Feb.  6,  1883,  when  Mr.  Hamilton 
was  sworn  in  as  Executive  of  Illinois.  On  the  4th 
•f  March  following  Mr.  Rowell  took  his  seat  in  Con- 
gress. 

In  July,  1871,  Mr.  Hamilton  married  Miss  Helen 
M.  Williams,  the  daughter  of  Prof.  Wm.  G.  Williams, 
Professor  of  Greek  in  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  have  two  daughters  and  one  son. 

In  1876  Mr.  Hamilton  was  nominated  by  the  Re- 
publicans for  the  State  Senate,  over  other  and  older 
competitors.  He  took  an  active  part  "  on  the  stump  " 
in  the  campaign,  for  the  success  of  his  party,  and  was 
elected  by  a  majority  of  1,640  over  his  Democratic- 
Greenback  opponent.  In  the  Senate  he  served  on 
the  Committees  on  Judiciary,  Revenue,  State  Insti- 
tutions, Appropriations,  Education,  and  on  Miscel- 
lany ;  and  during  the  contest  for  the  election  of  a 
U.  S.  Senator,  the  Republicans  endeavoring  to  re- 


elect  John  A.  Logan,  he  voted  for  the  war  chief  on 
every  ballot,  even  alone  when  all  the  other  Republi- 
cans had  gone  over  to  the  Hon.  E.  B.  Lawrence  and 
the  Democrats  and  Independents  elected  Judge 
David  Davis.  At  this  session,  also,  was  passed  the 
first  Board  of  Health  and  Medical  Practice  act,  of 
which  Mr.  Hamilton  was  a  dhampion,  against  eu ' 
much  opposition  that  the  bill  was  several  times 
"laid  on  the  table."  Also,  this  session  authorized 
the  location  and  establishment  of  a  southern  peni- 
tentiary, which  was  fixed  at  Chester.  In  the  session 
of  1879  Mr.  Hamilton  was  elected  President  pro  tern. 
of  the  Senate,  and  was  a  zealous  supporter  of  John 
A.  Logan  for  the  U.  S.  Senate,  who  was  this  time 
elected  without  any  trouble. 

In  May,  1880,  Mr.  Hamilton  was  nominated  on 
the  Republican  ticket  for  Lieutenant  Governor,  his 
principal  competitors  before  the  Convention  being 
Hon.  Wm.  A.  James,  ex-Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  Judge  Robert  Bell,  of  wabash 
County,  Hon.  T.  T.  Fountain,  of  Perry  County,  and 
Hon.  M.  M.  Saddler,  of  Marion  County.  He  engaged 
actively  in  the  campaign,  and  his  ticket  was  elected 
by , a -majority  of  41,200.  As  Lieutenant  Governor, 
he  presided  almost  continuously  over  the  Senate  in 
the  32d  General  Assembly  and  during  the  early  days 
of  the  33d,  until  he  succeeded  to  the  Governorship. 
When  the  Legislature  of  1883  elected  Gov.  Cullom 
to  the  United  States  Senate,  Lieut.  Gov.  Hamilton 
succeeded  him,  under  the  Constitution,  taking  the 
oath  of  office  Feb.  6,  1883.  He  bravely  met  all  the 
annoyances  and  embarrassments  incidental  upon 
taking  up  another's  administration.  The  principal 
events  with  which  Gov.  Hamilton  was  connected  as 
the  Chief  Executive  of  the  State  were,  the  mine  dis- 
aster at  Braidwood,  the  riots  in  St.  Clairand  Madison 
Counties  in  May,  1883,  the  appropriations  for  the 
State  militia,  the  adoption  of  the  Harper  high-license 
liquor  law,  the  veto  of  a  dangerous  railroad  bill,  etc. 

The  Governor  was  a  Delegate  at  large  to  the 
National  Republican  Convention  at  Chicago  in  June, 

1884,  where  his  first  choice  for  President  was  John 
A.  Logan,  and  second  choice  Chester  A.  Arthur;  but 
he  afterward  zealously  worked  for  the  election  of  Mr. 
Elaine,  true  to  his  party. 

Mr.  Hamilton's  term  as  Governor  expired  Jan.  30, 

1885,  when  the  great  favorite  "Dick"  Oglesby  was 
inaugurated. 


LIBRARY 
OF  IHt 
UNIVERSITY  OF 


• 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


183 


)SEPH  WILSON  FIFER.  This 
distinguished  gentleman  was 
elected  Governor  of  Illinois 
November  6,  1888.  He  was 
popularly  known  during  the 
campaign  as  "Private  Joe. ' '  He 
had  served  with  great  devotion 
to  his  country  during  the  Re- 
bellion, in  the  Thirty-third 
Illinois  Infantry.  A  native  of 
Virginia,  he  was  born  in  1840. 
His  parents,  John  and  Mary 
(Daniels)  Fifer,  were  American 
born,  though  of  German  de- 
scent. His  father  was  a  brick 
and  stone  mason,  and  an  old 
Henry  Clay  Whig  in  politics.  John  and  Mary 
Fifer  had  nine  children,  of  whom  Joseph  was  the 
sixth,  and  naturally,  with  so  large  a  family,  it  was 
all  the  father  could  do  to  keep  the  wolf  from  the 
door,  to  say  nothing  of  giving  his  children  any- 
thing like  good  educational  advantages. 

Joseph  attended  school  for  a  while  in  Virgina, 
but  it  was  not  a  good  school,  and  when  his  father 
removed  to  the  West,  in  1857,  Joseph  had  not  ad- 
vanced much  further  than  the  "First  Reader." 
Our  subject  was  sixteen  then  and  suffered  a  great 
misfortune  in  the  loss  of  his  mother.  After  the 


death  of  Mrs.  Fifer,  which  occurred  in  Missouri, 
the  family  returned  to  Virgina,  but  remained  only 
a  short  time,  as  during  the  same  year  Mr.  Fifer 
came  to  Illinois.  He  settled  in  McLean  County 
and  started  a  brickyard.  Here  Joseph  and  his 
brothers  were  put  to  work.  The  elder  Mr.  Fifer  soon 
bought  a  farm  near  Bloomington  and  began  life 
as  an  agriculturist.  Here  Joe  worked  and  attended 
the  neighboring  school.  He  alternated  farm- work, 
and  brick-laying,  going  to  the  district  school  for 
the  succeeding  few  years.  It  was  all  work  and  no 
play  for  Joe,  yet  it  by  no  means  made  a  dull  boy 
of  him.  All  the  time  he  was  thinking  of  the  great 
world  outside,  of  which  he  had  caught  a  glimpse 
when  coming  from  Virginia,  yet  he  did  not  know 
just  how  he  was  going  to  get  out  into  it.  He 
could  not  feel  that  the  woods  around  the  new  farm 
and  the  log  cabin,  in  which  the  family  lived,  were 
to  hold  him.  ^ 

The  opportunity  to  get  out  into  the  world  was 
soon  offered  to  young  Joe.  He  traveled  a  dozen 
miles  barefoot,  in  company  with  his  brother  George, 
and  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Thirty-third  Illinois 
Infantry,  he  being  then  twenty  years  old.  In  a 
few  days,  the  regiment  was  sent  to  Camp  Butler, 
and  then  over  into  Missouri,  and  saw  some  vigor- 
ous service  there.  After  a  second  time  helping  to 
chase  Price  out  of  Missouri,  the  Thirty-third  Regi- 


184 


JOSEPH  W.  FIFEE. 


ment  went  down  to  Milliken's  Bend,  and  for  several 
weeks  "Private  Joe"  worked  on  Grant's  famous 
ditch.  The  regiment  then  joined  the  forces  oper- 
ating against  Port  Gibson  and  Vickshurg.  Joe 
was  on  guard  duty  in  the  front  ditches  when  the 
flag  of  surrender  was  run  up  on  the  4th  of  July, 
and  stuck  the  bayonet  of  his  gun  into  the  embank- 
ment and  went  into  the  city  with  the  vanguard  of 
Union  soldiers. 

The  next  day,  July  5,  the  Thirty-third  joined 
the  force  after  Johnston,  who  had  been  threatening 
Grant's  rear;  and  finally  an  assault  was  made  on  him 
at  Jackson,  Miss.  In  this  charge  "Private  Joe"  fell, 
terribly  wounded.  He  was  loading  his  gun,  when 
a  minie-ball  struck  him  and  passed  entirely 
through  his  body.  He  was  regarded  as  mortally 
wounded.  His  brother,  George,  who  had  been 
made  a  Lieutenant,  proved  to  be  the  means  of  sav- 
ing his  life.  The  Surgeon  told  him  that  unless  he 
had  ice  his  brother  could  not  live.  It  was  fifty  miles 
to  the  nearest  point  where  ice  could  be  obtained, 
and  the  roads  were  rough.  A  comrade,  a  McLean 
Coun<ty  man,  who  had  been  wounded,  offered  to 
make  the  trip.  An  ambulance  was  secured  and 
the  brother  soldier  started  on  the  journey.  He  re- 
turned with  the  ice,  but  the  trip,  owing  to  the 
roughness  of  the  road,  was  very  hard  on  him.  Af- 
ter a  few  months'  careful  nursing,  Mr.  Fifer  was  able 
to  come  home.  The  Thirty-third  came  home  on  a 
furlough,  and  when  the  boys  were  ready  to  return 
to  the  tented  field,  young  Fifer  was  ready  to  go 
with  them,  for  he  was  determined  to  finish  his 
term  of  three  years.  He  was  mustered  out  in  Oct- 
ober, 1864,  having  been  in  the  service  three  years 
and  two  months. 

"Private  Joe"  came  out  of  the  army  a  tall,  tan- 
ned, and  awkward  young  man  of  twenty-four. 
About  all  he  possessed  was  ambition  to  be  some- 
body— and  pluck.  Though  at  an  age  when  most 
men  have  finished  their  college  course,  the  young 
soldier  saw  that  if  he  was  to  be  anybody  he  must 
have  an  education.  Yet  he  had  no  means  to  ena- 
ble him  to  enter  school  as  most  young  men  do. 
He  was  determined  to  have  an  education,  however, 
and  that  to  him  meant  success.  For  the  following 
four  years  he  struggled  with  his  books.  He  en- 


tered Wesleyan  University  January  1,    1865.     He 
was  not  a  brilliant  student,  being   neither   at  the 
heatl  nor  at  the  foot  of  his  class.     He  was  in  great, 
earnest,  however,  studied  hard  and  came  forth  with 
a  well-stored  and  disciplined  mind. 

Immediately  after  being  graduated,  he   entered 
an  office  at  Bloomington  as   a   law   student.     He 
had  previously  read  law  a  little,  and  as  he  continued 
to  work  hard,  with  the  spur  of  poverty  and  prompt- 
ings of  ambition  ever  with  him,  he  was   ready    to 
hang  out  his  professional  shingle  in    1869.     Being 
trustworthy,  he  soon  gathered  about  him  some   in-    ' 
fluential  friends.     In  1871  he  was  elected  Corpora-   j 
tion  Counsel  of  Bloomington.     In   1872   he   was   j 
elected  State's  Attorney  of  McLean  County.     This    '_ 
office  he  held  eight  years,  when  he  took  Ids  seat  in    ] 
the  State  Senate.     He  served  for  four  years.     His 
ability  to  perform  abundance  of  hard   work  made    • 
him  a  most  valued  member  of  the  Legislature. 

Mr.  Fifer  was  married  in  1870  to  Gertie,  daugh- 
ter of  William  J.  Lewis,  of  Bloomington.  Mr.  Fifer 
is  six  feet  in  height  and  is  spare,  weighing  only  one 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  He  has  a  swarthy  com- 
plexion, keen  black  eyes,  quick  movement,  and  pos- 
sesses a  frank  and  sympathetic  nature,  and  natur- 
lly  makes  friends  wherever  he  goes.  During  the 
late  gubernatorial  campaign  his  visits  throughout 
the  State  proved  a  great  power  in  his  behalf.  His 
faculty  of  winning  the  confidence  and  good  wishes 
of  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  personal  contact 
is  a  source  of  great  popularity,  especially  during  a 
political  battle.  As  a  speaker  he  is  fluent,  his  lan- 
guage is  good,  voice  clear  and  agreeable,  and  man- 
ner forcible.  His  manifest  earnestness  in  what  he 
says,  as  well  as  his  tact  as  a  public  speaker,  and  his 
eloquent  and  forceful  language,  make  him  a  most 
valuable  campaign  orator  and  a  powerful  pleader 
at  the  bar.  At  the  Republican  State  Convention, 
held  in  May,  1888,  Mr.  Fifer  was  chosen  as  its 
candidate  for  Governor.  He  proved  a  popular 
nominee,  and  the  name  of  "Private  Joe"  became 
familiar  to  everyone  throughout  the  State.  He 
waged  a  vigorous  campaign,  was  elected  by  a  good 
majority,  and  in  due  time  assumed  the  duties  of 
the  Chief  Executive  of  Illinois. 


LIBRARY 

OF  I  Hi 

UNIVtfftsm  Of  ILLINOIS 


fl. 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


187 


fllfeeld. 


fOHN  P.  ALTGELD,  the  present 
Governor  of  Illinois,  is  a  native 
of  Prussia,  born  in  1848.  Shortly 
after  his  birth  his  parents  emi- 
grated to  America,  locating  on 
a  farm  near  Mansfield,  Ohio. 
When  but  a  mere  lad,  young 
Altgeld  had  to  walk  from  the 
farm  to  Mansfield  with  butter, 
eggs  and  garden  produce,  which 
he  peddled  from  house  to  house. 
About  1856,  his  parents  moved 
to  the  city  of  Mansfield,  and  for 
a  time  our  subject  was  engaged 
morning  and  evening  in  driv- 
ing cattle  to  and  from  the  pas- 
ture, a  distance  of  eight  miles.  When  fourteen 
years  of  age  he  hired  out  as  a  farm  hand,  and  con- 
tinued in  that  avocation  the  greater  part  of  his 
lime  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
fourth  Ohio  Infantry,  and  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  On  being  mustered  in,  the  regiment  was 
sent  to  Washington  and  was  actively  engaged  in 
the  various  campaigns  in  and  around  that  city 
until  the  surrender  of  Lee.  In  the  fall  of  1864, 
young  Altgeld  was  taken  sick,  while  with  his  regi- 
ment in  the  front,  and  the  surgeon  desired  to  send 
him  to  a  hospital  iu  Washington;  but  he  asked  to 


be  allowed  to  remain  with  the  regiment,  and  soon 
recovering  from  his  sickness  was  actively  engaged 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  mustered  out 
at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  the  spring  of  1865.  The 
succeeding  summer  he  worked  with  his  father  on 
a  farm,  during  which  time  he  became  connected 
with  the  Sunday-school  and  was  given  charge  «>J 
the  Bible  class.  Before  entering  the  army  he  had 
but  very  limited  educational  advantages,  having 
attended  school  but  a  part  of  two  summers  and 
one  winter.  He  had  at  home,  however,  studied 
the  German  language  and  had  become  familiar 
with  some  German  authors.  Determining  to  fit 
himself  for  a  useful  life,  he  resolved  to  attend  a 
select  school  at  Lexington,  Ohio,  and  in  a  little 
eight-by-ten  room,  meagrely  furnished,  he  kept 
"bachelor's  hall,"  and  in  time  was  so  far  advanced 
that  he  secured  a  certificate  as  teacher,  and  for 
two  years  was  engaged  in  that  profession.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  left  home  and  traveled  exten- 
sively over  the  country,  working  at  odd  jobs,  un- 
til he  finally  reached  Savannah,  Mo.,  where  he  en- 
tered a  law  office,  and  in  1870  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar.  In  the  fall  of  1872,  he  ran  as  Prosecuting 
Attorney  for  Andrews  County,  Mo.,  and  was  de- 
feated by  four  votes.  He  ran  again  in  1874  and 
was  elected.  But  life  in  the  small  town  of  Savan- 
nah was  a  little  too  monotonous  for  him,  and  he 
determined  to  locate  in  Chicago.  In  October, 


188 


JOHN  P.  ALTGELD. 


1875,  he  resigned  the  office  of  Prosecuting  Attor- 
ney, moved  to  Chicago,  and  at  once  commenced 
the  practice  of  law.  For  some  years  after  he  had 
but  little  to  do  with  politics,  confining  himself  to 
his  practice  and  dealing  in  real  estate.  One  year 
after  his  arrival  in  Chicago  he  found  himself  with- 
out a  dollar,  and  in  debt  some  $400.  By  a  streak  of 
good  luck,  as  it  might  be  termed,  he  won  a  case  in 
court,  from  which  he  received  a  fee  of  $900,  and 
after  paying  his  debt  he  had  $500  left,  which  he 
invested  in  real  estate.  This  venture  proved  a 
successful  one,  and  from  that  time  on  the  profits 
of  one  transaction  were  invested  in  others,  and 
to-day  he  is  numbered  among  the  millionaire  resi- 
dents of  the  great  metropolis  of  the  West. 

In  1884,  Mr.  Altgeld  was  nominated  for  Con- 
gress, but  was  defeated  by  three  thousand  votes. 
In  1886,  he  was  nominated  and  elected  Judge  of 
the  Superior  Court  of  Cook  County.  His  services 
as  Judge  were  such  as  to  commend  him  to  the  peo- 
ple. Early  in  the  year  1892,  by  the  solicitation  of 


many  friends,  he  announced  himself  as  a  candi- 
date for  Governor.  At  the  convention  held 
April  27,  he  received  the  nomination  and  at  once 
entered  upon  an  active  canvass.  Alone,  he  traveled 
all  over  the  entire  State,  and  visited  and  consulted 
with  the  leading  politicians  of  every  section.  He 
made  few  public  speeches,  however,  until  near  the 
close  of  the  campaign,  but  it  was  very  evident  that 
he  was  master  of  the  situation  at  all  times.  When 
the  votes  were  counted  at  the  close  of  election 
day,  it  was  found  that  he  had  a  majority  of  the 
votes,  and  so  became  the  first  Democratic  Governor 
of  Illinois  since  1856. 

Born  in  poverty,  alone,  single-handed  and  un- 
aided, he  faced  the  world,  and  with  a  determina- 
tion to  succeed,  he  pressed  forward,  until  to-day  he 
has  a  National  reputation,  and  is  the  envied  of 
many.  The  lesson  of  his  life  is  worthy  of  careful 
study  by  the  young,  and  shows  what  can  be  done 
by  one  who  has  the  desire  in  his  heart  to  attain  a 
front  rank  among  the  noted  men  of  the  country. 


Tazewell  and 


^fason  Counties, 


*— ILLINOIS. 


INTRODUCTORY 


HE  time  has  arrived  when  it 
becomes  the  duty  of  the 
people  of  this  county  to  per- 
petuate the  names  of  their 
pioneers,  to  furnish  a  record 
of  their  early  settlement, 
and  relate  the  story  of  their 
progress.  The  civilization  of  our 


f 
!  Xp  and  the  duty  that  men  of  the  pres- 
!  SJYIP  ent  t'me  owe  to  t'16'11  ancestors,  to 
themselves  and  to  their  posterity, 
demand  that  a  record  of  their  lives 
and  deeds  should  be  made.  In  bio- 
graphical history  is  found  a  power 
to  instruct  man  by  precedent,  to 
enliven  the  mental  faculties,  and 
to  waft  down  the  river  of  time  a 
safe  vessel  in  which  the  names  and  actions  of  the 
people  who  contributed  to  raise  this  country  from  its 
primitive  state  may  be  preserved.  Surely  and  rapidly 
the  great  and  aged  men,  who  in  their  prime  entered 
the  wilderness  and  claimed  the  virgin  soil  as  their 
heritage,  are  passing  to  their  graves.  The  number  re- 
maining who  can  relate  the  incidents  of  the  first  days 
}f  settlement  is  becoming  small  indeed,  so  that  an 
actual  necessity  exists  for  the  collection  and  preser- 
vation of  events  without  delay,  before  all  the  early 
settlers  are  cut  down  by  the  scythe  of  Time. 

To  be  forgotten  has  been  the  great  dread  of  mankind 
from  remotest  ages.  All  will  be  forgotten  soon  enough, 
in  spite  of  their  best  works  and  the  most  earnest 
efforts  of  their  friends  to  perserve  the  memory  .of 
their  lives.  The  means  employed  to  prevent  oblivion 
and  to  perpetuate  their  memory  has  been  in  propor- 
tion «o  the  nmount  of  intelligence  they  possessed. 
Tin  pyramids  of  Egypt  were  built  to  perpetuate  the 
names  ;md  deeds  of  their  great  rulers.  The  exhu- 
mations made  by  the  au'heologists  of  Egy[)t  from 
buried.  Meirphis  indicate  a  desire  of  those  people 


to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  their  achievements 
The  erection  of  the  great  obelisks  were  for  the  same 
purpose.  Coining  down  to  a  later  period,  we  find  tht 
Greeks  and  Romans  erecting  mausoleums  and  monu- 
ments, and  carving  out  statues  to  chronicle  theii 
great  achievements  and  carry  them  down  the  ages. 
It  is  also  evident  that  the  Mound-bu'lders,  in  piling 
up  their  great  mounds  of  earth,  had  but  this  idea — 
to  leave  something  to  show  that  they  had  lived.  All 
these  works,  though  many  ot  them  costly  in  the  ex- 
treme, give  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  lives  and  charac- 
ters of  those  whose  memory  they  were  intended  to 
perpetuate,  and  scarcely  anything  of  the  masses  of 
the  people  that  then  lived.  The  great  pyramids  and 
some  of  the  obelisks  remain  objects  only  of  curiosity ; 
the  mausoleums,  monuments  and  statues  are  crum- 
bling into  dust. 

It  was  left  to  modern  ages  to  establish  an  intelli- 
gent, undecaying,  immutable  method  of  perpetuating 
a  full  history — immutable  in  that  it  is  almost  un- 
limited in  extent  and  perpetual  in  its  action ;  and 
this  is  through  the  art  of  printing. 

To  the  present  generation,  however,  we  are  in- 
debted for  the  introduction  of  the  admirable  system 
of  local  biography.  By  this  system  every  mun,  thongl 
he  has  not  achieved  what  the  world  calls  greatness, 
has  the  means  to  perpetuate  his  life,  his  histoiy, 
through  the  coming  ages. 

The  scythe  of  Time  cuts  down  all ;  nothing  of  the 
physical  man  is  left.  The  monument  which  Irs  chil- 
dren or  friends  may  erect  to  his  memory  in  the  ceme, 
tery  will  crumble  into  dust  and  pass  away;  but  his 
life,  his  achievements,  the  work  he  has  accomplished, 
which  otherwise  would  be  forgotten,  is  perpetuated 
by  a  record  of  this  kind. 

To  preserve  the  lineaments  of  our  companions  we 
engrave  their  portraits,  for  the  same  reason  we  col- 
lect the  attainable  facts  of  their  history.  Nor  do  we 
think  it  necessary,  as  we  speak  only  truth  of  them,  to 
wait  until  they  are  dead  or  until  ihose  who  know 
them  are  gone: -to  do  this  we  are  aOi.uned  only  to 
publish  t)  the  woild  the  history  of  those  whose  live? 
are  unwcrthy  of  public  record. 


LiBRAKY 

w  INI 

Of  ILLINOIS 


LYMAN   LACEY. 


mOGRAPtflCAL. 


ON.  LYMAN  LACEY.  In  the  course  of 
his  active  and  honorable  official  career 
Judge  Lacey  has  become  widely  known  as 
one  of  the  most  eminent  jurists  of  Illinois. 
His  record  is  that  of  an  impartial,  able  and  learned 
judge,  a  fearless  advocate,  successful  attorney  and 
progressive  citizen,  and  since  coming  to  Havana, 
in  1856,  his  name  has  been  inseparably  associated 
with  many  of  the  leading  measures  for  the  devel- 
opment of  the  city.  Since  1873  he  has  served  as 
Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court,  and  four  years  after 
entering  upon  the  duties  of  that  office  he  was  ap- 
pointed Judge  of  the  Appellate  Court  of  the  Third 
District,  which  important  position  he  still  holds. 

In  Dryden  Four  Corners,  Tompkins  County,  N. 
Y.,  May  9,  1832,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  to  John  and  Chloe  (Hurd)  Lacey,  natives  re- 
spectively of  New  Jersey  and  New  York.  The  first 
representative  of  the  Lacey  family  in  America 
came  from  England  prior  to  the  Revolutionary 
War  and  settled  in  New  Jersey,  where  were  born 
many  of  his  descendants.  The  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject,  Richard  Lacey,  was  a  farmer  and 
land  owner  in  New  Jersey,  and  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  was  Captain  of  a  company  of  minute 
men  organized  to  repel  the  British  forces  and  pre- 
vent them  from  stealing  cattle  and  provisions 
from  the  patriots. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  who  also  bore 
the  name  of  Richard,  served  as  the  assistant  of 
Surgeon-General  Shippen  during  the  battle  of 
Monmouth,  N.  J.,  at  which  time  there  were  seven 
hundred  men  wounded  and  three  hundred  and 
fifty  killed.  He  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  was 
one  of  eight  brothers  included  in  the  large  family 
of  his  parents.  When  establishing  a  home  of  his 
own,  he  married  Miss  Susannah  Smith,  a  native  of 


New  Jersey,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  one 
son  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  deceased. 
The  father  of  our  subject,  the  last  survivor  of  the 
family,  was  born  January  8,  1804,  in  Hunterdon 
County,  N.  J.,  and  died  in  Fulton  County,  111., 
December  23,  1892,  aged  eighty-eight  years,  ten 
months  and  twenty-six  days. 

John  Lacey  was  six  years  of  age  when  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Tompkins 
County,  N.  Y..  and  there  he  passed  his  boyhood 
days.  He  was  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and 
perseverance,  and  his  father  being  a  farmer,  he 
naturally  chose  agriculture  for  his  life  occupation. 
His  education  was  limited  to  the  common  schools 
of  that  early  day,  but  being  fond  of  reading  good 
books,  he  kept  himself  well  posted  alike  upon  lit- 
erary and  general  subjects.  Like  the  majority  of 
self-made  men,  he  met  with  marked  success  in  all 
his  undertakings,  and  ranked  among  the  most 
prominent  agriculturists  of  his  county.  He  also 
owned  the  celebrated  mineral  springs  of  Tompkins 
County,  N.  Y. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  in  New 
York  in  1831,  and  to  them  were  born  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  our  subject  was  the  eldest.  When 
he  was  about  four  years  of  age,  the  family  removed 
to  Oakland  County,  Mich.,  where  they  made  their 
home  for  a  year  and  a-half.  In  the  fall  of  1837 
they  came  to  Fulton  County,  III.,  where  the  father 
both  entered  and  purchased  land,  becoming  the 
owner  of  a  large  and  valuable  estate.  He  was 
very  successful  as  a  farmer  in  the  Prairie  State, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  decease  was  the  possessor  of 
fifteen  hundred  acres. 

During  his  residence  in  Fulton  County,  John 
Lace}'  served  two  3'ears  as  Supervisor  of  Pleasant 
Township.  For  the  same  length  of  time  he  was 


204 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Assessor,  and  also  filled  the  office  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace  for  several  years.  He  took  great  inter- 
est in  political  affairs,  and  was  a  firm  believer  v  in 
the  principles  of  Democracy.  .January  15,  1879, 
he  was  bereaved  by  the  death  of  his  wife,  who  for 
about  forty-eight  years  had  been  his  efficient  help- 
mate, aiding  him  in  their  struggles  through  life 
and  enjoying  with  him  their  successes.  She  was  a 
woman  of  well  balanced  mind,  and  was  beloved 
by  all  who  kn^w  her. 

At  the  time  our  subject's  parents  settled  in  Ful- 
ton County,  their  nearest  neighbor  was  five  miles 
away.  In  his  boyhood  the  Judge  would  often 
circulate  petitions  in  order  to  get  the  people  to 
contribute  toward  hiring  a  teacher  for  the  winter 
monlhs.  His  desire  for  knowledge  has  never 
grown  less',  and  even  at  the  present  time,  in  the 
midst  of  the  manifold  cares  of  public  life,  he  keeps 
himself  well  informed  upon  events  transpiring  in 
the  world  about  him.  He  remained  at  home  until 
reaching  his  twentieth  .year,  when,  in  the  fall  of 
1852,  he  entered  the  Illinois  College  at  Jackson- 
ville, 111.,  and  was  graduated  from  that  institu- 
tion with  the  Class  of  '55,  receiving  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Science.  Since  that  time  he  has  been 
honored  by  his  Alma  Mater  with  the  title  of  Mas- 
ter of  Arts. 

After  completing  his  studies  in  college,  Mr.  La- 
cey  devoted  himself  to  reading  law  in  the  office  of 
Hon.  Lewis  W.  Ross,  of  Lewistown,  this  state,  and 
was  there  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1856.  In  the  fall 
of  the  same  year  he  came  to  Havana,  where  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  William  Walker,  at  that 
time  the  most  prominent  lawyer  in  the  place,  and 
now  a  resident  of  Lexington,  Mo.  The  firm  con- 
ducted business  under  the  title  of  Walker  &  Lacey 
for  two  years,  when  the  partnership  was  dissolved 
by  mutual  agreement.  Our  subject  then  continued 
the  practice  of  his  profession  alone  fora  time,  and 
in  1865  took  Charles  A.  Harnden  into  the  office 
with  him,  the  firm  name  becoming  Lacey  &  Harn- 
den. This  partnership  lasted  for  three  .years,  and 
would  have  continued  much  longer  had  not  the 
failing  health  of  the  junior  partner  rendered  it 
inadvisable  for  him  to  continue  longer  in  active 
practice.  Subsequently  Mr.  Lacey  was  in  partner- 
ship with  E.  A.  Wallace,  which  connection  existed 


until  our  subject  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
judiciary. 

Elected  to  the  Circuit  Bench  January  2,  1873, 
Judge  Lacey  has  since  been  the  incumbent  of  the 
office,  having  been  successively  re-elected  for  four 
terms  of  six  years  each.  In  1877  he  was  appointed 
by  the  Supreme  Court  to  the  position  of  Judge  of 
the  Appellate  Court  of  the  Third  District,  which 
office  he  filled  very  soon  after  the  establishment  of 
that  court.  The  first  term  of  the  Appellate  Court 
was  held  at  Springfield  the  third  Monday  in  No- 
vember, 1877,  and  Judge  Lacey  remained  on  the 
Bench  during  that  term  in  company  with  his  asso- 
ciates, Oliver  L.  Davis,  of  Danville,  and  Hon. 
Chauncey  L.  Higby,  of  Pittsfield.  He  also  served 
as  Judge  during  the  May  and  November  terms  of 
1878,  and  in  June,  1879,  when  a  re-election  of  Cir- 
cuit Judge  took  place,  he  was  appointed  by  the 
Supreme  Court  to  the  Appellate  Bench  of  the  Sec- 
ond District,  his  associates  during  that  year  being 
George  W.  Pleasants,  of  Rock  Island  County,  and 
Nathaniel  J.  Pilsbury,  of  Pontiac.  He  has  served 
in  this  position  each  successive  year  since  his  first 
appointment  to  the  present  time,  and  has  remained 
on  the  Bench  for  a  longer  period  than  any  other 
judge. 

Under  the  constitution  the  Appellate  Judges  are 
required  to  perform  the  duties  of  their  office  for 
the  same  compensation  as  though  they  were  only 
Judges  of  the  Circuit  Court,  and  the  sole  advan- 
tage over  the  latter  position  is  that  it  is  a  much 
more  honorable  appointment,  and  the  duties  of 
that  court  are  similar  to  the  Supreme  Court.  In 
1885  the  Appellate  Judges  were  not  compelled  to 
file  opinions  in  any  except  reversed  cases,  but 
since  that  time  written  opinions  are  required  by 
an  amended  statute  to  be  filed  in  all  cases.  There 
are  now  forty-nine  volumes  of  Appellate  Court  re- 
ports published,  in  nearly  all  of  which  will  be 
found  the  opinions  of  Judge  Lacey. 

In  1862  our  subject  was  elected  to  the  Lower 
House  of  the  State  Legislature,  representing  the 
counties  of  Mason  and  Menard.  At  that  time  the 
House  was  composed  on  the  Democratic  side  of 
many  young  lawyers  who  have  since  become  noted 
in  the  field  of  law  and  politics.  Of  these  were 
Judge  M.  W.  Fuller,  now  Chief  Justice  of  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


205 


United  States;  Judge  Burr,  who  was  several  times 
elected  to  Congress,  afterward  to  the  Circuit 
Bench,  and  died  in  office;  and  Judge  Congor,  who 
for  many  years  was  Circuit  and  Appellate  Judge. 
Recognizing  his  practical  knowledge  of  agriculture, 
the  Supervisors  of  Mason  County  appointed  Judge 
Lacey  Drainage  Commissioner,  and  under  his  di- 
rection were  constructed  over  forty  miles  of  drain 
in  that  county  for  the  benefit  of  the  drainage  of 
the  wet  lands.  Mr.  Lacey  owns  several  farms  in 
Mason  and  Fulton  Counties,  the  improvements  of 
which  he  personally  superintends. 

Prior  to  his  election  to  the  Bench,  the  Judge  was 
one  of  the  prime  movers  in  securing  the  charter 
for  the  Havana,  Mason  City,  Lincoln  &  Eastern 
Railroad  Com  pan  3%  and  was  one  of  the  charter 
members  and  incorporators  in  procuring  the  build- 
ing of  over  one  hundred  miles  of  railroad  under 
that  charter.  He  drew  up  all  the  petitions  for 
subscriptions  from  Mason  County  and  the  various 
townships  through  which  the  road  runs,  writing  the 
notices  for  election,  and  canvassing  the  county 
and  township  for  votes  in  order  to  get  the  project 
before  the  people.  Afterward  the  Board  of  Direc- 
tors of  the  Railroad  Company  appointed  him  one  of 
the  committee  to  receive  contracts  for  the  building 
of  the  road,  and  in  their  interest  he  made  several 
journeys  to  New  York  and  Philadelphia  in  order  to 
place  the  contract.  He  also  canvassed  in  and 
through  Fulton,  Schuyler,  McDonough  and  Han- 
cock Counties  for  subscriptions  toward  the  build- 
ing of  the  Havana,  Mason  City,  Lincoln  &  Eastern 
Railroad,  and  it  was  largely  through  his  efforts 
that  the  people  were  prevailed  upon  to  vote  a  sub- 
scription ranging  from  $25,000  to  $50,000  in  the 
various  townships.  Unfortunately,  however,  the 
panic  of  1873  prevented  the  road  from  being  ex- 
tended west  from  Havana  to  the  Mississippi,  which 
otherwise  would  have  been  done  the  next  3'ear. 
Judge  Lacey  was  Director  of  the  Springfield  & 
North-western  Railway  Company,  and  took  an 
active  part  in  securing  the  building  of  the  road 
from  Havana  to  Springfield,  which  has  been  in 
operation  since  1873.  He  likewise  procured  the  pass- 
age through  the  Legislature  of  the  charter  of  the 
Illinois  River  Bridge  Company,  of  Havana,  and 
largely  aided  in  procuring  the  subscription  of 


about  160,000,  which  was  generously  donated  by 
the  citizens  of  Havana,  his  personal  contribution 
being  $500. 

On  one  occasion,  when  quite  a  young  man, 
Judge  Lacey-  was  a  candidate  for  Congress  on  the 
Democratic  ticket,  in  a  strongly  Democratic  dis- 
trict, but  failed  to  get  the  nomination,  for  which 
he  has  always  been  exceedingly  thankful.  Since 
his  election  to  the  Bench  he  has  devoted  his  ener- 
gies to  the  proper  fulfillment  of  the  duties  of  that 
office,  and  has  neither  time  nor  opportunity  to  en- 
gage in  public  enterprises,  although  he  is  greatly 
interested  in  all  measures  tending  toward  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  county. 

While  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law,  Judge 
Lacey  had  the  largest  clientage  in  the  county, 
and  during  many  sessions  of  the  court  had  more 
cases  on  the  docket  than  all  the  other  lawyers  com- 
bined. The  good  health  he  has  always  enjoyed 
is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  by  farm  work  in 
youth  he  developed  an  excellent  physique  and  a 
robust  constitution.  After  leaving  college  he  de- 
voted himself  perseveringly  to  the  task  of  learn- 
ing the  German  language,  and  soon  mastered  the 
tongue  sufficiently  to  be  able  to  read  German  al- 
most as  readily  as  English.  He  has  read  the  works 
of  a  large  number  of  the  great  German  writers  in 
history,  poetry,  romance  and  science. 

May  9,  1860,  Judge  Lyman  Lacey  and  Miss  Caro- 
line A.  Potter,  of  Beardstown,  this  state,  were 
united  in  marriage.  The  lady  survived  her  union 
only  three  years,  and  at  her  death,  September  12, 
1863,  left  one  son,  Lyman,  Jr.,  now  a  prominent 
attorney-at-law  in  Havana.  The  Judge  was  again 
married,  May  19,  1865,  his  wife  being  Miss  Mattie 
A.  Warner,  of  this  city.  To  them  were  born  seven 
children:  Charles,  Frank,  Mattie,  Edward,  Alice  G. 
John  and  Fannie  F.,  the  last  two  dying  in  infancy. 
Mrs.  Lacey  is  a  lady  of  culture,  very  popular 
among  her  associates,  and  is  prominent  in  the  so- 
cial affairs  of  the  city. 


P.  KROLL,  Superintendent  and 
yeast  maker  of  the  American  Distilling 
Company,  was  born  in  this  city  September 
2,  1859,  while  his  father,  Jacob  Kroll,  is  a  native 
of  Germany.  The  latter  is  a  miller  by  trade,  and 


206 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


coming  to  America  when  a  single  man,  located  in 
this  city  and  engaged  in  milling,  which  business 
he  is  still  carrying  on,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two 
years.  His  wife  was  Miss  Margaret  Kiel  prior  to 
her  marriage,  and  was  also  born  in  German}'. 

Of  the  five  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jacob 
Kroll,  our  subject  is  the  eldest  but  one.  He  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  Pekin  until  reaching 
his  fifteenth  year,  when  he  began  work  in  the  Ris- 
inger  Distillery.  Later  he  found  employment  in 
the  Hamburg  Distillery,  where  he  was  yeast  maker, 
and  continued  to  hold  that  position  until  1890, 
when  the  company  was  compelled  to  close  out  its 
business.  Our  subject  then  accepted  the  same  posi- 
tion with  the  American  Distilling  Company,  in^ 
winch  he  is  a  stockholder.  It  was  organized  in  the 
spring  of  1892,  since  which  time  Mr.  Kroll  has 
been  its  Superintendent,  and  has  the  entire  over- 
sight of  the  establishment. 

George  P.  Kroll  and  Miss  Frances  A.  Leach  were 
united  in  marriage  in  this  city  in  1888.  The  lady 
was  born  here,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Anson  and 
Amanda  M.  Leach,  early  residents  of  this  locality. 
In  social  affairs  our  subject  is  a  charter  member  of 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  takes  a 
prominent  part  in  all  matters  calculated  to  benefit 
the  city.  lie  is  one  of  the  wide-awake  business 
men,  and  has  the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he 
has  been  brought  in  contact. 


I®. 


•H--M-************ 


EH.  HURLEY.     The  gentleman  whose  name 
we  place  at  the  head  of  this  sketch  is  the 
efficient  agent  for  the  Atchison,  Topeka  & 
Santa  Fe   Railroad  Company,  stationed   at  Pekin. 
lie  is  a  native  of  Iowa,  having  been    born  in  Van 
Buren  County,  November  11,  1847,  and  is  the  son 
of  Dr.  John  Hurley,  who  is  a  native  of  Champaign 
County,  Ohio. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  David 
Hurley,  was  born  in  New  Jerse}'.  Early  in  life  he 
removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. Later  he  removed  to  Louisa  County,  Iowa, 


where  he  was  also  an  agriculturist,  and  where  he 
remained  until  his  death.  Dr.  John  Hurley  com- 
pleted his  medical  studies  in  the  Medical  College 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio, and  removing  to  Iowa,  was  en- 
gaged in  practice  in  Louisa  County.  He  was  one 
of  the  pioneer  phj'sicians,  and  his  services  were  in 
demand  throughout  Van  Buren,  Davis  and  Louisa 
Counties.  During  the  late  war  he  was  surgeon  of 
the  Forty-fifth  Iowa  Infantry,  and  departed  this 
life  in  the  last-named  county. 

Mrs.  Jane  (Hearn)  Hurley,  the  mother  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Salisbury,  Md.,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  Ebenezer  Hearn,  also  a  native  of  that 
state,  whence  he  later  removed  to  Iowa  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Van  Buren  County.  To  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Jane  Hurley  was  born  a  family  of  four 
sons  and  one  daughter,  namely:  A.  E.,  who  is  . 
a  civil  engineer  in  Iowa;  E.  H.,  of  this  sketch; 
David,  who  is  foreman  in  the  car  shops  of  the  Santa 
Fe  Road  at  Albuquerque,  N.  Mex.;  J.  E.,  Assistant 
Superintendent  of  the  Chicago  Division  of  the 
Santa  Fe,  located  at  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa,  and  Jose- 
phine, now  Mrs.  C.  E.  Toole, of  Davis  County,  Iowa. 

E.  H.,  of  this  sketch,  received  his  primary  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  of  Wapello,  Louisa 
County,  Iowa,  and  later  attended  first  the  Ml. 
Pleasant  and  afterward  the  Wesleyan  Methodist 
Episcopal  College.  When  eighteen  years  of  age 
he  began  the  study  of  civil  engineering,  and  soon 
began  operations  in  the  field  for  the  Burlington, 
Cedar  Rapids  &  Northern  Railway  Compan}',  and 
later  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington &  Quincy  Railroad  in  some  four  or  five 
different  states.  la  1880  Mr.  Hurley  went  to  Mex- 
ico, and  in  the  city  of  that  name  acted  as  assistant 
engineer,  having  in  charge  a  party  of  workmen  in 
the  field.  Three  years  later  he  returned  north, 
and  going  to  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  began  railroad  con- 
tracting and  building  on  his  own  account.  He  was 
thus  employed  for  about  eight  years,  during  which 
time  he  was  on  the  road  all  the  time,  superintend- 
ing his  workmen.  His  operations  covered  a  large 
territory,  and  included  the  states  of  Arkansas, 
Texas,  Tennessee,  Kansas,  Missouri,  Michigan,  Wis- 
consin and  Illinois.  In  1891  Mr.  Hurley  came  to 
Pekin,  and  in  March  of  that  year  was  appointed  to 
the  position  of  assistant  agent  in  the  freight  de- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


207 


partment  of  the  Santa  Fe  route.  In  August,  1893, 
he  was  made  agent  of  the  company,  which  posi- 
tion he  is  still  occupying,  giving  entire  satisfac- 
tion to  his  employers. 


jILLIAM  BLAND.  The  original  of  this 
sketch,  to  which  our  attention  is  now  di- 
rected, is  a  prominent  business  man  who 
has  already  made  a  name  for  himself  among  the 
railroad  men  of  the  cit}'  of  Pekin.  He  is  one  of 
the  best  informed  freight  men  along  the  lines  of 
the  Big  Four  Road,  which  he  represents  as  agent, 
and  is  highly  respected  and  regarded  as  a  man  of 
sound  judgment. 

A  native  of  Ohio,  our  subject  was  born  in  Mil- 
ford  Centre,  Union  County,  November  10,  1852, 
and  is  the  son  of  Peter  Bland,  also  a  native  of  that 
place,  while  his  father,  Solomon  Bland,  came  from 
Virginia.  During  the  late  war  Peter  Bland  served 
in  an  Ohio  regiment,  and  on  the  close  of  hostili- 
ties returned  to  his  farming  pursuits,  which  he 
carried  on  until  his  decease,  in  1870.  He  was  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  was  regarded  as  a  man 
of  true  worth  in  his  community.  The  lady  to 
whom  he  was  married  was  Miss  Eliza  Reed;  she 
was  also  a  native  of  the  Buckej'e  State,  where  her 
decease  occurred  in  1861.  She  became  the  mother 
of  seven  children,  of  whom  William,  our  subject, 
was  the  third  in  order  of  birth.  He  passed  the 
first  seventeen  years  of  his  life  on  his  father's 
farm,  in  the  meantime  prosecuting  his  studies, 
first  in  the  district  school,  and  later  at  Marysville. 
When  ready  to  earn  his  own  livelihood,  he  learned 
the  art  of  telegraphy  at  Milford,  on  the  Pan 
Handle  Road,  and  nine  months  later  removed  to 
Indianapolis,  where  he  secured  a  position  as  opera- 
tor on  the  Big  Four.  After  holding  that  position 
for  some  time,  he  was  transferred  to  the  freight 
department  as  clerk,  and  for  three  years  there- 
after was  Chief  Clerk. 

In  1884  Mr.  Bland  came  to  Pekin  as  agent  for 
the  Indianapolis,  Bloomington  &  Western,  which 
road  in  18!)0  was  changed  to  the  Cleveland,  Cin- 
cinnati, Chicago  &  St.  Louis.  He  has  since  been 


in  their  employ  as  passenger  and  freight  agent, 
which  position  he  is  filling  with  distinguished 
ability.  He  is  a  man  of  unassuming  manner,  hon- 
est in  all  his  dealings  with  his  follow-men,  and 
possesses  the  confidence  of  his  employers. 

In  1884  while  residing  in  Indianapolis,  our  sub- 
ject was  married  to  Miss  Lillie  Campbell.  She 
departed  this  life  two  years  later,  and  January  16, 
1890,  Mr.  Bland  chose  for  his  second  companion 
Miss  Gertie,  daughter  of  A.  Pautz.  Their  union 
has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  a  son  and  daugh- 
ter, Willis  and  Mabel.  Socially,  our  subject  is  a 
charter  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  and  is  likewise  connected  with  the 
National  Union.  In  politics  he  has  always  sup- 
ported the  Republican  party,  and  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  prominent  and  valued  residents  of  the 
city. 


]JE  W.  CRESS,  widely  known  as  one 
of  the  largest  importers  of  thoroughbred 
horses  in  Tazewell  County,  and  numbered 
among  the  successful  citizens  of  Washington,  was 
born  in  Woodford  County,  111.,  April  5, 1846.  His 
father,  Andrew  Cress,  was  the  son  of  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  1812,  and  was  born  in  Virginia  Au- 
gust 7,  1809.  Thence  in  1833  he  came  to  Wood- 
ford  County,  111.,  and  in  the  year  following  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Kindig.  also  a 
native  of  the  Old  Dominion. 

Becoming  the  owner  of  large  tracts  of  land  in 
Woodford  County,  Andrew  Cress  engaged  in 
stock-raising  and  amassed  a  large  fortune.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  generous,  cordial,  kind- 
hearted  and  refined  gentlemen  to  be  found  in  Illi- 
nois, and  the  success  which  he  attained  was  the  re- 
sult of  merit.  His  death  was  sudden  and  the  re- 
sult of  an  accident,  he  having  been  thrown  from  a 
sleigh  and  run  over  by  a  team  which  was  trying 
to  pass  him.  His  loss  was  deeply  mourned  by  all 
who  knew  him,  for  his  many  noble  qualities  of 
character  won  him  the  esteem  of  his  large  circle  of 
acquaintances. 

Of  five  sons,  two  are  older  than  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  Benjamin  K.,  a  resident  of  Wood- 


208 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ford  County,  is  extensively  engaged  in  stock- 
raising.  P.  M.  is  engaged  in  the  stock  importing 
business.  A.  J.,  who  formerly  imported  stock,  is 
now  living  retired  on  his  farm  one  and  one-half 
miles  from  Washington.  C.  P.  has  also  retired 
from  the  importing  business;  he  now  makes  his 
home  in  Washington  and  is  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business.  The  five  sons  were  educated  in  the  local 
schools  and  in  youth  were  thoroughly  trained  in 
the  stock  business,  which  they  chose  for  their  life 
occupation. 

In  1881,  at  the  age  of  twent3'-two  years,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  settled  on  a  farm  near  Wash- 
ington and  with  one  of  his  brothers  engaged  in 
the  stock  importing  business.  Scon  the  firm  of 
Cress  Bros,  became  known  as  the  largest  importers 
in  this  part  of  the  state.  After  some  time  the3' 
dissolved  partnership  and  our  subject  entered  into 
business  alone.  He  was  the  first  to  import  Shet- 
land ponies  into  this  section.  His  large  stables 
are  situated  in  Washington  near  his  elegant  resi- 
dence. 

In  the  public  affairs  of  the  cit3'  and  county,  Mr. 
Cress  has  filled  many  positions  of  trust  and  re- 
sponsibility. For  twelve  years  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Education.  For  three  terms  in  suc- 
cession he  served  as  Alderman,  but  before  the  ex- 
piration of  the  third  term  he  was  elected  Mayor. 
In  that  responsible  position  he  served  with  credit 
to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constitu- 
ents. Socially,  he  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason 
and  is  the  present  Master  of  Taylor  Lodge  of 
Washington.  In  the  Eastern  Star  he  is  a  promi- 
nent member,  being  Worthy  Patron  of  that  order, 
and  is  now  Past  Chancellor  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias.  With  his  family  he  holds  membership  in 
the  Christian  Church. 

February  20,  1868,  Mr.  Cress  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Celia  A.  Thompson,  a  native  of 
Ohio.  Her  parents,  William  P.  and  Mary  (Kizer) 
Thompson,  were  born  respectively  in  Pennsylva- 
nia and  Virginia,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1850. 
The  mother  is  now  deceased;  the  father  resides  in 
Washington.  The  only  brother  of  Mrs.  Cress, 
Elijah  M.  Thompson,  is  a  prominent  farmer  living 
in  Hancock  County,  111.  Mr. and  Mrs.  Cress  have 
had  five  children,  one  of  whom,  a  son,  died  in  in- 


fancy. Oriana  is  the  wife  of  James  C.  Crane,  of  St. 
Louis;  Laura  I.,  Maona  and  Clyde  L.  are  at  home 
with  their  parents.  The  children  are  refined  and 
well  educated,  the  eldest  daughter  having  been  a 
student  at  the  Normal  School  at  Normal,  and  for 
three  years  prior  to  her  marriage  engaged  in 
teaching;  the  other  daughters  are  graduates  of  the 
high  school. 


ENRY  DUISDIEKER.  The  genial  and  popu- 
lar  proprietor  of  the  Deimonico  Restaurant 
in  Pekin  is  agent  for  theFleischmann  Com- 
pressed  Yeast  Company.  He  was  born  in 
Leer,  Ostfriesland,  Germany,  July  17,  1848,  and  is 
the  son  of  Christ  Duisdieker,  also  a  native  of  that 
country,  where  he  was  a  prominent  railroad  con- 
tractor, and  died  while  completing  work  at  Ilons- 
dorf  in  Lauenburg.  His  wife,  Mrs.  Wilhelmina 
(I)umpelman)  Duisdieker,  was  born  in  Schwelm, 
Prussia,  whence  she  later  removed  to  Hanover 
with  her  parents,  and  is  still  living  in  that  place. 

Our  subject  has  one  brother  living,  Edward,  who 
occupies  a  position  in  the  State  Bank  of  Hanover. 
The  former  was  given  a  good  education  in  his  na- 
tive tongue,  and  when  fourteen  years  of  age  was 
confirmed  in  the  Lutheran  Church  in  Leer.  Go- 
ing to  Hanover,  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  gardener 
in  the  King's  garden,  after  which  he  was  for  two 
years  employed  at  Graf,  Schwiechel.  He  then  se- 
cured a  better  position  at  Lammershagen,  near 
Kiel,  Holstein,  where  he  remained  until  drafted 
into  the  army.  A  soldier's  life  not  being  exactly 
suited  to  his  tastes,  he  went  to  England  and  from 
there  came  to  America. 

The  first  work  secured  by  Mr.  Duisdieker  in  this 
country  was  as  gardener  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  but 
after  a  short  sojourn  there  he  came  west  to  Chi- 
cago, and  from  there  proceeded  to  Morns,  III., 
where  he  was  employed  as  gardener  for  a  year. 
At  the  end  of  that  time- he  went  to  St.  Louis  and 
was  employed  as  clerk  for  different  firms  until 
1881,  when  he  returned  to  Germany  on  a  visit. 

Mr.  Duisdieker  remained  in  his  native  land  for 
nine  months,  and  while  at  home  was  told  that  he 
had  relatives  living  in  Pekin,  this  state.  In  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


209 


fall  of  that  year  lie  again  came  to  the  New  World, 
this  time  his  destination  being  Pekin,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  lie  bought  out  the  New  City  Bak- 
ery,  which  he  operated  with  great  success  for  two 
years,  and  then  changed  the  name  to  the  Delmonieo 
Restaurant.  It  is  first-class  in  every  respect,  and 
its  proprietor  takes  great  pride  in  keeping  it  one 
of  the  best  in  the  city. 

In  the  year  1883  Miss  Augustus  Kucken  became 
the  wife  of  our  subject.  She  was  born  in  Dayton, 
Ohio,  and  was  the  daughter  of  William  Kucken. 
Mrs.  Duisdieker  was  drowned  in  the"Frankie  Fol- 
som"  wreck  at  Peoria,  in  July,  1892.  The  body 
was  recovered  and  buried  in  Daylon,  Ohio.  She 
was  a  member  of  Rebecca  Degree,  I.  ().  O.  F.,  of 
Pekin.  In  social  affairs  our  subject  is  a  Royal 
Arch  Mason,  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  United  Work- 
man. In  religious  affairs  he  belongs  to  the  Luth- 
eran Church,  and  in  politics  always  casts  a  Repub- 
lican vote.  He  ranks  as  a  noticeable  illustration 
of  that  indomitable  push  and  energy  which  char- 
acterize men  of  will  and  determination,  and  is 
looked  upon  by  the  business  men  of  Pekin  as  one 
worth}-  of  the  front  rank. 


|EORGE  E.  BARNES,  who  carries  on  general 
on  section  30,  Forest  City  Town- 
i  a  native  of  the  Old  Granite  State, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Lineboro,  on  the 
5th  of  September,  1832.  The  family  was  founded 
in  America  by  three  brothers  who  crossed  the  At- 
lantic from  England,  one  settling  in  the  south,  one 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  one  in  New  England.  The 
last  was  the  ancestor  of  our  subject.  The  grand- 
parents, William  and  Abigail  Barnes,  were  both  na- 
tives of  New  Hampshire,  and  the  father,  Nathan 
Barnes,  was  born  in  Ilillsboro  County,  N.  II.  He 
married  Sarah  E.  Evans,  a  native  of  the  Granite 
State.  Her  parents,  however,  were  born,  reared 
and  married  in  Massachusetts. 

Nathan  Barnes  removed  from  Lineboro  to  Green- 
field, N.  II.,  where  he  followed  farming  with  his 
father  until  1851,  when  he  became  a  resident  of 
Bunker  Hill,  III.  His  death  occurred  in  1871,  but 
his  widow  still  survives  him.  Both  belonged  to 


the  Baptist  Church,  in  which  Mr.  Barnes  long 
served  as  Deacon.  He  was  also  much  interested 
in  the  cause  of  education,  and  lived  an  honorable, 
upright  life,  which  made  his  word  as  good  as  his 
bond.  In  the  family  were  ten  children,  seven  of 
whom  are  yet  living,  and  three  of  the  sons  served 
in  the  Civil  War:  Asaph,  who  is  now  living  in  Ma- 
coupin  County;  Almun,  of  Mason  County;  and 
Joseph,  of  Sumner  County,  Kan. 

Mr.  Barnes  of  this-  sketch  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Greenfield,  N.  II.,  and  with  his  father  came 
to  Illinois,  lie  began  earning  his  own  livelihood 
on  attaining  his  majority,  but  lived  at  home  until 
twenty-three  years  of  age.  On  the  7th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1854,  he  wedded  Clarissa  II.  Hovey,  daughter 
of  Peres  Gilbert  Ilovey,  who  was  born  September 
25,  1795.  His  father,  Gideon  Ilovey,  was  a  son  of 
Daniel  mid  Content  (Ramsdell)  Hovey,  and  was  a 
Lieutenant  of  Captain  Town's  Cam])  at  Lexing- 
ton. His  death  occurred  in  1776.  He  was  a  son 
of  Daniel  and  Mchitable  (Bridges)  Hovey,  and 
Daniel's  parents  were  Daniel  and  Mercy  Hovey. 
The  father  was  born  June  22,  1665,  and  in  1722 
bought  a  farm  on  Long  Hill,  where  he  and  his  de- 
scendants lived  for  more  than  a  hundred  years. 
He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  died  March  7, 
1742.  His  wife  died  March  30,  1743.  The  mother 
of  Mrs.  Barnes,  Clarisa  (Packard)  Hovey,  was  born 
Decemter  2,  1803,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Mayo 
Packard,  of  Oxford,  Mass.  He  was  born  Septem- 
ber 25,  1795. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Barnes  were  married  Decem- 
ber 4,  1821,  and  to  them  were  born  the  following 
children:  Daniel  W.,  Gideon,  Mrs.  Mary  G.  Lan- 
caster, Clarissa  H.,  James  II.,  Mrs.  Eliza  J.  Ness, 
Mrs.  Olive  J.  Wilson  and  Mrs.  Sarah  II.  Manley. 
Mrs.  Barnes  was  born  September  3,  1835,  and  was 
educated  in  Bunker  Hill.  Seven  children  graced 
the  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife,  four  yet 
living:  Alice,  who  is  the  wife  of  Walter  Lancaster, 
of  Nebraska,  and  has  two  children;  Edward  J.t 
who  married  Nellie  Allen,  and  has  one  child;  Nel- 
lie, wife  of  John  Evans,  of  Forest  City  Township, 
by  whom  she  has  two  children;  and  Leona,  at 
home.  Two  of  the  family  died  in  infancy,  and 
George  P.  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-two. 

Mr.    and    Mrs.  Barnes  came    to  Mason  County 


210 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


thirty-seven  years  ago  and  settled  upon  the  farm 
which  is  still  their  home.  It  wasswampy  land,  but 
our  subject  drained  it  and  transformed  it  into  a  fine 
farm.  It  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine 
and  a-half  acres,  and  is  improved  with  all  modern 
conveniences  and  accessories.  He  successfully  car- 
ries on  general  farming,  and  reaps  therefrom  a 
good  income.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
for  more  than  twelve  years  he  has  served  as  School 
Director.  Both  he  and  his 'wife  are  members  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  and  are  highly  respected  peo- 
ple, who  have  many  warm  friends  in  the  commu- 
nity. 


JLLIAM   J.   CONZELMAN,   a   popular 
younar  business  man   of  Pekin,  and   well 

J  n 

known  as  aft  expert  accountant,  is  head 
bookkeeper  for  the  Globe  Distilling  Company. 
Born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  May  20,  1865,  he  is  the  son 
of  Dr.  John  Conzelman,  a  native  of  Stuttgart, 
Wurtemberg,  Germany,  and  a  graduate  of  a  medi- 
cal college  at  that  place.  When  a  young  man  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic  and  opened  an  office  in  St. 
Louis,  where  for  forty  consecutive  years  he  con- 
ducted a  large  and  lucrative  professional  practice. 
During  the  late  war  he  served  for  two  years  as  sur- 
geon in  a  Missouri  regiment  and  aided  the  Union 
cause  to  the  full  extent  of  his  ability,  being  a  man 
of  loyal  spirit,  who  ever  displayed  the  utmost  de- 
votion to  his  adopted  home. 

A  man  of  great  benevolence  and  kindly  spirit, 
Dr.  Conzelman  often  responded  to  calls  from  the 
destitute,  although  there  could  be  no  hope  for  re- 
muneration. He  was  as  careful  in  the  treatment 
of  his  patients  among  the  poor  as  among  the  rich, 
and  in  his  efforts  to  aid  them  in  regaining  health 
was  self-sacrificing  to  the  extreme.  When  he  died, 
in  1888,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years,  the  poor 
and  needy  mourned  his  loss  as  much  as  did  the 
wealthy  and  prosperous.  A  Republican  in  polit- 
ical views,  he  was  a  prominent;  member  of  that 
party,  and  was  active  in  its  councils. 

As   School    Director,  Dr.    Conzelman    deserves 


special  mention.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  public  school  library  in  St.  Louis,  and  was  also 
the  prime  factor  in  securing  the  introduction  of 
the  German  language  in  the  St.  Louis  schools.  To 
this  day  the  impetus  given  the  schools  of  that  city 
by  his  tireless  efforts  is  resulting  in  great  good  to 
the  cause  of  education  there.  Himself  a  man  of 
broad  education,  he  appreciated  its  value  and  was 
desirous  of  giving  the  children  of  his  city  the  best 
opportunities  possible.  He  was  a  fluent  linguist, 
and  was  able  to  converse  in  eleven  different  lan- 
guages. While  a  resident  of  Germany  the  degrees 
of  A.  B.,  A.  M.  and  M.  D.  were  conferred  upon 
him. 

In  Hermann,  Mo.,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Conzelman  and  Miss  Louisa  Graf.  The  latter  was 
born  in  Switzerland,  and  at  the  age  of  ten  years 
accompanied  her  father,  Jacob  Graf,  to  the  United 
States,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  near  Her- 
mann, Mo.  She  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home 
in  the  West  End,  St.  Louis.  Her  family  numbered 
ten  children,  and  nine  of  the  number  are  now  liv- 
ing. Of  these  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth  is  Will- 
iam J.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  St.  Louis,  and  in  1882  was  graduated 
from  Central  High  School  in  the  classical  course. 

Entering  upon  a  business  career,  Mr.  Conzelman 
became  an  employe  of  the  Simmons  Hardware 
Company,  with  whom  he  remained  for  seven  years, 
being  salesman  and  bookkeeper.  In  1889  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  salesman  for  E.  II.  Lindley, 
but  two  years  later  entered  the  real-estate  business 
in  St.  Louis,  continuing  thus  engaged  for  two 
years.  In  April,  1892,  he  came  to  Pekin,  and  was 
with  the  Star  &.  Crescent  Company  until  the  Globe 
Distilling  Company  was  formed,  when  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  latter  firm  and  has  since  been 
head  bookkeeper. 

October,  21,  1891,  at  Pekin,  Mr.  Conzelman  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Bertha,  daughter  of 
John  and  Ernestine  Herget,  prominent  residents 
of  this  city.  Mrs.  Conzelman  was  born  and  edu- 
cated in  Pekin  and  is  a  highly  accomplished  lady, 
possessing  refined  tastes  and  superior  culture.  In 
her  beautiful  home  often  gather  for  social  inter- 
course the  friends  whom  she  and  her  husband  have 
drawn  around  them  by  their  genial  natures  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


211 


kindly  hospitality.  They  stand  high  in  social  cir- 
cles and  are  active  in  religious  work  as  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South.  Polit- 
ically, he  gives  his  support  to  the  Republican 
party  and  the  principles  for  which  it  stands. 


eHRISTIAN  HELLEMANN,  JB.,  owns  and 
operates  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty  acres  on  section  26,  Elm  Grove 
Township,  Tazewell  County,  and  is  regarded  as 
one  of  the  wide-awake  and  enterprising  young 
men  of  the  community.  His  land  is  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  and  the  neat  and  thrifty  ap- 
pearance of  the  place  indicates  the  careful  super- 
vision of  the  owner.  The  farm  is  also  improved  with 
a  good  residence,  barns  and  other  outbuildings, 
which  add  to  its  value  and  attractive  appearance. 

Mr.  Helleruann  was  born  in  Tremont  December 
17,  1860,  and  is  one  of  six  children  whose  parents 
were  Christian  and  Dorothy  (Stamme)  Hellemann. 
The  father  was  born  in  Brunswick,  Germany,  No- 
vember 13,  1831,  and  landed  in  this  country  on 
his  twenty-second  birthday.  He  located  in  St. 
Louis,  where  he  lived  for  a  year,  and  then  spent 
two  years  in  farm  work.  In  the  spring  of  1857 
he  came  to  Illinois  and  entered  the  employ  of  Col. 
Peter  Mcnard,  of  Elm  Grove  Township.  He  was 
married  September  18,  1859,  to  Miss  Stamme,  a1 
native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  who  crossed  the 
Atlantic  in  1857.  They  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  a  farm,  and  since  1869  have  resided  upon 
the  farm  which  is  yet  their  home.  The  six  chil- 
dren of  the  family  are:  Julia,  wife  of  Charles 
Giffhorn,  of  Columbia,  111.;  Mary,  wife  of  John 
Paupenhausen;  Frederick,  at  home;  Matilda,  wife 
Fred  Becker,  of  Tremont;  Anna,  at  home;  and 
Christian, .of  this  sketch. 

Our  subject  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Taze- 
well County  and  is  one  of  its  well  known  citizens. 
He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  at 
the  age  of  twenty-two  he  started  out  in  life  for 
himself,  giving  his  attention  to  the  pursuit  to 
which  he  was  reared.  He  has  made  it  his  life  woVk. 
On  the  21st  of  June,  1887,  he  was  united  in  mar- 


riage with  Miss  Jeanette  McLean,  daughter  of 
Franklin  J.and  Mary  J.  (Sample)  McLean.  She 
was  born  in  Elm  Grove  Township,  as  was  her  fa- 
ther, and  is  one  of  five  children,  three  of  whom 
are  now  deceased.  Her  sister  Mary  J.  now  resides 
with  Mrs.  Hellemann.  Mabel  died  in  February, 
1886.  Annie  Laura  and  Annie  Belle  both  died  in 
infancy.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  three  sons, 
Frank  McLean,  Charles  Frederick  and  John  Chris- 
tian. 

In  1891  Mr.  Hellemann  was  elected  Township 
Clerk  of  Elm  Grove  Township  and  has  since  been 
twice  elected  to  that  office,  which  he  now  fills  with 
credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  constitu- 
ents. He  was  also  Township  Collector  in  1885 
and  1886,  and  in  the  spring  of  1894  he  was  elected 
Supervisor  of  the  township.  His  right  of  franchise 
is  exercised  in  support  of  the  Democracy.  In  the 
county  where  his  entire  life  has  been  passed  he  is 
widely  known  and  enjoys  the  confidence  and  good 
will  of  all. 


AMUEL  G.  EYRSE,  Vicc-President  of  the 
State  Bank  of  San  Jose,  and  a  prominent 
citizen  of  this  village,  is  the  son  of  Henry 
and  Margaret  (Gillespie)  Eyrse,  natives  of 
Virginia.  In  the  Old  Dominion  he  was  born  June 
3,  1830,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren. Only  three  now  survive:  himself;  John  11., 
of  Peoria,  111.;  and  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Gay,  of  Pekin, 
111.  The  mother  of  this  family  died  in  Virginia  in 
1835.  The  father  came  to  Illinois  in  1856  and 
died  in  Pekin  two  years  afterward.  He  and  his 
good  wife  were  devoted  members  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church. 

At  the  age  of  nine  years  our  subject,  on  account 
of  his  mother's  death,  was  compelled  to  go  among 
strangers,  and  few  advantages  fell  to  his  lot  in 
childhood,  for  his  hours  were  passed  in  dreary  and 
unceasing  toil.  After  having  assisted  in  farm 
work  until  a  lad  of  fifteen,  he  then  commenced  to 
learn  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  which  he  followed 
for  four  years  in  Virginia.  In  1849  he  went  to 
Ohio  and  sojourned  a  short  time  in  Cincinnati, 
from  which  place  he  went  to  Lafayette,  I  nd.  In 


212 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1850  he  came  toPekin,  III.,  where  the  ensuing  four 
years  were  spent.  The  year  1854  witnessed  his 
arrival  in  Mason  County,  where  he  settled  in 
Allen's  Grove  Township,  and  worked  at  his  trade 
here  for  two  years. 

In  connection  with  his  brother,  our  subject  in 
1851.  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Taze- 
well  County,  but  three  years  later  he  disposed  of  his 
interest  in  the  property  and  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  in  Allen's  Grove  Township, 
Mason  County.  He  has  since  engaged  in  farming, 
and  buys  and  ships  grain  in  large  amounts.  As  he 
has  prospered  he  has  added  to  his  first  purchase 
until  he  now  owns  four  hundred  and  three  acres. 
In  1892,  when  the  State  Bank  of  San  Jose  was  es- 
tablished, he  was  one  of  the  Directors  and  stock- 
holders, and  in  1894  was  chosen  V ice-President, 
which  honored  position  he  is  now  filling.  The 
bank  was  opened  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000 
and  does  business  in  a  substantial  brick  structure, 
the  second  floor  of  which  is  utilized  as  an  opera 
house. 

In  the  Old  Dominion  occurred  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Kyrse  and  Miss  Mary  .1.  Cross,  their  wedding 
being  solemnized  March  6,  1856.  This  lady  is  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Cross)  Cross,  na- 
tives of  Virginia,  where  her  birth  occurred  Janu- 
aiy  22,  1835.  She  is  one  of  two  children,  the 
other,  Thomas  II.,  being  now  a  resident  of  Chero- 
kee County,  Kan.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eyrse  are  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  the  following 
survive:  Martha  E.;  Marietta,  the  wife  of  Henry 
Connett,  of  Mason  County;  Henry  T.,  who  married 
Clara  Patterson  and  lives  in  this  county;  Charles 
S.,  James  H.  and  John  L.,  who  reside  with  their 
parents.  George  W.  is  deceased.  The  children 
were  given  excellent  educational  privileges  and 
received  such  home  training  as  will  make  them 
honored  citizens.  Mrs.  Eyrse  is  identified  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  San  Jose. 

In  politics  a  Democrat,  Mr.  Eyrse  has  filled  a 
number  of  local  offices,  but  is  not  solicitous  for 
office,  preferring  to  devote  his  energies  to  business 
interests.  Beginning  in  life  poor,  without  friends, 
compelled  to  spend  his  childhood  days  among 
strangers,  his  life  affords  an  illustration  of  what 
industry  and  good  management  will  accomplish. 


He  has  succeeded  beyond  the  cherished  dreams  of 
youth  and  has  gained  not  only  material  prosperity, 
but  also  the  confidence  of  his  associates  and  the 
esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 


DAM  KUMPF,  a  successful  business  man 
of  Pekin,und  the  present  Alderman  of  the 

//  (i  First  Ward,  was  born  in  Waterloo,  Mon- 
roe County,  1 11.,  July  17,  1852.  He  is  the 
son  of  Michael  Kumpf,  a  native  of  German}'  and 
a  wagon-maker  by  trade,  who  in  early  manhood 
crossed  the  Atlantic  and  proceeded  direct  to  Illi- 
nois, where  he  engaged  in  work  at  his  trade  and 
carried  on  a  wagon  shop.  The  year  1868  wit- 
nessed his  arrival  in  Tazewell  County  from  his 
former  home  in  Waterloo,  and  settling  in  Pekin, 
he  followed  his  chosen  occupation  until  his  death 
which  occurred  in  this  city  in  1883.  His  widow, 
now  a  resident  of  Pekin,  was  born  in  Germany 
and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Stetzer. 

In  the  family  of  Michael  and  Catherine  Kumpf 
there  were  six  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom 
Adam  is  the  eldest.  In  the  public  schools  of  Water- 
loo he  gained  a  practical  education  and  at  the  age 
of  fourteen  commenced  to  work  at  the  trade  of  a 
wagon-maker,  following  that  occupation  for  seven 
years.  When  the  family  came  to  Pekin  in  1868 
he  accompanied  them  hither  and  secured  employ- 
ment in  the  wood  department  of  the  Smith  it 
Weyrich  Header  Works.  After  one  year  spent  in 
that  way  he  entered  the  restaurant  and  saloon 
business,  for  a  time  remaining  in  the  employ  of 
others,  and  in  1878  embarking  in  that  enterprise 
for  himself.  Since  that  year  he  has  followed  that 
business  with  such  success  that  he  has  gained  an 
enviable  reputation  in  his  chosen  line  and  has  also 
secured  flattering  pecuniary  results. 

Having  invested  his  earnings  with  good  judg- 
ment, Mr.  Kumpf  is  now  the  owner  of  a  commo- 
dious and  attractive  new  residence  on  St.  Mary's 
Street,  in  addition  to  three  substantial  houses  in 
this  city.  His  home  is  presided  over  by  his  amia- 
ble wife,  with  whom  he  was  united  at  Pekin  in 
1877.  In  maidenhood  she  was  known  as  Chris- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


213 


tina  Nagel.  A  native  of  Germany,  she  was  brought 
to  the  United  States  in  childhood,  and  was  reared 
to  womanhood  in  Pekin.  Three  children  have 
blessed  the  union,  Annie,  Emma  and  Louis  Adam. 
A  Democrat  in  politics,  Mr.  Kumpf  is  prominent 
in  the  ranks  of  his  chosen  party,  and  since  the 
spring  of  1893  lias  served  as  Alderman  of  the  First 
Ward.  In  the  City  Council  he  has  rendered  ac- 
ceptable service  as  member  and  Chairman  of  va- 
rious committees.  Socially  he  is  connected  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  has 
represented  the  lodge  in  the  Grand  Lodge.  He  is 
also  identified  with  the  encampment.  The  Knights 
and  Ladies  of  Honor  have  in  him  one  of  their  in- 
fluential members,  and  he  is  also  prominently 
connected  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  He  was 
commissioned  Sergeant  of  the  Fourth  Regiment 
and  has  been  active  in  the  various  fraternal  or- 
ganizations of  the  city. 


•S******  *+**+•!••»•+ 


HI  LIP  MARQUARDT.  The  life  of  this 
gentleman  shows  in  a  striking  manner 
what  can  be  accomplished  by  persistence 
and  diligence, '  coupled  with  excellent 
judgment  and  honesty.  From  the  position  of  a 
poor  boy  lie  has  arisen  to  an  honorable  rank  as  a 
business  man  and  progressive  citizen,  and  to-day 
Pekin  has  no  resident  more  highly  esteemed  than 
is  he.  A  member  of  the  firm  of  Marquardt  &  Lam- 
pitt,  he  does  an  extensive  business  as  a  contractor 
in  brick  and  stone  work. 

In  Sandbach,  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  the 
subject  of  this  biographical  sketch  was  born  July 
16, 1845.  His  father,  Philip,  and  his  grandfather, 
Philip,  were  born  in  the  same  city  as  was  he,  and 
both  were  expert  stone  cutters.  The  father  died 
at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years,  in  1852,  his  death 
being  caused  by  the  accidental  falling  of  a  stone 
upon  him.  The  mother,  Elizabeth,  was  a  daughter 
of  Philip  Marquardt,  who  though  bearing  the  same 
name  was  not  related  to  the  other  family.  He  was 


a  farmer  and  served  in  the  war  of  1813-15.  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Marquardt  passed  away  at  the  age  of 
forty-two  years. 

In  the  parental  family  there  were  six  children, 
but  only  two  are  now  living,  our  subject  and  Adam, 
the  latter  being  a  farmer  at  North  Falls,  Stanton 
County,  Neb.  The  former,  who  was  third  in  order 
of  birth,  was  reared  in  his  native  land,  and  under 
the  tutelage  of  his  mother's  second  husband,  John 
Marquardt,  learned  the  trade  of  a  stone  mason. 
From  the  age  of  thirteen  he  worked  at  his  trade 
in  Sandbach  and  Frankfort-on-the-Main.  In  the 
spring  of  1864,  he  took  passage  on  a  steamer,  and 
without  delay  or  any  event  of  importance  made 
the  journey  from  Bremen  to  New  York. 

Proceeding  directly  west  to  Pekin,  Mr.  Marquardl 
worked  at  his  trade  for  a  time.  In  1870  ho  em- 
barked in  business  as  a  contractor  for  stone  and 
brick  work,  and  later  was  for  a  time  with  the  firm 
of  Snyder,  Jansen  <fe  Co.  In  1892  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  Ed  F.  Lampitt,  and  the  firm  of 
Marquardt  &  Lampitt  has  since  carried  on  a  flour- 
ishing and  profitable  business.  In  1893  he  erected 
the  brick  water  tower  at  Morton,  which  is  seventy 
feet  high,  and  also  helped  to  build  the  stone  tower 
in  Pekin.  Some  of  the  finest  and  most  substantial 
brick  buildings  of  Pekin  stand  as  monuments  to 
the  ability  and  efficient  work  done  by  Mr.  Mar- 
quardt, and  he  also  built  the  abutments  for  several 
bridges  on  the  Mackinaw  River.  For  six  months 
he  was  employed  at  Carbondale,  Osage  County, 
Kan.,  where  he  erected  three  residences  for  fann- 
ers formerly  residents  of  Pekin. 

In  the  German-American  Building  and  Loan 
Association  Mr.  Marquardt  is  a  Director,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Mutual  Loan  and  Homestead 
Association.  His  residence  at  the  corner  of  Sec- 
ond and  Catherine  Streets  is  presided  over  by  his 
estimable  wife,  whom  he  married  at  Pekin  in  1867. 
She  was  born  in  Germany  and  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Catherine  Hofmann.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  twelve  children,  six  of  whom  are  now  liv- 
ing, namely:  Mary  and  Carl  (twins),  Louis,  Philip, 
George  and  Leonard.  The  three  eldest  sons  are 
brick-masons  by  trade  and  are  engaged  in  that  oc- 
cupation in  Pekin. 

Socially,  Mr.  Marquardt  is  identified  with  the 


214 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  which  he  is 
Past  Grand.  He  is  also  an  officer  in  the  Order  of 
Druids,  and  is  connected  with  the  Mutual  Aid  of 
Illinois.  Politically,  he  gives  his  support  to  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party. 


DAM  SAAL.  The  industrial  interests  of 
Pekin  are  ably  represented  by  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  who  is  a  successful  con- 
tractor and  plasterer,  to  which  trades  he 
adds  that  of  manufacturing  cement,  concrete  and 
artificial  stone  pavements.  He  is  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, his  birth  occurring  in  Hesse-Darmstadt, 
February  9,  1850. 

Grandfather  Saal  was  a  weaver  of  fancy  goods 
in  Germany,  as  was  also  the  father  of  our  subject, 
who  bore  the  name  of  Henry.  The  latter  came  to 
America  with  his  family,  which  consisted  of  his 
wife  and  five  children,  the  trip  being  made  across 
the  Atlantic  in  1857.  He  at  once  located  in  this 
ciiy,  where  his  death  occurred  in  June,  1893.  His 
wife,  Mrs.  Margaret  (Vogel)  Saal,  is  also  a  native  of 
the  Fatherland,  and  is  the  daughter  of  George 
Vogel,  who  was  a  fanner.  She  is  still  living  in 
this  city,  having  reached  the  age  of  three-score 
years  and  ten.  The  brother  and  sisters  of  our 
subject  are,  Kate,  Lizzie,  Maggie  and  Jacob.  They 
are  all  married  and  all  live  in  Pekin  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  eldest  daughter,  who  makes  her 
home  in  Cedar  Creek,  Cass  Count}',  Neb. 

Adam,  of  this  sketch,  was  given  a  good  educa- 
tion in  Germany,  and  was  a  lad  of  fifteen  years 
when  he  came  to  America.  After  locating  in  Pe- 
kin, he  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  trade  of  a 
plasterer,  and  afterward  worked  with  his  instructor 
for  two  years,  when  he  began  business  on  his  own 
account,  and  is  now  the  largest  contractor  in  his 
line  of  work  in  the  city.  About  1888  he  began 
the  manufacture  of  artificial  stone  work,  and  plies 
his  trade  in  Delavan,  McLean,  Mackinaw  and  the 
surrounding  towns.  He  uses  the  very  best  ma- 
terials when  making  the  pavements,  and  never 
fails  to  give  entire  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Saal  also  owns  considerable  real  estate  in 


the  city,  and  besides  his  own  residence,  which  is 
located  at  No.  827  Catharine  Street,  is  the  proprie- 
tor of  nine  other  dwellings.  The  lady  to  whom  he 
was  married  in  this  city  in  1871  is  Miss  Lizzie 
Kraeger;  she  is  also  a  native  of  Hesse-Darmstadt, 
and  came  to  America  when  fourteen  years  of  age. 
Their  union  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  a  sou  and 
daughter,  Henry  and  Lizzie. 

Mr.  Saal  has  contributed  liberally  to  all  worthy 
enterprises,  and  is  classed  among  the  most  influen- 
tial and  respected  citizens  in  the  community.  He 
served  as  Alderman  of  the  Third  Ward  for  four 
years,  during  which  time  he  was  Chairman  of  the 
Fire  and  Water  Committees.  He  has  been  Tax 
Collector  of  Pekin  Township  and  city  for  two  years, 
and  in  his  political  affiliations  is  a  strong  Demo- 
crat. Socially  he  is  a  Mason,  an  Odd  Fellow,  Mod- 
ern Woodman,  and  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Red- 
men.  In  the  conduct  of  his  business  affairs  he 
gives  to  each  department  of  work  his  personal  at- 
tention, and  the  care  and  method  ever  exercised 
have  contributed  to  place  him  among  the  foremost 
in  his  •H'ae'of'work  in  the  city. 


REDBRICK  P.  SIEBENS,  stockholder  and 
Director  of  the  T.  <fe  H.  Smith  Company, 
which  he  also  serves  in  the  capacity  of  Su- 
perintendent of  the  wagon  department,  is  a  man 
who  owes  his  success  in  life  mainly  to  his  own  un- 
assisted efforts,  and  is  practically  self  made.  He 
was  born  in  Germany  April  15,  1851,  and  is  the 
son  of  Jurjeu  Siebens,  a  native  of  Canhusen,  Ost- 
friesland,  that  country,  which  is  also  the  birth- 
place of  his  father,  Frederick.  The  latter  was  a 
farm  laborer,  and  died  in  Pekin  when  well  ad- 
vanced in  years. 

The  father  of  our  subject  worked  at  farming  in 
his  native  land,  and  when  emigrating  to  America, 
in  1868,  was  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  three 
sons.  The  voyage  was  made  on  a  sailing-vessel, 
which  landed  them  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  August  2, 
1868,  after  a  voyage  of  eight  weeks  and  two  days. 


LIBRARY 

of  m 

UNIVtKSlU  Of   ILLINOIS 


HON.  JOHN    HERGET. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


217 


About  a  week  later  they  came  to  Pekin,  where  the 
father  engaged  as  a  gardener,  and  where  he  lived 
until  his  decease,  in  1872.  In  his  native  land  lie 
had  married  Miss  Wipke,  daughter  of  Garralt  Bild- 
hoff,  who  was  a  farmer.  Mrs.  Siebens  is  still  liv- 
ing and  makes  her  home  in  this  city.  With  her 
husband  she  was  a  member  of  the  German  Re- 
formed Church;  she  was  the  mother  of  three  sons, 
of  whom  our  subject  is  the  first  born,  his  brothers 
being  Garralt,  who  is  living  in  Sioux  City,  Iowa, 
where  he  has  charge  of  a  manufacturing  company, 
and  Harry,  engaged  in  working  for  the  T.  &  H. 
Smith  Company. 

Frederick  P.,  of  this  sketch,  was  given  a  fine 
education  in  his  native  tongue,  after  which  he 
worked  out  on  farms  until  the  removal  of  his  par- 
ents to  the  New  World.  On  arriving  in  Pekin,  he 
found  employment  in  the  wood  department  of  the 
T.  &  II.  Smith  Company,  and  a  year  later  became 
an  employe  in  the  blacksmith  department,  where 
he  learned  to  manufacture  the  iron  work  used  on 
both  wagons  and  plows.  The  factory  was  burned, 
and  after  it  was  rebuilt,  Mr.  Siebens  confined  him- 
self to  wagon  work  until  1883,  when  he  was  made 
foreman  of  the  blacksmith  department.  He  held 
that  position  until  the  fall  of  1892,  when  he  was 
appointed  Superintendent  of  both  the  wood  and 
iron  department,  having  in  the  former  sixty  work- 
men, and  in  the  latter  one  hundred  and  fifty  men 
under  his  charge.  In  1890,  when  the  firm  was  re- 
organized and  reincorporuted,  our  subject  became 
one  of  the  stockholders  and  Directors.  Aside  from 
this  he  owns  stock  in  the  American  Home  and 
Loan  Association  of  Pekin,  and  thus  ranks  among 
the  prominent  and  influential  men  of  the  city, and 
is  j  ustly  regarded  as  a  man  of  true  worth. 

The  lady  to  whom  our  subject  was  married  in 
this  city  April  25,  1881,  WHS  Miss  Carrie  Voight,a 
native  of  Racine,  Wis.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Charles  Voight,  a  fanner  near  Pekin,  where  Mrs. 
Siebens  was  reared  to  mature  years.  By  her  union 
with  our  subject,  she  .has  become  the  mother  of  six 
children,  Freddie,  Charlie,  Grace,  Louis,  and  two 
who  died  unnamed. 

Mr.  Siebens  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Modern 
AVoodmen  of  America,  and  in  politics  he  is  and  al- 
ways has  been  a  Republican.  Probably  there  js  no 
2 


man  who  is  more  popular  in  the  city  than  he,  and 
he  has  won  this  kind  feeling  by  his  genial  manner 
and  good  judgment  in  mingling  with  his  fellow- 
men. 


ON.  JOHN  HKRGET,  who  as  Mayor  of  Pe- 
kin rendered  efficient  service  in  the  inter- 
est of  his  fellow-citizens,  is  one  of  the  old- 
est surviving  settlers  of  this  place,  as  well 
as  one  of  its  most  influential  business  men.  He  is 
well  known  throughout  Tazewell  County  as  one 
of  its  public-spirited  citizens  and  as  one  who  has 
been  variously  identified  with  its  interests  for 
many  years.  By  his  energetic  and  resolute  force 
of  character  and  talent- for  affairs  he  has  given  an 
impetus  to  the  growth  of  this  section  of  country, 
and  is  still  actively  forwarding  its  advancement  in 
important  directions. 

A  native  of  Germany,  Mr.  Herget  was  born  in 
Hergershausen,  Hesse-Darmstadt, October  27, 1830. 
His  father,  Philip,  was  born  in  the  same  place  in 
1800  and  served  as  an  officer  in  the  German  army, 
after  which  he  followed  his  trade  of  a  wagon-maker, 
together  with  farming  pursuits.  Our  subject  was 
the  first  member  of  the  family  who  emigrated  to 
America,  and  so  well  was  he  pleased  with  this 
country  that  he  returned  to  Germany  and  brought 
back  with  him  in  1869  his  father,  brother-in-law 
and  sister.  The  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Margaret  Reuling  and  who  was  born  in  Hergers- 
hausen, was  the  daughter  of  George  Reuling,  a 
well-to-do  farmer  of  Hesse-Darmstadt;  she  died  in 
1836.  The  father  died  in  Pekin,  in  September, 
1871. 

The  three  children  born  to  Philip  and  Margaret 
Ilerget  are:  John,  of  this  sketch;  George,  who  is 
interested  in  business  with  our  subject;  and  Mary, 
the  wife  of  Nicholas  Reuling,  of  Pekin.  The  father 
was  again  married,  choosing  as  his  wife  Miss  Anna 
Kline,  and  they  had  five  children.  Margareta  be- 
came the  wife  of  Adam  George,  and  both  are  now 
deceased.  Four  are  now  living,  all  residents  of 
Pekin,  as  follows:  Mary,  who  married  John  Krager; 
Philip,  who  is  carrying  on  the  business  of  a  malt- 
ster; Catharine,  wife  of  John  Block,  who  at  pres- 


218 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ent  is  interested  with  Smith,  Hippin  &  Co.  in  the 
grain  business;  and  Madeline,  wife  of  George 
Meisinger. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in  the  city 
of  his  birth,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  wagon- 
maker  under  his  father's  instructions.  In  1849  he 
came  to  America,  the  journey  being  made  by  a 
sailing-vessel  to  London,  England,  and  thence  to 
New  York.  From  the  latter  city  he  proceeded  to 
Columbia,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  where  he  spent 
one  year.  Removing  thence  to  Gettysburg,  Pa., 
he  engaged  at  the  trade  of  a  carriage-maker  until 
1853. 

During  the  year  last-named  Mr.  Herget  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ernestine  Schreck, 
who  was  born  in  Saxony,  near  Saxe-AVeimer,  and 
thence  came  to  Pennsylvania  in  1852  with  her 
parents.  In  August,  1853,  Mr.  Herget  came  west 
to  Pekin,  the  journey  being  made  by  rail  to  San- 
dusky,  Ohio,  thence  by  the  Lakes  to  Detroit,  from 
that  city  by  rail  to  La  Salle  and  from  there  by 
boat  to  Pekin.  In  this  city  he  worked  at  his  trade 
in  the  T.  &  H.  Smith  Carriage  Manufactory  un- 
til February,  1860,  when  he  embarked  with  his 
brother  in  the  grocery  business,  the  firm  name  be- 
ing J.  &  G.  Herget.  The  first  site  of  the  store  was 
at  the  present  location  of  the  German-American 
Bank. 

In  1870  the  firm  erected  a  double  store,  to  which 
in  the  following  year  they  removed.  Here  they 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  grocery  and  liquor  bus- 
iness until  1891,  when  they  retired  from  the  former 
and  have  since  devoted  their  attention  to  the  liquor 
business,  and  are  also  engaged  in  rectifying  and 
distilling.  Mr.  Herget  assisted  in  the  organization 
of  the  Star  &  Crescent  Distillery,  and  continued 
with  that  enterprise  until  1892,  when  it  was  sold 
out  to  Samuel  Woolner.  In  addition  to  other  en- 
terprises he  has  an  interest  in  the  firm  of  N. 
Reuling  &  Co.,  dry-goods  merchants  of  Pekin,  and 
is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  National 
Bank.  A  Republican  in  politics,  he  has  served  as 
Alderman  and  has  frequently  been  elected  Super- 
visor. In  1873  and  1874  he  occupied  the  responsi- 
ble position  of  Mayor  of  Pekin,  and  during  his 
terms  of  office  many  reforms  were  instituted  and 
many  needed  improvements  introduced.  He  is 


recognized  as  one  of  the    most  influential   men  in 
this  part  of  the  state. 

In  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ilerget  there  were 
eight  children,  as  follows:  Mary,  who  died  in 
1866;  Emma,  the  wife  of  John  Nolle,  of  Pekin; 
Lena,  Mrs.  D.  D.  Velde,  of  this  city;  Martha,  wife 
of  George  Steinmetz;  Bertha,  the  wife  of  W.  J. 
Counzelman;  George,  John  and  Carl,  prominent 
citizens  of  Pekin.  The  family  is  identified  with 
St.  Paul's  Evangelical  Church,  in  which  Mr.  Iler- 
get is  serving  as  Trustee. 


C.  HALL.  It  has  often  been  said  that  in- 
vincible determinati  n  will  accomplish  any 
desired  result,  and  already  are  the  effects 
of  its  constant  exercise  visible  in  the  life  of  this 
gentleman,  who  has  won  a  respected  position  for 
himself  in  the  community  by  reason  of  industry, 
perseverance  and  a  genial  nature.  He  is  at  pres- 
ent residing  in  the  city  of  Delavau,  where  he  is  a 
member  of  the  City  Council  and  also  the  owner  of 
a  valuable  estate  in  the  township  of  that  name. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  this  place,  and  was 
born  November  28,  1846,  to  the  Hon.  Ira  B.  and 
Sarah  A.  Hall,  of  whom  a  more  complete  sketch 
will  be  found  on  another  page  in  this  volume. 
Ira  B.  Hall  is  a  very  prominent  man  of  Tazewell 
County,  being  Vice-President  of  the  Tazewell 
County  National  Bank  and  ex-member  of  the 
Legislature.  He  is  a  native  of  Rhode  Island  and 
an  old  resident  of  this  city. 

O.  C.  Hall,  of  this  sketch,  received  his  early  train- 
ing in  the  schools  of  Delavan,  after  which  he  at- 
tended Bryant  <fe  Stratum's  Commercial  College 
in  Peoria.  For  the  succeeding  four  or  five  years 
he  was  engaged  in  the  insurance  business  at  Dela- 
van, and  at  the  same  time  carried  on  a  lively 
trade  in  stock,  which  in  fact  has  been  his  princi- 
pal business.  He  has  charge  of  his  father's  fine 
estate  adjoining  the  city,  which  under  his  efficient 
management  is  classed  among  the  finest  in  the 
county. 

Prior  to  the  organization  of  the  city  our  sub- 
ject was  President  of  the  Village  Board  for  two 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


219 


terms,  and  since  its  incorporation  lias  been  for 
several  years  a  member  of  the  City  Council,  in 
which  body  he  is  a  very  influential  member.  In 
all  positions  he  has  been  faithful  to  the  trust  re- 
posed in  him,  and  as  a  business  man  and  neigh- 
bor he  commands  the  high  regard  of  a  host  of  life- 
time friends. 

O.  C.  Hall  was  married  April  10,  1873,  to  Miss 
Clara  P.  James,  who  was  born  in  Rhode  Island 
and  is  the  daughter  of  O.  II.  P.  James,  a  well- 
to-do  resident  of  Delavan.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hall 
have  become  the  parents  of  two  children:  Charles 
E.,  a  graduate  of  the  Delavan  High  School;  and 
Katlie  G.,  who  is  at  present  a  student  in  that  in- 
stitution. Our  subject  is,  like  his  father,  a  strong 
Democrat  in  politics,  and  socially  is  a  Chapter 
Mason. 


E  R.  SHAKER,  M.  D.  In  the  study 
of  the  career  of  those  who  have  been  the 
architects  of  their  own  fortunes  in  the  var- 
ious departments  of  business  or  professional  life, 
there  may  often  be  encountered  suggestions  of  in- 
estimable value  to  those  who  are  just  starting  out 
in  life  for  themselves.  The  men  whom  we  are  ac- 
customed to  call  self-made  are  well  represented  in 
Morton,  and  among  this  class  prominent  mention 
belongs  to  the  gentleman  with  whose  name  we  in- 
troduce this  sketch,  and  who  is  widely  known  and 
highly  esteemed  as  a  physician  of  this  section  of 
the  state. 

Our  subject  was  Itorn  two  miles  eastof  Washing- 
ton, this  county,  September  15,  1858,  and  is  the 
son  of  George  A.  and  CatlR'rine  (Myers)  Shafer, 
the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Fail-field  County, 
Ohio,  which  was  also  the  birthplace  of  his  father, 
who  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  Fail-field 
County.  The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
to  locate  a  farm  in  the  above  county.  The  grand- 
mother of  our  subject  was  likewise  one  of  the  first 
white  children  born  in  that  portion  of  the  Buckeye 
State. 

The  father  of  our  subject  being  reared  to  farm 
pursuits,  he  followed  that  occupation  throughout 


his  active  life,  and  soon  after  his  marriage  in  Ohio 
emigrated  to  this  state,  first  locating  in  Shelby 
County,  where  he  entered  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land  from  the  Government.  Two  years 
later  he  disposed  of  this  property,  and  coming  to 
Tazewell  County,  purchased  a  quarter-section  of 
prairie  land  near  Washington.  This  he  lived  upon 
until  1872,  when  he  sold  out  and  removed  to 
Christian  County,  where  he  farmed  for  some  time, 
but  is  now  living  in  retirement  in  the  town  of  As- 
sumption. With  his  wife  he  was  a  member  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church.  In  politics  he  was  first 
a  Democrat,  then  a  Whig,  afterward  a  Republican, 
and  now  votes  with  the  Prohibition  party. 

The  parental  family  included  seven  children, 
namely:  Silas  A.,  Josephus  C.;  Samuel,  who  is 
now  deceased;  our  subject,  Jennie,  Ida,  and  Ola, 
who  makes  her  home  with  the  Doctor.  Our  subject 
received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Washing- 
ton and  Assumption.  He  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine in  1877,  and  two  years  later  went  to  Chicago, 
where  he  took  a  course  of  instruction  in  the  Ben- 
nett Medical  College,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
with  the  Class  of  '81.  After  receiving  his  diploma 
he  came  to  Morton,  and  May  13  of  that  year  be- 
gan the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  now  has  a 
very  extensive  patronage,  which  covers  a  large 
territory. 

Dr.  Shafer  is  a  member  of  the  Illinois  State  Ec- 
lectic Medical  Association,  and  has  been  Corres- 
ponding Secretary  of  the  same  for  eight  year?. 
He  was  honored  May  2,  1893,  by  being  appointed 
a  member  of  the  Advisory  Council  of  the  World's 
Congress  Auxiliary,  on  the  Congress  of  Eclectic 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  which  met  at  Chicago 
during  the  World's  Fair.  He  was  married  in  1882, 
in  Long  Island,  to  Miss  Emma  J.,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Harmon  A.  and  Mary  E.  (Weber)  Buck.  Their 
home  has  been  blessed  by  the  advent  of  two  daugh- 
ters, Viola  and  Violet,  twins. 

In  social  matters  Dr.  Shafer  belongs  to  Lodge 
No.  768,  M.  W.  A.,  and  in  politics  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican. He  and  his  wife  are  consistent  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  that 
denomination  in  Morton  the  former  is  Steward  and 
Trustee.  In  1890,  he  completed  a  large  store  in 
the  village,  in  which  he  has  put  a  fine  assortment 


220 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  drugs,  and  is  now  doing  the  leading  business  in 
that  line  in  the  place.  He  is  also  the  owner  of  a 
quarter-section  of  land  in  Kansas,  and  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Assumption  Coal  Mining  Company. 


NDREW  E.  WOOLF,  of   Delavan,  claims 
New  York  as  the  state  of  his  nativit}-,  his 
birth    having    occurred    in    Pellamville, 
_  Westchester   County,  October   29,    1840. 

His  grandfather,  Anthony  Woolf,  was  born  in 
Hesse-Cassel,  Germany,  November  19,  1761,  and 
when  a  young  man  was  taken  from  his  bed  by  the 
British'and  forced  on  board  a  ship  that  setsail  for 
America.  He  was  told  that  they  were  going  to 
fight  the  Indians  and  French,  but  when  the  shores 
of  the  New  World  were  reached  he  found  that  he 
was  expected  to  join  the  British  army  against  those 
struggling  for  independence.  Immediately  he  de- 
serted, and  hid  among  the  hills  of  New  Jersey  until 
he  found  a  place  of  safety.  He  then  began  work- 
ing as  a  farm  hand  for  $25  per  year,  and  finally 
purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  Westchester  County, 
N.  Y.  He  lived  to  become  quite  wealthy,  and  be- 
fore his  death  gave  to  each  of  his  children  a  farm. 
On  the  27th  of  January,  1797,  lie  was  made  a  citi- 
zen of  the  United  States  in  the  City  Hall  of  New 
York,  and  the  quaint  old  certificate  given  to  him 
at  that  time  is  now  framed  and  hangs  in  our  sub- 
ject's parlor.  Anthony  Woolf  was  the  father  of 
the  following  children:  Elizabeth,  Ann,  Abigail, 
Sarah,  James,  Hannah,  Andrew  and  John. 

Andrew  Woolf  was  the  father  of  our  subject. 
He  was  born  in  the  Manor  of  Fordan,  Westchester 
County,  N.  Y.  The  land  which  his  father  gave 
him  became  quite  valuable  and  he  disposed  of  it 
at  a  handsome  price.  He  then  embarked  in  the 
real-estate  business  and  laid  out  Claremont,  a 
suburb  of  New  York  City,  from  which  he  made  a 
fortune.  In  1866  he  came  to  the  west  and  bought 
for  each  of  his  four  boys  a  farm  in  Tazewcll 
County.  He  died  February  12,  1877.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  De  Voe,  was 
born  in  the  Manor  of  Fordan,  July  1,  1805,  and 
was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  De  Voe,  natives 


of  Westchester  County,  N.  Y.  Her  father  at  one 
time  owned  the  land  which  Mr.  Woolf  laid  out  as 
the  town  of  Claremont.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woolf  were 
married  November  15,  1823,  and  after  her  hus- 
band's death,  the  lady  lived  with  our  subject  until 
called  to  her  final  rest,  December  9,  1885.  She  left 
him  considerable  property  and  some  interesting 
and  valuable  relics,  including  a  Bible  that  has  been 
in  the  family  for  more  than  a  century,  and  a  small 
jar,  which  was  imported  full  of  tea  in  1618  and 
which  came  down  to  him  in  direct  line  from  his 
Great-great-grandmother  De  Voe. 

Andrew  E.  Woolf  is  the  youngest  of  six  chil- 
dren, four  sons  and  two  daughter.  The  latter, 
Sarah  and  Phoebe,  became  the  wives  of  George 
and  pjd  Morris,  respectively,  and  both  died  in  New 
York.  The  eldest  brother,  John  D.,  was  born  Au- 
gust 9,  1824,  and  resides  in  Delavan.  Anthony, 
born  December  25,  1826,  is  one  of  the  extensive 
farmers  of  Boy n ton  Township.  William  II.,  born 
October  25,  1837,  is  now  a  large  farmer  living 
near  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

Under  the  parental  roof  Andrew  E.  Woolf  was 
reared  to  manhood,  but  having  attained  his  ma- 
jority he  left  home,  and  on  the  16th  of  January, 
1864,  he  married  Miss  Johanna  Lucas  Reed,  who 
was  born  in  Pike  County,  Ohio,  June  7,  1846. 
Her  father,  John  Reed,  was  also  a  native  of  the 
Buckeye  State  and  was  a  son  of  Judge  Samuel 
Reed,  who  for  many  3-ears  was  on  the  Circuit 
Bench  of  Ohio.  His  first  wife  was  a  niece  of 
Aaron  Burr.  John  Reed  was  united  in  marriage 

o 

with  Rebecca  A.  Smith,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and 
after  his  death  his  widow  became  the  wife  of  D.  P. 
Withrow.  She  was  called  to  the  home  beyond 
December  24,  1872.  The  brothers  and  sisters  of 
Mrs.  Woolf  are:  Samuel  J.,who  died  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  years;  Mary  Elizabeth,  wife  of  William  11. 
Woolf,  of  Iowa  City,  Iowa;  and  William, a  farmer 
of  the  same  place. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woolf  have  two  daughters.  Alice 
L.  is  -now  completing  her  musical  education  in 
the  Conservatory  of  Music  in  Peoria.  Her  tal- 
ent in  this  direction  she  inherits  from  her  mother's 
people.  Her  maternal  grandparents  were  both 
fine  singers,  and  Mrs.  Woolf  has  for  fifteen  years 
been  a  member  of  the  choir  of  the  Presbyterian 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


221 


Church.  Emma  R.,  the  second  daughter,  is  also 
finely  educated  in  music.  She  is  now  the  wife  of 
J.  M.  Allen,  confidential  clerk  in  the  great 
drug  house  of  Myers  Bros.,  of  St.  Louis.  He  also 
has  charge  of  raining  interests  in  the  western 
mountains.  Mrs.  Allen  possesses  the  musical  abil- 
ity of  the  family  and  sings  in  a  Presbyterian 
Church  of  St.  Louis.  They  have  one  child,  a  son. 
When  the  boy  was  quite  3'oung  his  parents  were 
making  a  trip  on  the  Santa  Fe  Road  to  the  mines 
in  the  west.  An  elderly  gentleman  on  the  train, 
attracted  by  the  prattle  of  the  bright  little  fellow, 
asked  the  parents  his  name  and  was  told  that  he 
had  yet  been  given  no  name.  Upon  finding  out  who 
the  father  was,  the  gentleman  said,  "My  name  is 
Hanley.  I  am  the  Superintendent  of  this  road.  I 
have  no  children,  and  if  you  will  name  that  boy 
Hanley  Morton  Allen,  I  will  deposit  $1,000  to  his 
credit  to  be  his  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  and  will 
also  pay  his  way  through  either  Yale  or  Harvard 
College."  The  name  was  given  to  the  boy. 

Mr.  Woolf  continued  his  farming  interests  until 
1880,  when  he  abandoned  that  work  and  has  since 
given  his  entire  time  and  attention  to  looking 
after  his  extensive  property  interests  in  town.  He 
is  a  man  of  most  excellent  business  ability,  saga- 
cious and  far-sighted,  and  though  he  had  property 
left  to  him  he  has  largely  increased  it  through  his 
well  directed  efforts.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  to  both 
church  and  charitable  work  they  contribute  lib- 
erally. 


OILMAN  BAILEY.  The  social,  political 
and  business  history  of  this  section  is 
filled  with  the  deeds  and  doings  of  self- 
made  men,  and  no  man  in  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty is  more  deserving  of  the  name  than  D.  G. 
Bailey,  who  is  one  of  the  largest  land  owners  in 
Delavan  Township.  He  marked  out  his  own  career 
in  liis  youth  and  has  steadily  followed  it  up  to  the 
present  time,  his  prosperity  being  attributable  to 
his  earnest  and  persistent  endeavor,  as  well  as  to 
the  fact  that  he  always  consistently  tries  to  do  as 
he  would  be  done  by.  He  is  honest  and  upright 


in  word  and  deed,  energetic  and  pushing,  and  of  a 
decidedly  practical  turn  of  mind. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  this  county,  having 
been  born  in  Pekin,  December  4,  1839,  and  is  a  sou 
of  David  Bailey,  a  native  of  Hillsboro,  N.  H.,  where 
his  birth  occurred  June  12,  1801.  That  gentle- 
man was  next  to  the  youngest  son  of  Joseph  Bailey, 
who  was  born  February  8,  1772,  in  Rowley,  Mass., 
and  liis  father  bore  the  name  of  Daniel  Bailey, 
whose  ancestors  came  over  in  the  "Mayflower." 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  late  in  life  re- 
moved to  New  Hampshire,  and  died  at  Ilillsboro 
when  ninety-two  years  of  age.  He  had  been  twice 
married,  and  by  his  first  union  reared  a  family  of 
sons,  of  whom  Samuel  G.  was  born  November  27, 
1794;  Daniel  M.  December  11,  1796;  Nathaniel 
March  31,  1799;  James  August  13,  1800,  and 
David  June  12,  1801.  By  his  second  marriage  he 
became  the  father  of  one  son,  J.  Gordon,  who  is 
now  living  in  Delavan,  and  is  the  only  one  of  the 
family  of  Joseph  Bailey  who  is  now  living.  The 
father  and  uncles  of  our  subject  were,  with  scarcely 
an  exception,  merchants,  and  came  to  Pekin  about 
1819.  Nathaniel  was  a  merchant  first  in  Boston, 
afterward  in  New  Orleans,  later  in  St.  Louis,  from 
which  latter  city  he  removed  to  Pekin,  and  from 
there  finally  went  to  Texas,  where  he  carried  on 
business  for  thirty  years  prior  to  his  decease.  He 
left  one  child,  a  daughter,  Emma,  who  married  Dr. 
McClenney  and  now  lives  in  Brownsville,  Tex. 

Daniel  Bailey,  another  uncle  of  our  subject,  was 
a  prominent  merchant  of  Boston  for  about  ten 
years,  and  like  his  older  brother  from  there  went 
to  New  Orleans  and  St.  Louis,  and  after  making  his 
home  in  Pekin  lived  here  until  his  decease.  Sam- 
uel was  at  his  death  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Alton, 
this  state.  James  died  in  Houston,  Tex.,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade. 

David  Bailey,  the  father  of  our  subject,  came  to 
Pekin  when  in  his  eighteenth  year,  and  was  en- 
gaged as  a  merchant  in  this  place  on  the  outbreak 
of  the  Black  Hawk  War.  He  then  entered  the  serv- 
ice as  a  Captain  of  militia,  and  was  soon  promoted 
to  be  Major,  and  afterward  Colonel  of  his  regi- 
ment, having  charge  of  the  army  stationed  at  Ft. 
Dearborn.  While  there  he  met  and  afterward 
married  Miss  Sarah  Ann  Brown,  who  was  born  in 


222 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Connecticut  May  25,  1811;  she  was  the  daughter 
of  Rufus  Brown,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  the 
city  of  Chicago.  When  locating  there  he  pur- 
chased a  quarter-section  of  land  in  what  is  now  the 
heart  of  the  city,  but  later  disposed  of  this  property 
because  the  land  was  loo  marshy  to  be  farmed  to 
advantage.  He  then  removed  about  sixteen  miles 
out  of  the  city,  where  he  resided  until  his  death. 
One  of  Mrs.  Bailey's  brothers  went  to  California 
in  1849,  and  another  became  a  prominent  merchant 
in  New  York  City. 

After  the  close  of  the  Black  Hawk  War,  Col. 
David  Bailey  located  on  a  farm  near  Pekin,  where 
his  wife  died  January  15,  1847,  and  where  also  his 
death  occurred  seven  years  later.  He  was  a  prom- 
inent Mason  socially,  and  a  leading  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  Our  subject  was  the  only 
son  of  the  first  marriage,  but  had  one  sister  who 
was  older  and  one  sister  younger  than  himself. 
Cynthia  Ann  when  fourteen  years  of  age  went 
on  a  visit  to  an  uncle  in  Texas,  and  while  there 
was  taken  sick  and  died.  The  youngest  of  the 
family,  Caroline  R.,  married  S.  T.  Webster,  who 
for  twelve  years  was  Superintendent  of  the  Grand 
Trunk  Railroad,  with  headquarters  in  Chicago, 
and  for  many  years  prior  to  his  decease  was  a 
prominent  Hoard  of  Trade  man.  He  died  leaving 
a  family  of  five  children,  who  with  their  mother 
make  their  home  in  Evanston. 

D.  Gilman  Bailey,  of  this  sketch,  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  Pekin  and  Peoria,  after  which  he 
engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising.  In  1867 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Frances  Eliza- 
beth, daughter  of  Daniel  Crabb,  who  was  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Dillon  Township  and  one  of  the 
largest  land  owners  in  Tazewell  County.  For 
many  years  prior  to  his  decease  he  was  a  banker  in 
Delavan.  For  a  more  extended  sketch  of  Mr. 
Crabb  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  biography  of 
his  son,  .1.  W.  Crabb,  Mayor  of  Delavan  and  Presi- 
dent of  the  Tazewell  County  Bank,  which  will  be 
found  on  another  page  in  this  volume. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bailey  have  been  born  four 
children.  Carrie  L.  is  the  wife  of  T.  A.  Wittan,  a 
leading  attorney  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.;  Emma  .!., 
Maggie  M.  and  James  G.  are  at  home.  The  daugh- 
ters are  very  accomplished  young  ladies,  and  com- 


pleted their  educations  at  Northfield,  Mass.  Our 
subject  is  still  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing, and  has  several  estates  in  different  parts  of  the 
county.  Since  1877,  however,  he  has  lived  in  a 
beautiful  suburban  residence  adjoining  the  city  of 
Delavan.  He  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  Republican 
principles,  and  like  all  the  members  of  his  family 
for  generations  back  is  a  Presbyterian  in  religious 
belief. 


ARIUS  WHITE  ORENDORFF,  one  of 
the  representative  farmers  of  Tazewell 
County,  now  living  in  Hopedale  Town- 
ship, has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  this 
community,  and  we  feel  assured  that  this  record 
of  his  life  wilt  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our 
readers.  He  was  born  in  Ilopedale  Township 
March  31,  1828,  and  is  descended  from  Christian 
Orendorff,  who  was  born  in  Germany  November 
15,  1726,  and  in  that  country  married  a  Miss 
Miller.  In  the  middle  of  the  century  he  crossed 
the  Atlantic  and  settled  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa., 
but  later  went  to  Shaftsbury,  Md.,  where  he  died 
December  10,  1797.  He  was  a  man  of  prominence, 
became  quite  wealthy  and  owned  several  mills. 

Christopher  Orendorff,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  Nov.ember  23,  1752,  and  was  a 
teamster  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  held  mem- 
bership with  the  German  Reformed  Church.  In 
early  life  he  went  to  Logan  County,  Ky.,  and  mar- 
ried an  English  lady.  His  brother  Christian  served 
in  the  Revolution,  was  taken  prisoner,  and  while 
a  captive  fell  in  love  with  the  daughter  of  an  Eng- 
lish officer,  whom  he  afterward  married.  Another 
brother,  Henry,  became  a  Revolutionary  soldier, 
and  was  an  extensive  farmer  of  Shepherdstown, 
Va.  The  spelling  of  the  name  has  been  consider- 
ably changed  by  various  branches  of  the  family. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  February  5, 
1784,  acquired  an  excellent  education  and  be- 
came a  civil  engineer.  He  also  engaged  in  the 
milling  business  with  his  brother  John  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  in  1826  came  with  his  brother  Enoch 
to  Illinois  on  a  tour  of  inspection.  So  well  pleased 
was  he  that  he  purchased  large  tracts  of  land,  be- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


223 


coming  the  owner  of  six  thousand  acres.  In 
182V  he  brought  his  family  to  the  west  and  lo- 
cated on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  our  subject. 
Here  he  built  the  first  brick  house  of  Tazewell 
County.  It  is  still  standing,  and  is  occupied  by 
a  married  daughter  of  D.  W.  Orendorff.  Another 
brother,  Esau,  also  came  to  Tazewell  County,  and 
it  is  said  that  the  three  Orendorff  brothers  got 
possession  of  more  land  than  any  other  three 
men  in  the  county.  Aaron  Orendorff  died  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1846. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Martha  McDowell.  She  was  born  in  North 
Carolina  January  29,  1790,  and  was  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  and  Martha  (White)  McDowell.  They 
were  of  Scotch  lineage,  and  the  father  had  a 
brother  who  served  as  a  General  in  the  Revolu- 
tion. Mrs.  Orendorff  had  three  brothers  who  were 
preachers  in  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church. 
Her  death  occurred  June  27,  1849.  She  had  be- 
come the  mother  of  nine  children.  Thomas  H., 
born  August  22,  1814,  in  Tennessee,  was  a  tanner 
by  trade,  laid  out  the  town  of  Hopedale  in  1852, 
and  there  died  December  18,  1878,  leaving  one 
son,  Green  Pope,  who  was  born  November  24, 
1844,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Lacon,  Ala.  Jo- 
seph M.,  born  January  26,  1816,  died  in  Rush- 
ville,  111.,  June  18,  1842.  Delilah  J.,  born  Janu- 
ary 5,  1818,  became  the  wife  of  Samuel  McClure 
January  7,  1848.  His  death  occurred  in  1858, 
and  she  died  in  Hopedale  January  8,  1871.  Mary 
H.,  born  August  20,  1820,  was  married  Novem- 
ber 29,  1849,  to  David  Van  Devanter,  and  died 
November  23,  1857.  Abigail  C.,  born  March  13, 
1823,  became  the  wife  of  Mathias  Mount,  and 
died  June  2,  1853.  Her  son,  Jasper  Mount,  is 
now  Postmaster  of  Hopedale.  Cyrus  W.,  born 
August  18,  1825,  died  December  21,  1848.  Min- 
erva, born  May  17,  1830,  was  married  August 
28,  1848,  to  Alfred  Reid,  who  died  January  30, 
1883,  and  she  is  now  living  in  Delavan.  Solon, 
born  December  26,  1832,  was  married  April  22, 
1858,  to  Lydia  E.  Teft.  He  followed  farming 
near  Ilopednle  until  1882,  when  he  went  to  Pu- 
eblo, Colo. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on  a 
farm  and  acquired  a  good  education.  On  the 


12th  of  July,  1855,  he  married  Mary  Jane  Walter, 
of  De  Witt  County,  111.,  who  was  born  in  Ohio 
and  came  with  her  parents  to  this  state  during  her 
girlhood.  Their  family  numbers  five  children. 
Phoebe  Jane,  who  was  born  August  7,  1856,  was 
married  March  6,  1879,  to  William  M.  Mount;  he 
is  extensively  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing in  Dillon  Township,  and  has  served  as  Chair- 
man of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors.  Lelia 
Leduska,  born  December  12,  1858,  is  the  wife  of 
Adolph  Johnson,  and  lives  on  the  home  farm. 
Flora  Ellen,  born  June  26,  1860;  Martha  A.,  No- 
vember 1,  1862,  and  Lydia  M.,  April  15,  1864,  are 
at  home.  The  last-named  is  an  artist  of  some  note. 
Mr.  Orendorff  has  usually  followed  farming, 
but  has  been  interested  in  other  business  enter- 
prises. He  established  the  first  store  in  Hope- 
dale,  and  owned  and  operated  a  woolen  mill  for 
some  years.  This  he  removed  to  Arkansas,  where 
he  carried  on  business  for  three  years,  and  then 
sold  out.  He  was  also  engaged  in  merchandising 
and  in  the  furniture  and  lumber  business,  but  is 
now  giving  his  attention  to  the  management  of 
his  fine  farm.  He  has  four  hundred  acres  in 
Hopedale  Township,  and  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  in  Arkansas.  Success  has  crowned  his  efforts 
and  made  him  one  of  the  wealthy  citizens  of 
Tazewell  County.  He  has  held  several  local  of- 
fices, including  that  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  has 
been  a  life-long  Democrat,  is  a  Master  Mason,  and 
belongs  to  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church. 


JOHN  T.  CLEMENTS  occupies  an  honorable 
place  among  the  intelligent,  capable  farmers 
I  of  Tazewell  County,  in  whose  social  and 
public  life  he  is  a  prominent  factor.  He 
is  at  present  residing  upon  a  fine  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  located  on  sections  29 
and  30,  Dillon  Township,  on  which  he  has  placed 
an  admirable  line  of  improvements  until  it  now 
ranks  among  the  best  in  the  vicinity. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Henry  County,  Ky., 
July  26,  1830,  and  is  the  son  of  Roger  T.  Clements, 
also  a  native  of  the  Blue  Grass  State,  which  was 


224 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


likewise  the  native  home  of  his  father,  who  bore 
the  name  of  John  Clements.  The  latter  was  a 
large  and  wealthy  slave-holder  in  Kentucky,  and 
one  of  his  brothers  fought  as  a  soldier  in  the  War 
of  1812.  His  wife,  the  grandmother  of  our  sub-, 
ject,  lived  to  be  more  than  a  hundred  years  of 

age- 
When  but  a  year  old  our  subject  was  taken  by 
his  parents  to  Indiana, and  lived  in  Boone  County 
until  1864,  when  they  came  to  this  state  and 
made  a  settlement  in  Christian  County,  where  the 
father's  death  occurred  in  1867.  The  mother  of  our 
subject,  whose  maiden  name  was  Nancy  Higgins, 
was  also  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  the  (laughter 
of  Robert  Higgins,  who  died  in  that  state  when 
comparatively  a  young  man.  Her  mother,  how- 
ever, attained  the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred, 
while  the  mother  of  Mr.  Clements  was  a  lady  of 
seventy-six  years  when  she  departed  this  life  at 
the  home  of  her  sister  in  Christian  County. 

John  T.  Clements,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  eld- 
est but  one  in  his  parents' family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, of  whom  we  make  the  following  men- 
tion: Thomas,  the  eldest,  spent  several  years  of 
his  life  in  this  state;  he  is  now  living,  however, 
in  Kentucky.  ,1.  N.  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war, 
and  is  now  living  on  a  farm  near  Crawfordsville, 
this  state;  William  died  when  five  years  of  age; 
Milton,  who  also  fought  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil 
War,  went  to  Barber  County,  Kan.,  and  during 
the  Indian  troubles  was  gent  to  Newton  for  sup- 
plies; while  en  route  he  was  caught  in  a  storm, 
and  losing  his  way,  was  so  long  without  shelter 
that  his  feet  were  frozen  and  had  to  be  amputated. 
He  is  ,now  living  on  a  farm  in  that  state  and 
draws  a  pension  from  the  Goverment  .of  $72  per 
month.  Rebecca,  the  eldest  sister  of  our  subject, 
married  William  Smith;  she  went  to  Iowa  to  live 
and  died  there.  Laonice  was  the  wife  of  John  Hub- 
ble, a  miller  of  Indianapolis;  she  is  now  deceased. 
Ellen  is  now  Mrs.  John  Everman  and  makes  her 
home  in  Christian  County,  this  state,  where  her 
husband  is  a  well-to-do  farmer. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man's  estate 
on  his  father's  farm,  and  in  the  meantime  was 
given  a  good  education  in  the  select  schools.  He 
taught  school  for  some  time  prior  to  coming  to 


Illinois,  and  in  1852,  when  making  his  advent  into 
Tazewell  County,  located  in  the  northeastern  part 
of  Pekin,  which  city  was  his  home  for  about  three 
years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  moved  upon  a 
farm  five  miles  south  of  the  city,  which  lie  was 
occupied  in  cultivating  until  1865,  the  date  of 
his  settlement  upon  his  present  estate  in  Dillon 
Township. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  1854,  Mr.  Clements  was 
married  to  Miss  Tamzon  B.,  the  daughter  of  John 
Bowlby.  She  was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  came 
to  Illinois  in  1850.  By  her  union  with  our  sub- 
ject have  been  born  five  children:  Robert,  now  de- 
ceased; Frank,  a  carpenter  in  Green  Valley;  Harry, 
also  residing  in  that  place;  Jennie,  who  died  when 
twenty-three  years  of  age;  and  Minnie,  the  wife 
of  Charles  Nicely,  a  hardware  merchant  in  Green 
Valley. 

In  religious  affairs  our   subject  is   a   consistent 

-member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.     In 

politics  he   is   a  true-blue  Republican,  but  is  in  no 

sense  an  6'fHce-seeker,  although  at  one  time  he  filled 

the  responsible  position  of  Justice  of  the  Peace. 


OHN  W.  MATTHEESSON  is  connected  with 
one  of  the  leading  industries  of  Pekin,  being 
Superintendent  and  a  Director  of  the  Pekin 
Plow  Company.  He  is  one  of  the  worthy 
citizens  that  Germany  has  furnished  to  Tazewell 
County.  He  was  born  in  Nesse,  Ostfriesland,  Ger- 
many, April  9,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  William  J. 
and  Christina  (Seeberg)  Mattheesson,  who  were 
also  natives  of  Germany.  Both  the  paternal  and 
maternal  grandfathers  were  blacksmiths.  The  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  also  carried  on  business  along 
that  line  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  his  na- 
tive land  in  1892,  at  the  age  of  seventy -seven.  In 
the  following  spring  his  widow  crossed  the  At- 
lantic, and  is  now  living  with  her  children,  at  the 
age  of  seven ty -three.  In  the  family  were  four  sons 
and  a  daughter,  and  three  of  the  brothers  live  in 
Pekin. 

John  W.   Mattheesson,  the  eldest,  attended  the 
public  schools  until   fourteen   years  of  age,  when 


LIBRARY 

Of  fHt 

UNIVERSm  Of  lUJNWS 


CONRAD   LUPPEN. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


227 


lie  was  apprenticed  to  the  blacksmith's  trade. 
When  his  term  had  expired  he  engaged  in  work  as 
a  journeyman.  The  year  1866  was  an  important 
one  in  his  life,  for  it  was  then  that  he  came  to  the 
New  World.  Accompanied  by  his  brother  Harm, 
he  hoarded  a  sailing-vessel  at  Bremen,  and  at 
length  reached  New  York  City,  whence  he  made 
his  way  to  Peoria,  111.,  where  he  was  employed 
in  the  Peoria  Plow  shops  until  the  spring  of 
the  following  year.  He  then  came  to  Pekin,  and 
secured  work  with  the  T.  &  H.  Smith  Company  as 
a  blacksmith  in  the  plow  department,  thus  serv- 
ing for  four  years,  when  he  established  a  smithy 
of  his  own  in  Kickapoo,  Peoria  County.  After  a 
year,  however,  he  returned  to  Pekin  and  became 
a  blacksmith  with  Weber  &  Fre}",  in  whose  employ 
he  remained  four  years,  when  he  began  business 
for  himself  on  Elizabeth  Street.  Later  he  was 
with  the  firm  of  Schleder,  Glouz  &  Co.  for  two 
years,  and  in  1879  he  became  Superintendent  of 
the  Pekin  Plow  Works,  with  which  he  has  since 
been  connected.  In  1890,  the  business  was  incor- 
porated under  the  name  of  the  Pekin  Plow  Com- 
pany, with  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000.  Since  that 
time  Mr.  Mattheesson  has  also  been  one  of  its  di- 
rectors. The  business  has  been  steadily  increased, 
and  they  now  have  a  room  for  manufacturing 
plows,  a  grinding  room,  Mulshing  room,  drop  room, 
dipping  room,  harrow  room,  ware  houses  and  of- 
fices. The  machinery  is  run  by  steam  power, 
furnished  by  two  engines,  one  of  sixty-four  horse 
power  and  the  other  of  twelve  horse  power.  They 
manufacture  plows,  cultivators  and  harrows  of  all 
kinds,  having  three  hundred  and  seventy-two  dif- 
ferent patterns,  and  employ  about  two  hundred 
men  during  the  busy  season. 

Mr.  Mattheesson  was  married  in  Pekin  in  1869 
to  Miss  Ada  Sampen,  who  was  born  in  Ostfriesland, 
Germany.  They  have  six  children,  William  J. 
(senior  partner  in  the  grocery  firm  of  Mattheesson 
&  Co.),  Tina,  .John,  Christina,  Harm  inn  and  Ru- 
dolph. 

Our  subject  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Republican  party,  and  has  served 
for  four  terms  as  Alderman  from  the  Third  Ward. 
He  is  President  of  the  German  Mutual  Aid  Socie- 
ty, and  for  the  past  four  years  has  been  President 


of  the  Working  Men's  Society,  tie  belongs  to 
the  Knights  of  Honor,  the  Legion  of  Honor,  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Mutual 
Protective  Association  of  Druids.  He  also  holds 
membership  with  the  German  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  is  a  pleasant  and  accommodating  gen- 
tleman, both  widely  and  favorably  known.  His 
success  in  business  is  the  result  of  his  own  well  di- 
rected efforts  and  is  therefore  justly  dese'rved. 


ONRAD  LUPPEN,  Cashier  of  and  co-part- 
'rr  ner  in  the  bank  of  Teis  Smith  &  Co.,  of 
Pekin,  is  also  President  of  the  People's 
Bank  in  Manito,  111.,  and  a  stockholder  in  the  wagon 
manufactory  of  T.  &  II.  Smith  &  Co.,  and  in  the 
grain  and  commission  firm  of  Smith,  Hippin  it  Co. 
He  was  born  in  Pekin  December  6,  1851,  and  is  a 
son  of  Luppe  Luppen,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
prominent  settlers  of  this  place.  The  father  was 
born  in  the  County  of  Emden,  Hanover,  Germany, 
August  20,  1823,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  Otten  Lup- 
pen, a  native  of  Germany  and  a  cooper  by  trade. 
His  last  days  were  spent  in  Pekin. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools,  and  learned  the  trades  of  ma- 
chinist and  blacksmith  in  his  native  land.  He  per- 
fected himself  in  those  occupations  in  Holland, 
becoming  an  expert  workman  in  iron  and  wood 
of-  every  description.  In  1848  he  married  Cath- 
erine Conrad  Smith,  a  native  of  Hanover,  and  a 
sister  of  Hon.  D.  C.  Smith,  ex-Member  of  Congress 
from  this  district.  In  1848  he  came  to  Pekin,  and 
with  three  brothers-in-law  began  the  manufacture 
of  wagons,  buggies  and  plows.  As  their  trade  in- 
creased they  steadily  enlarged  their  facilities  until 
their  works  were  the  largest  of  the  kind  in  this 
vicinity.  Mr.  Luppen,  Sr.,  is  also  connected  with 
the  Pekin  Plow  Works,  the  T.  &  H.  Smith  Wagon 
Works,  the  Teis  Smith  Bank,  and  the  Smith- 
Hippin  Company.  He  is  now  the  only  surviving 
member  of  a  firm  which  established  business  in 
1849.  He  is  a  natural  genius  and  inventor,  and 
always  gives  his  attention  to  the  manufacturing 
department,  and  the  inventions  and  improvements 
are  the  result  of  his  skill.  An  invention  from  a 
thought  is  worked  out  in  metal,  and  the  improve- 


228 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ment  is  tested  on  the  machinery  in  the  fields  until 
it  operates  perfectly.  Mr.  Luppen  has  thus  made 
many  useful  improvements  which  have  benefited 
the  farmer  as  well  as  himself.  In  politics  he  was 
formerly  an  Abolitionist,  and  is  now  a  strong  Re- 
publican. He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  German 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Conrad  Luppen  was  the  only  child  born  to  his 
parents,  but  by  a  former  marriage  his  mother  had  a 
daughter,  Susan,  wife  of  Habbe  Velde,  of  Pekin. 
Conrad  prepared  for  college  in  Warren  ton,  Mo., 
and  then  entered  the  Wesleyan  University  of 
Bloomington,  where  for  two  years  he  pursued  the 
classical  course.  He  then  embarked  in  business, 
spending  two  years  in  the  wagon  factory  as  a 
machinist,  after  which  he  became  a  clerk  in  the 
Teis  Smith  &  Co.'s  Bank.  In  1875  he  became  a 
partner,  and  served  as  Teller  for  a  number  of  years, 
since  which  time  he  has  filled  the  position  of 
Cashier.  The  bank,  which  was  established  in  1866, 
is  the  oldest  in  Tazewell  Count}'.  Mr.  Luppen 
and  his  father  own  a  large  interest.  Our  subject 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  People's  Bank  of 
Manito,  which  was  established  in  September,  1893, 
and  has  since  been  its  President.  Wilh  the  vari- 
ous other  interests  already  mentioned  he  is  promi- 
nently connected,  and  also  owns  some  valuable 
real  estate,  including  his  beautiful  home  on  Prince 
Street,  situated  on  a  slight  eminence,  amid  lovely 
surroundings. 

In  Lewiston,  111.,  in  1880,  Mr.  Luppen  married 
Miss  Rosella,  daughter  of  Elijah  Barnes,  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Fulton  County,  Jll.  They  have  two 
children,  Mary  and  Luppe.  In  his  political  opin- 
ions, Mr.  Luppen  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  at 
present  is  serving  his  third  term  as  Alderman, 
during  which  time  man}'  improvements  in  Pekin 
have  been  made.  In  his  religious  connections  he 
is  an  active  member  of  the  German  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 


•ft     WILLIAM  LAUTERBACH,  the  genial  and 


¥   pleasant  proprietor  of  the  Columbia  Hotel 
of  Pekin,  and  one  of  the  well  known  citi- 
zens of  this  place,  claims  Germany  as  the  land  of 
his  birth,  which  occurred  in  Stotternheim,  Saxony, 


September  11,  1845.  His  father,  Andrew  Lauter- 
bach,  was  a  farmer  in  Saxony,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church.  He  died  in  his  native  land 
at  the  age  of  fifty-six.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Selma  Ludvig,  was  also  a  native 
of  Saxony,  and  there  died  in  April,  1892.  The 
grandmothers  on  both  sides  reached  a  very  ad-  . 
vanced  age.  In  the  family  were  six  children,  of 
whom  four  are  yet  living.  The  sons  all  came  to 
America,  and  Herman  was  drowned  in  the  Illinois 
River,  at  Pekin,  in  1869.  William  is  the  next 
younger.  Louis  died  in  Pekin  in  1892.  August 
is  a  banker  of  Colby,  Kan.  Selma  is  the  wife  of  • 
P.  Prill,  of  Pekin.  Louisa  is  married  and  lives  in 
Saxony. 

William  Lauterbach  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
attended  the  common  schools  until  fourteen  years 
of  age,  after  which  he  served  as  waiter  in  a  hotel 
for  a  time.  In  1863,  he  returned  home  in  order 
to  make  preparations  for  emigrating  to  America, 
and  in  July  boarded  the  steamer  "  Herman"  at  ; 
Bremen.  He  landed  at  New  York  City,  started 
westward,  spent  two  weeks  in  Chicago,  and  then 
came  to  Pekin,  where  he  remained  until  the  1st  of 
February,  1864,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Union 
army,  as  a  member  of  Company  D,  Ninth  Illinois 
Cavalry.  He  was  engaged  in  skirmishing  along 
the  Cumberland  and  Tennessee  Rivers,  and  took 
part  in  Wilson's  raid  and  the  battle  of  Selma,  Ala. 
At  that  place  he  was  honorably  discharged  on  the 
1st  of  November,  1865,  and  in  Springfield,  111.,  re- 
ceived his  pay. 

Mr.  Lauterbach  then  returned  to  Pekin,  where 
he  engaged  in  business  as  a  barber  until  1872. 
During  that  time  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Annie  Sassman,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  to  them 
were  born  three  children,  Herman,  August  and 
Selma.  In  1872,  our  subject  purchased  the  Cen- 
tral House,  which  he  carried  on  for  two  years, 
when  he  again  opened  a  barber  shop,  which  he  con- 
ducted until  1881.  In  that  year  he  returned  to 
his  native  land,  visited  his  old  home  and  mother, 
and  spent  four  months  in  traveling  in  Germany. 

In  February,  1882,  Mr.  Lauterbach  sold  his  bar- 
ber shop  and  bought  the  Central  Hotel,  of  which 
he  was  proprietor  until  May  1,  1893,  when  he  dis- 
posed of  that  property,  and  in  July  following  he 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


229 


began  the  erection  of  the  Columbia  Hotel,  on  the 
corner  of  Fourth  and  Margaret  Streets,  one  block 
from  the  Big  Four  depot  and  two  blocks  from  the 
Santa  Fe  de|>ot.  The  hotel  is  65x52  feet  and  three 
stories  in  height  and  is  a  well  appointed  home. 

Socially  he  is  connected  with  Joe  Hannah  Post 
No.  1  15,  G.  A.  R.,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Druids 
and  the  Harugari.  In  his  political  views  he  is 
a  Democrat,  and  in  religious  belief  he  is  a  Lu- 
theran. A  man  of  pleasant,  genial  manner,  he  is 
well  fitted  for  his  chosen  work  and  is  winning  a 
well  deserved  success. 


i>ILLIAM  H.  GREEN,  who  follows  farming 
on  section  3,  Deer  Creek  Township,  Taze- 
well  County,  was  born  in  Worcestershire, 
England,  July  22,  1843.  His  grandfather,  John 
Green,  was  a  native  of  the  same  locality  and  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  owned  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  acres,  which  had  been  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  family  for  three  hundred  years.  With 
the  Church  of  England  he  held  membership.  On 
his  death  his  eldest  son,  John,  inherited  the  prop- 
erty. There  were  two  other  sons  in  the  family, 
one  of  whom  started  for  Australia,  but  changing 
his  mind,  came  to  the  United  States.  Since  then 
nothing  has  been  heard  of  him.  The  third,  Will- 
iam Green,  became  the  father  of  our  subject.  -He 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his  native  land, 
and  when  about  twenty-eight  years  of  age  mar- 
ried Sarah  Hands.  Her  father  served  in  an  official 
capacity  under  the  British  Government,  and  owned 
property  in  one  of  the  large  cities  ot  England. 

In  1846  William  Green,  Si1.,  emigrated  with  his 
family  to  the  United  States  and  located  in  Iowa 
County,  Wis.,  before  that  state  was  admitted  to 
the  Union.  He  there  entered  two  hundred  acres 
of  Government  land  and  began  the  development 
of  a  farm,  which  he  continued  to  cultivate  until 
1850,  when,  in  eompan}*  with  eleven  others,  he 
crossed  the  plains  to  California.  For  three  years 
he  engaged  successfully  in  mining,  and  then  by 
way  of  the  water  route  returned  to  his  home  and 
family  in  Wisconsin.  In  1867  he  removed  to 
Bremer  County,  Iowa,  where  he  purchased  three 


hundred  acres  of  land  and  spent  his  remaining 
days.  While  visiting  our  subject  he  suffered  an 
attack  of  la  grippe,  and  after  an  illness  of  two 
weeks  passed  away,  in  February,  1889,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-five  years.  That  was  the  first  time 
sickness  had  ever  confined  him  to  his  bed.  His 
wife  still  survives  him,  and  is  now  living  with  her 
daughter  in  Kansas.  In  politics  he  was  a  Repub- 
lican. The  family  numbered  seven  children:  Ce- 
lena,  wife  of  Richard  Rundle;  William  H.;  Harriet, 
wife  of  Ennie  Ellis;  Walter;  Sarah,  wife  of  Wal- 
lace Parkhurst;  Mary,  wife  of  Edward  Lock  wood; 
and  John.  The  children  are  all  living,  and  now 
have  families  of  their  own. 

Mr.  Green,  whose  name  heads  this  record,  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  nineteen  years  of 
age,  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  In 
August,  1863,  he  responded  to  the  call  of  his 
adopted  country  for  troops,  and  joined  the  boys 
in  blue  of  Company  C,  Thirty-first  Wisconsin  In- 
fantry. Under  General  Sherman  he  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Atlanta,  Savannah,  Averysboro 
and  Benton  ville.  At  the  last  place  he  was  wounded 
by  a  gunshot  in  the  left  leg,  and  was  captured  and 
sent  to  Libby  Prison,  where  he  remained  for  six 
weeks,  being  the  last  prisoner  to  be  released  from 
that  place.  He  was  sent  to  Annapolis,  transferred 
to  Benton  Barracks,  St.  Louis,  and  as  soon  as  he 
was  able  was  sent  to  Madison,  Wis.,  where  he  was 
honorably  discharged  June  25,  1865,  with  the 
rank  of  Corporal. 

Soon  after  his  return,  Mr.  Green  went  to  LaSalle 
County,  111.,  where  he  engaged  in  coal  mining  for 
two  years.  He  then  went  to  Tremont,  Tazewell 
County,  where  he  worked  two  years.  He  later 
rented  land  and  carried  on  farming  for  two  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  went  to  Haw- 
ley,  Kan.,  where  he  secured  a  soldier's  claim  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Upon  it  he  made 
his  home  for  four  years,  after  which  he  returned 
to  Tazewell  County,  and  after  a  decade  spent  on  a 
rented  farm,  bought  his  present  home,  comprising 
three  hundred  and  forty-eight  acres  of  rich  and 
valuable  land,  which  now  pays  to  him  a  golden 
tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and  cultivation  he 
bestows  upon  it. 

In  Tremont  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 


230 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


Green  and  Miss  Mar}',  daughter  of  Frank  and 
Mary  Robinson,  but  the  lady  lived  only  two  3'ears. 
Our  subject  then  wedded  Miss  Martha  J.  Smith, 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary  J.  (Graves)  Smith. 
They  were  pioneers  of  Tazewell  County,  and  their 
daughter  was  born  in  Morton  Township.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Green  have  no  children  of  their  own,  but 
have  given  homes  to  Emma  and  Arthur  C.  Gin- 
gerich,  children  of  Mrs.  Mary  Gingerich,  a  sister 
of  Mrs.  Green.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  are 
charitable  and  benevolent  people,  in  whom  the 
poor  and  needy  find  a  friend.  Their  many  excel- 
lencies of  character  have  gained  them  the  high  re- 
gard of  all  witli  whom  they  have  been  brought  in 
contact,  and  throughout  the  community  they  have 
a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances.  Mr. 
Green  was  formerlj'  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican. 


^ILLIAM  CRANSON  COVERT.  The  gen- 
tleman whose  sketch  we  now  purpose  to 
place  before  the  public  is  conductor  on  a 
local  freight  on  the  Santa  Fe  Road  running  be- 
tween Pekin  and  Streator.  He  is  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  was  born  in  Ovid,  Seneca  County,  No- 
vember 25,  1848.  His  father,  J.  I.  Covert,  was 
also  a  native  of  the  above  county,  and  his  father, 
J.  J.  Covert,  was  likewise  born  in  New  York.  The 
Covert  family  are  descended  from  French  Hugue- 
nots, and  trace  their  ancestors  back  to  one  of  two 
brothers  who  came  hither  prior  to  the  Revolution 
and  made  his  home  in  New  York.  The  grandfa- 
ther was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  came 
west  to  Michigan  with  his  wife  when  advanced  in 
years,  and  died  in  Genesee  County. 

The  father  of  our  subject  followed  the  carpen- 
ter's trade  in  his  native  state,  and  in  1852  removed 
to  Genesee  County.  Mich.,  where  he  plied  his 
trade  and  at  the  same  time  cultivated  a  small  farm. 
He  was  a  well  informed  man,  and  being  an  ardent 
advocate  of  Abolition  principles,  was  greatly  in 
demand  as  a  "stump  speaker."  He  was  a  talented 


musician,  being  able  to  play  on  almost  any  instru- 
ment; was  a  composer  of  considerable  note,  and 
also  taught  vocal  music.  He  found  his  religious 
home  in  the  Baptist  Church,  in  which  faith  he  was 
reared,  and  to  which  faith  he  was  ever  devoted. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mrs.  Ardilla  (Clark) 
Covert,  was  born  in  Virginia  and  removed  to  New 
York  with  her  father,  where  she  was  married.  She 
is  still  living,  making  her  home  in  Flint.  Mich.,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five  j'ears.  Her  family  in- 
cluded four  daughters  and  one  son,  of  whom  Will- 
iam, of  this  sketch,  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth. 
He  was  reared  in  Grand  Blanc  Township,  on  the 
Fentonville  Plank  Road  in  Michigan, and  received 
a  good  district-school  education.  He  remained  on 
his  father's  farm  until  reaching  his  twentietli  year, 
in  the  meantime  being  employed  in  driving  the 
stage  between  Flint  and  Fentonville  and  also  in 
teaming  in  the  lumber  district. 

On  attaining  his  majority,  our  subject  engaged 
as  baggageman  for  the  Flint  <fe  Pere  Marquette 
Railroad  in  Saginaw,  and  later  was  made  switch- 
man in  the  company's  yards  at  Flint.  Not  being 
satisfied  with  that  kind  of  work,  he  six  months 
later  began  braking  on  a  local  freight  train,  and 
two  months  later  went  to  Jackson,  Mich.,  where 
he  found  work  braking  on  the  Ft.  Wayne,  Jack- 
son &  Saginaw  Railroad.  Soon  thereafter  he  was 
made  passenger  conductor  on  the  train  running 
between  Jackson  and  Ft.  Wayne,  after  which  he 
held  the  same  position  on  a  local  freight  train.  He 
remained  in  the  employ  of  that  company  until 
1881,  after  which  he  ran  a  local  freight  for  eight 
months,  first  between  Ft.  Wa}'ne,  Cincinnati  and 
Louisville,  and  later  between  Ft.  Wayne,  Conners- 
ville  and  Rushville.  Mr.  Covert  then  engaged 
to  work  on  the  Nickel  Plate  Road,  his  run  being 
between  Ft.  Wayne  and  Chicago  on  a  through 
freight  train,  which  position  he  held  for  six  years. 

In  1889  our  subject  changed  to  the  Santa  Fe, 
having  charge  of  the  freight  running  between  Chi- 
cago and  Chillicothe.  He  made  his  headquarters 
at  the  latter  place  until  February,  1892,  when  he 
was  transferred  to  Pekin,  and  now  is  conductor 
on  the  train  running  between  Pekin  and  Streator. 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  he  has  been  a  railroad 
man  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  during 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


231 


all  those  years  has  never  had  an  accident,  although 
lie  has  had  some  very  narrow  escapes. 

The  lady  to  whom  our  subject  was  married  in 
Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.,  November  14,  1878,  was  Miss 
'Frances,  daughter  of  Conrad  Pipenbrink.  They 
have  become  the  parents  of  six  children:  Eva 
Blanch,  Edith  C.,  Inez  M.,  William  C.,  Harry  A. 
and  Lillian  C.  During  the  late  war  our  subject 
was  very  desirous  of  joining  the  ranks  of  the 
Union  army,  and  on  three  different  occasions  made 
attempts  to  enlist  his  services,  but  as  many  times 
was  prevented  by  his  family.  lie  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  and  is  a  man  of  decided  beliefs  and 
force  of  will.  Socially  he  belongs  to  the  Order  of 
Railway  Conductors,  and  those  who  have  been  ac- 
quainted with  him  since  boyhood  are  numbered 
among  his  stanchest  friends,  a  fact  which  indicates 
the  honorable,  upright  life  which  he  has  led. 


OLOMON  PUTERBAUGII,  who  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  in  Mackinaw,  has  be- 
come through  his  own  earnest  and  well 
directed  efforts  one  of  the  wealthiest  citi- 
zens of  Tazewell  County.  He  may  well  be  called 
a  self-made  man,  for  his  success  is  due  entirely  to 
his  own  resources  and  is  the  just  reward  of  his  la- 
bors. His  life  record  is  as  follows:  He  was  born 
in  Miami  County,  Ohio,  September  9,  1822,  and  is 
a  son  of  Jacob  and  Hannah  (Ilittle)  Puterbaugh. 
His  grandfather,  John  Puterbaugh,  was  a  native 
of  Germany,  who,  when  a  young  man.  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  the  New  World.  He  located  in  Penn- 
sylvania, and  there  his  eight  children  were  born. 
They  were,  Catherine,  wife  of  Solomon  Siioup; 
Daniel,  Jacob,  Samuel,  Andrew,  Henry,  John  and 
David.  The  father  removed  with  the  family  to 
Ohio,  and  there  the  children  grew  to  manhood  and 
womanhood. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, on  the  line  dividing  that  state  from  Mary- 
land, in  1796.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
common  schools,  removed  to  Miami  County,  Ohio, 
and  in  1839  came  to  Tazewell  Count}',  locating 
upon  the  farm  which  is  now  the  home  of  our  sub- 


ject. The  year  previous  he  had  chosen  this  loca- 
tion. He  successfully  carried  on  farming  and 
stock-raising,  and  accumulated  about  one  thou- 
sand acres  of  land.  In  politics  he  was  a  Whig, 
and  in  religious  belief  he  was  a  Dunkard.  lie 
gave  freely  of  his  means  to  church  and  benevolent 
work,  and  his  life  was  filled  with  many  good  deeds. 
In  1858  he  was  called  to  the  home  beyond,  and  his 
wife  passed  away  during  the  war.  One  of  their 
children  died  in  early  childhood;  Catherine  is 
the  deceased  wife  of  Daniel  Newcomb;  Elizabeth  is 
the  widow  of  Thomas  L.  Matthews,  of  Clinton  111.; 
Solomon  is  the  next  younger;  Daniel  is  a  retired 
farmer  of  Mackinaw;  Serena  is  the  deceased  wife 
of  J.  L.  Hatcher;  Harriet  died  in  childhood;  Samuel . 
H.  is  Superintendent  of  the  County  Farm  of  Taze- 
well County;  S.  D.,  deceased,  who  was  a  law  part- 
ner of  Col.  Robert  J.  Ingersoll,  was  a  prominent  at- 
torney of  Peoria  and  Chicago;  heserxred  as  Circuit 
Judge,  and  wrote  many  law  books  which  are  used 
as  authority;  Jane  is  the  deceased  wife  of  J.  B. 
Ketchum;  Harriet  is  the  deceased  wife  of  J.  R. 
Russell;  and  George,  who  was  also  a  law  partner 
of  Colonel  Ingersoll,  is  now  a  Supreme  Judge  of 
California. 

Solomon  Puterbaugh  remained  with  his  parents 
until  after  lie  had  attained  his  majorit}',  and  then 
hired  out  at  $44  per  year.  Six  months  later  he 
married  Eliza  A.  Ho  well,  daughter  of  Elijah  and 
Marie  (McAllister)  llowell.  She  was  born  in 
White  County,  111.,  lived  in  Kentucky  between  the 
ages  of  two  and  six  years,  and  then  came  to  Mack- 
inaw. Her  father  vvas  a  farmer,  and  died  in  1838. 
Her  mother,  who  ever  remained  faithful  to  his 
memory,  passed  away  in  1873.  In  their  family  were 
five  children.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Puterbaugh  were 
born  four  children:  John  II.  and  llowell  J.,  who  are 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  Tazewell  County;  and 
Ben  and  Hannah  M.,  who  are  deceased.  The  sons  are 
young  men  of  great  enterprise  and  business  abil- 
ity, and  will  no  doubt  win  the  success  which  has 
characterized  their  father's  career. 

Upon  his  marriage,  Mr.  Puterbaugh  received 
one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land  from  his  fa- 
ther, and  until  three  years  ago  retained  possession 
of  that  farm.  He  was  principally  engaged  in  stock 
dealing,  and  was  very  successful  in  his  uudertak- 


232 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ings.  Investing  his  gains  in  land,  he  accumu- 
lated over  one  thousand  acres.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  has  been  interested  in  Porter  Bros. 
&  Pnterbaugh'a  Bank,  of  Mackinaw,  of  which 
he  .is  President,  but  for  the  past  twenty  years 
has  practically  lived  retired,  enjoying  the  fruits 
of  his  former  toil.  He  and  his  wife  are  num- 
bered among  the  leading  members  and  active 
workers  in  the  Christian  Church,  and  Mr.  Pu- 
terbaugh  is  now  serving  as  Deacon.  He  is  the  old- 
est Sunday-school  Secretary  of  the  county,  and 
has  held  that  office  longer  than  any  other  incum- 
bent. In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican.  The 
best  interests  of  the  community  have  ever  found 
in  him  a  friend,  and  his  support  and  co-operation 
are  never  withheld  from  anything  which  he  be- 
lieves will  prove  of  benefit  to  the  community.  His 
long  residence  in  Tazewell  Count}'  has  made  him 
widely  known,  and  his  honorable,  upright  life  has 
gained  him  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  business  or  social  relations  have  brought 
him  in  contact. 


^j|  OHN  ALLEN,  who  carries  on  farming  in 
Delavan  Township,  is  one  of  the  self-made 
men  of  Tax.ewell  County;  without  capital 
he  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  and  has 
steadily  worked  his  way  upward  to  a  position  of 
affluence.  His  life  has  been  well  spent  and  his  ex- 
ample is  worthy  of  emulation.  He  was  born  near 
Plainfleld,  in  Somerset  County,  N.  J.,  December  3, 
1828,  and  is  a  son  of  David  Allen,  who  was  born 
in  the  same  locality  December  22,  1787.  He  was 
a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  his  brother  John 
served  as  Colonel  in  that  war.  Joseph  Allen,  the 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  became  the  owner 
of  the  farm  on  which  the  grandfather,  father,  and 
our  subject  were  all  born.  The  place  is  still  in  the 
possession  of  the  family.  David  Allen  there  spent 
his  entire  life,  his  death  there  occurring  at  the  age 
of  eighty-five.  He  had  married  Susan  Townely,  an 
English  lady,  whose  father  was  a  soldier  in  the 
British  army  during  the  early  part  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, during  which  time  he  was  twice  wounded.  It 
is  said  that  he  turned  traitor,  and  nothing  was 


ever  heard  of  him  afterward.  So  Mrs.  Allen  was 
reared  by  strangers  on  Manhattan  Island,  and 
there  lived  until  arriving  at  womanhood;  she  was 
married  in  1878. 

In  the  Allen  family  were  four  sons  and  three 
daughters.  Aaron  and  Elias,  aged  respectively 
seventy-six  and  seventy,  are  now  living  on 
the  old  homestead;  David  is  living  in  Dillon 
Township,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  3'ears;  and 
Mary  is  the  wife  John  Spencer,  of  New  Jersey. 
The  other  son  of  the  family  is  John  Allen,  whose 
name  heads  this  record.  He  received  but  limited 
school  privileges,  and  when  twenty  years  of  age 
began  learning  the  carpenter's  trade  in  Newark, 
N.  J.  He  afterward  followed  that  occupation  in 
New  York  City,  and  in  1857  came  to  Illinois, 
where  his  brother  David  had  located  five  years 
previous.  Here  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  a  few 
years,  and  in  1860,  with  the  capital  he  had  ac- 
quired, made  his  first  purchase  of  land,  compris- 
ing eighty  acres  of  the  farm  which  has  since  been 
his  home.  To  this  he  has  added  from  time  to  time 
and  is  now  recognized  as  one  of  the  prosperous 
farmers  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Allen  was  married  in  1854  to  Miss  Susan 
Hammond,  of  New  York  City,  and  to  them  were 
born  three  children,  two  yet  living.  On  the  15th 
of  January,  1864,  while  Mr.  Allen  was  away  with 
a  load  of  grain,  his  wife  went  to  the  well  to  water 
some  of  the  stock.  It  was  icy  around  the  curb, 
and  losing  her  footing,  she  fell  head  lirst  into  the 
well.  Her  little  children  were  the  only  people 
near,  and  they  were  unable  to  render  assistance. 
They  made  their  way  through  deep  snow  to  the 
nearest  neighbor  and  gave  the  alarm,  but  it  was  of 
no  avail,  as  life  had  been  some  time  extinct  when 
the  lady  was  rescued.  This  was  a  very  sad  blow 
to  the  husband  and  children.  The  son,  George  E., 
married  Miss  Nelia  Ray,  and  has  two  children, 
Eugene  and  Susie.  For  some  years  he  was  exten- 
sively engaged  in  farming,  but  is  now  living  re- 
tired at  his  fine  home  in  Delavan.  The  daughter, 
Hattie,  is  the  wife  of  Edward  Brawner,  who  owns 
a  farm  adjoining  that  of  our  subject.  They  have 
four  children,  Clara,  George,  Emma  and  Edward. 
After  his  children  were  grown  and  married,  Mr. 
Allen  married  again,  wedding  Hannah  A.  Drake, 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


233 


who  for  more  than  twenty  years  had  been  his 
housekeeper.  She  is  also  a  native  of  New  Jersey. 
Mr.  Allen  has  always  been  a  hard  working,  in- 
dustrious man,  and  has  accumulated  a  comfortable 
fortune  through  his  own  exertions.  He  certainly 
deserves  great  credit  for  his  success  in  life.  He 
has  always  been  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has 
held  some  local  oltices,  but  they  were  thrust  upon 
him,  not  accepted  from  choice. 


ATHIAS  T.  WOOD,  attorney  and  real-es- 
tate dealer  of  Hopcdale,  111.,  was  born  in 
*  Tremont  Township, Tazewell  County,  Jan- 
uary 16,  1842,  and  is  of  English  and  Ger- 
man descent.  His  grandfather,  Ebenezer  Wood, 
was  a  native  of  England  and  married  a  German 
lady.  His  father,  Stephen  Wood,  was  born  on 
Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  emigrated  to  Ohio  in  an  early 
day,  and  in  1833  became  a  resident  of  Mackinaw 
Township,  Tazewell  County,  111.  Later  he  removed 
to  Tremont  Township,  and  in  1856  went  to  Linn 
County,  Kan.,  where  he  lived  during  the  trouble- 
some times  preceding  the  Civil  War.  When  the 
south  attacked  Ft.  Sumter  he  immediately  offered 
his  services  to  the  Government  and  faithfully  de- 
fended the  Stars  and  Stripes  through  the  struggle 
that  ensued.  He  married  Elizabeth  Trout,  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia.  Her  parents  were  natives  of 
Germany,  and  during  her  girlhood  they  removed 
to  Tennessee,  whence  she  came  to  Illinois,  where 
she  met  and  married  Stephen  Wood.  She  died 
when  our  subject  was  a  child  of  five  years,  and  Mr. 
Wood  died  in  1889.  In  the  family  were  three 
children,  but  the  sister  died  at  the  age  of  four 
years.  Klias,  the  brother  of  our  subject,  served 
four  years  in  the  Civil  War  as  a  member  of  the 
Twenty-sixth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  took  part  in 
many  important  battles.  He  is  now  a  farmer  of 
Elmwood,  Peoria  County.  The  father  of  this  fam- 
ily was  a  second  time  married  and  had  several 
children,  including  Charles,  a  farmer  of  Gitard, 
Kan.;  Henry,  of  Pueblo,  Colo.;  and  Lewis,  a  harness- 
maker  of  Michigan. 

Mathias  T.  Wood  went  with  his  father  to  Kan- 
sas in  1856,  but  returned  to  Illinois  in  1859.     He 


worked  on  a  ferry  boat  at  Havana  for  a  time 
and  then  came  to  Hopedale,  where  he  attended 
school  through  the  following  winter.  In  the 
spring  he  began  working  on  the  farm  of  Henry 
Smith,  and  was  thus  employed  at  the  time  of  the 
breaking  out  of  the  late  war.  On  the  25th  of 
July,  1861,  he  joined  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company 
D,  Seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  and  did  service  in 
Missouri  and  Arkansas,  following  Forest.  The 
troops  went  into  winter  quarters  at  Port  Holt,  Ky., 
and  in  the  spring  of  1862  Mr.  Wood  took  part  in 
the  battles  of  Ft.  Henry  and  Ft.  Donelson.  He 
was  also  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight  at  Shiloh,  took 
part  in  the  siege  of  Corinth  and  then  did  garrison 
duty  until  the  battle  of  luka.  He  served  as  a  dis- 
patch courier  at  the  second  battle  of  Corinth,  and 
while  carrying  a  message  to  General  Oglesby  saw 
the  General  shot.  His  time  being  about  half  out  he 
could  not  obtain  a  leave  of  absence  so  his  Colonel 
permitted  him  to  take  some  condemned  horses 
back  to  Illinois  and  bring  him  a  saddle  horse.  He 
rejoined  his  regiment  at  Corinth  and  was  engaged 
in  scouting  until  he  started  with  Sherman  on  the 
march  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea.  Ere  that  march 
was  completed  he  was  taken  ill  and  was  honorably 
discharged,  his  time  having  expired  about  a  month 
previous.  For  three  years  he  was  unable  to  engage 
in  any  work. 

During  his  furlough  Mr.  Wood  had  married  Miss 
Mary  liolfson,  a  school  teacher.  Pie  engaged  in 
different  lines  of  business  until  1870,  when  he 
commenced  the  study  of  law, and  since  1877  he  has 
been  continuously  engaged  in  legal  practice  in 
Hopedale,  in  connection  with  the  real-estate  and 
insurance  business.  He  is  now  serving  as  Justice 
of  the  Peace  of  his  township,  and  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Republican  Central  Committee.  Since 
casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Abraham 
Lincoln  he  has  been  a  stanch  Republican,  and  is 
now  his  party's  candidate  for  County  Sheriff. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  were  born  four  children. 
Anna  L.  is  the  wife  of  Frank  L.  Zipf,  a  prosperous 
merchant  of  Hopedale;  William,  who  graduated 
from  the  high  school,  is  studying  law.  Although 
but  a  young  man  he  is  Chairman  of  the  Town- 
ship Republican  Central  Committee;  Frank  and 
Letta,  aged  seventeen  and  eleven  years,  respective- 


234 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ly,  are  attending  school.  They  also  lost  one 
child,  Maggie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen. 
The  parents  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  Mr.  Wood  takes  a  very  active  part  in 
church  and  benevolent  work,  and  for  seventeen 
years  has  been  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school.  He 
is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  and  has  served  as  Chaplain  of  his  post 
since  its  organization.  He  is  also  Chaplain  of  the 
Odd  Fellows'  society  to  which  he  belongs.  Mr. 
Wood  is  truly  a  self-made  man.  Without  special 
educational  or  other  advantages  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward  to  a  position  of  promi- 
nence and  has  also  acquired  considerable  property. 


rj=TtfRANKLIN  FIELD,  one  of  the  enterprising 
substantial  farmers  of  Tazewell  Coun- 


ty,  now  living  on  section  18,  Deer  Creek 
Township,  was  born  in  Washington  Township -en- 
the  8th  of  April,  1840.  His  grandparents,  Anthony 
and  Sarah  (Franklin)  Field,  were  both  born  near 
the  city  of  New  York.  The  former  was  born  Oc- 
tober 24,  1757,  and  at  a  very  early  age  enlisted  in 
the  Colonial  army.  After  several  months'  service 
in  the  Revolutionary  War  lie  received  an  honora- 
ble discharge.  He  was  for  two  years  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  1812,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Plaltsburg.  After  being  mustered  out  he  returned 
to  his  family  in  Vermont,  to  which  state  he  had 
previously  moved,  and  carried  on  business  as  a 
farmer  and  stock-dealer.  lie  accumulated  a  large 
tract  of  land  and  made  his  home  thereon  until  his 
death,  in  1855.  His  wife,  who  was  born  November 
4,  1772,  also  passed  away  in  1855.  They  were 
married  in  1795,  and  Mrs.  Field  was  an  own 
cousin  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Franklin.  The  Field  fam- 
ily is  of  English  origin,  and  was  founded  in  Amer- 
ica by  the  great-grandparents  of  our  subject. 

Anthony  Field,  father  of  our  subject,  was  one  of 
a  family  of  fourteen  children,  two  of  whom  are 
living  in  Vermont.  lie  and  his  twin  brother, 
Joshua,  were  born  in  Addison  County,  Vt.,  August 
15,  1808,  but  were  reared  in  Rutland  County, 
where  the  father  lived  during  his  active  life.  He 


acquired  a  good  education  and  remained  with  his 
parents  until  after  he  had  attained  his  majority. 
For  about  six  years  he  engaged  in  business  as  a 
stock-dealer  in  Vermont,  after  which  he  emigrated 
to  Tazewell  County,  III.,  in  1838,  making  the  jour- 
ney by  way  of  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Illinois 
Rivers  to  Peoria,  whence  he  came  to  his  des- 
tination. His  family  then  consisted  of  his  wife 
and  one  child,  for  in  his  native  state  he  had  wed- 
ded Mary  A.  Hathaway.  Having  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  34, 
Washington  Township,  Mr.  Field  at  once  em- 
barked in  the  stock  business.  He  had  but  little 
capital,  but  as  the  result  of  good  business  qualifi- 
cations, economy  and  industry  he  became  quite 
wealthy,  accumulating  seven  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  in  Illinois  and  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  Kansas.  He  ever  gave  freely  to 
enterprises  calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit, 
and  it  seemed  that  he  could  not  do  too  much  to 
enhance  the  happiness  of  his  family.  He  was  niar- 
ried/£irgwst'l  1,  1836,  to  Mary,  daughter  of  Austin 
and  Esther  Hathaway.  She  was  born  in  Franklin 
County,  Vt.,  in  1819, and  they  became  the  parents 
of  ten  children  who  grew  to  mature  years.  They 
were,  Elizabeth,  deceased  wife  of  Charles  Pratt; 
Franklin;  Henry  and  Benjamin,  deceased;  Adelia, 
deceased  wife  of  Martin  Lewis;  George  A.,  a  rail- 
road engineer  of  Missouri;  Harvey,  who  has  also 
passed  away;  Emrna,  deceased  wife  of  Joseph  Zin- 
ser;  Stephen,  who  has  departed  this  life;  and  Mary 
E.,  wife  of  Sturgis  Small.  The  father  died  De- 
cember 19,  1878,  and  the  mother  was  called  to  the 
home  beyond  October  25,  1880. 

Franklin  Field  acquired  his  education  in  private 
schools  and  in  the  old-time  log  schoolhouses.  He 
began  farming  on  his  father's  land  and  gradually 
worked  into  the  stock  business,  which  he  has  fol- 
lowed continuously  since.  When  twenty-three 
years  of  age  he  married  Sarah  M.  Van  Camp,  who 
was  born  in  what  is  now  Deer  Creek  Township, 
Tazewell  County.  Her  parents  were  William  and 
Elizabeth  (Martany)  Van  Camp,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  New  Jersey,  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  Seven 
children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Field:  Lizzie, 
now  the  wife  of  B.  F.  Ay  res,  by  whom  she  has  one 
son,  Herbert  R.;  Charles,  who  married  Myrtle 


LIBRARY 
Of  JHt 

OF  (UJftCNS 


REV.  GEO.  W    MIN1ER. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


237 


Small  and  lias  one  son,  George  M.;  Martha;  Mil- 
dred and  Willard,  twins;  and  Ollie  A.  and  Delia, 
at  home.  The  mother  of  this  family  passed  away 
January  15,  1892,  and  her  death  was  widely 
mourned  throughout  the  community,  for  she  had 
the  esteem  of  all  who  knew  her. 

Krom  his  father  Mr.  Field  received  a  tract  of 
land  in  Iroquois  County,  and  after  improving  it 
for  a  time  he  sold  it  and  bought  of  his  father  the 
farm  on  which  he  now  lives.  He  accumulated 
several  hundred  acres  of  land,  but  has  now  dis- 
posed of  all  except  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres. 
The  enterprise  and  industry  which  characterized 
his  efforts  brought  him  a  competence  which  is  well 
deserved  and  which  makes  him  one  of  the  wealthy 
farmers  of  the  neighborhood.  He  has  reared  an 
intelligent  and  highly  respected  family  and  has 
lived  a  life  that  has  won  him  universal  confidence 
and  esteem.  His  fellow-townsmen  have  frequent- 
ly honored  him  with  local  offices,  and  at  this  writ- 
ing he  is  serving  as  a  member  of  the  County  Board 
of  Supervisors.  He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  Republican  party. 


EV.  GEORGE  W.  MINIER,oneof  the  early 
settlers  of  Tazewell  County,  and  a  pioneer 
Christian  preacher  of  western  Illinois,  now 
makes  his  home  on  section  13,  Little  Mack- 
inaw Township.  He  was  born  in  Ulster  Town- 
ship, Bradford  County,  Pa.,  October  8,  1813,  and 
is  a  son  of  John  Minier,  also  a  native  pf  the  Key- 
stone State.  The  grandfather,  Daniel  Minier,  was 
of  German  descent  and  served  under  General 
Washington  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  During 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  he  followed  farming 
in  Bradford  County,  Pa.  In  religious  belief  he 
was  a  Methodist.  He  married  Polly  Waggoner, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-six,  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  five  sons  and  five  daughters. 
John  Minier,  the  second  child,  was  born  in  Ly- 
coming  County,  Pa.,  and  during  his  boyhood  went 
to  Bradford  County,  where  he  married  Rachel, 
daughter  of  Obediah  Brown;  the  latter  was  a 
3 


Lieutenant  in  the  Colonial  army  and  aided  in 
the  capture  of.  Burgoyne  at  the  battle  of  Sara- 
toga. For  some  years  John  Minier  followed  farm- 
ing in  the  Keystone  State,  and  in  1839  emigrated 
to  Bureau  County,  III.,  where  his  death  occurred 
about  two  years  later.  His  wife  passed  away  about 
1858,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven.  In  religious 
belief  he  was  a  Univers'alist.  In  their  family  were 
ten  children,  and  with  one  exception  all  grew  to 
mature  years.  Three  sons  and  a  daughter  are  yet 
living:  Robert  B.,  a  farmer  of  Henry  County,  III.; 
Theodore  L.,  a  banker  and  ex-State  Senator  of 
Elmira,  N.  Y.;  George  W.;  and»Mrs.  Mahala  Burn- 
ham,  of  Bradford  County,  Pa. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  Bradford  County, 
and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  Athens 
Academ}'.  He  often  walked  six  miles  to  and 
from  school.  When  his  college  course  was  com- 
pleted he  engaged  in  teaching  in  Chemung,  N.  Y., 
for  three  years,  and  in  1837  emigrated  to  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  where  he  mef'Long  John  Wentworth." 
He  then  went  to  Bureau  County  and  engaged  in 
surveying  the  state  road  from  Peru  to  Galesburg. 
In  1839  he  was  employed  as  a  civil  engineer  on 
the  main  line  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
and  aided  in  the  survey  of  the  Illinois  River. 
His  work  along  that  stream  brought  on  an  attack 
of  ague,  which  lasted  for  fourteen  months,  after 
which  he  resumed  teaching  near  Princeton,  111. 
Three  years  were  spent  as  a  teacher  in  Magnolia, 
Putnam  County,  after  which  he  became  a  preacher 
of  the  Christian  Church,  and  continued  in  the 
work  of  the  ministry  in  McLean  and  Tazewell 
Counties  for  many  years.  He  was  also  at  the 
head  of  a  female  college  in  Bloomington,  which 
he  sold  in  1850  to  Dr.  Finley.  The  following 
year  he  came  to  Tazewell  County,  and  with  a 
land  warrant  secured  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  Government  land  at  eighty-three  cents  per 
acre.  It  was  a  tract  of  unbroken  prairie,  but  he 
cleared  and  improved  it,  and  has  since  made  his 
home  thereon.  In  connection  with  farming,  he 
has  also  continued  his  work  as  a  Christian  minister. 
January  1,  1839,  Mr.  Minier  married  Sarah  Ire- 
land, of  Bureau  County,  111.,  daughter  of  Jonathan 
Ireland,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  and  who  came 
to  Illinois  in  1834.  His  daughter  was  also  born  in 


238 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  Old  Dominion.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Minier  became 
the  parents  of  twelve  children,  ten  of  whom  are 
yet  living:  T.  L.,  of  Minier,  111.;  Leonidas,  a  rail- 
road employe  of  Chicago;  Eliza  Jane,  wife  of  James 
Edmiston,  state  agent  for  the  Union  Central  Life 
Insurance  Company  at  Lincoln,  Neb.;  Emily,  wife 
of  John  II.  Spears,  an  attorney  at  Chicago;  Era- 
ogene,  wife  of  George  G.'  Sanborn,  a  wholesale 
importer  of  Philadelphia;  George,  a  farmer  of 
Nebraska;  Horace  M.,  general  agent  for  the  Union 
Central  Life  Insurance  Company,  living  in  Waco, 
Tex.;  Thomas  C.,  a  graduate  of  the  Illinois  Wes- 
leyan  University,  ^ho  now  follows  farming  in 
Nebraska;  Theophilus  I.,  an  agriculturist  of  Ne- 
braska; and  Mary,  at  home. 

Rev.  Mr.  Minier  was  ordained  a  minister  of 
the  Christian  Church  in  1842,  and  has  since  en- 
gaged in  preaching.  He  was  pastor  of  the  churches 
in  Lincoln,  Atlanta,  Eminence,  Bethel,  Arming- 
ton,  Washington,  Stouts  Grove,  Blue  Mound, 
Hayworth,  Shirley,  Hudson,  White  Oak  Grove, 
Antioch,  Concord,  Minier,  Delavan  and  Emden. 
Earnestly  has  he  labored  along  this  line,  and  the 
lives  of  many  noble  men  and  women  arc  evidence 
that  his  labors  have  not  been  in  vain.  In  early 
life  he  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  was  a 
stanch  Republican  from  the  organization  of  the 
party  until  a  short  time  since,  when  he  joined  the 
Prohibition  party,  and  was  the  first  man  ever 
nominated  in  the  United  States  for  Congress  on 
the  Prohibition  ticket.  He  was  a  warm  personal 
friend  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

For  man}'  years  Rev.  Mr.  Minier  has  been  iden- 
tified with  the  Horticultural  Society  of  Illinois, 
was  its  President  two  years,  and  for  five  years 
was  Vice-President  of  the  State  Agricultural  So- 
ciety. He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Forestry  As- 
sociation of  North  America,  and  served  one  year 
as  its  President.  Throughout  life  he  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance  and  is  a  Di- 
rector in  the  American  Bible  Union.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Peace  Congress  of  the  United 
States  and  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  World's 
Convention  in  London,  where  he  was  to  read  a 
paper.  Being  prevented  from  going,  he  however 
sent  the  article  which  he  had  prepared,  and  which 
was  read  before  that  body.  He  took  a  warm  in- 


terest in  organizing  the  State  University  of  Illi- 
nois, and  his  support  and  co-operation  are  given 
to  whatever  is  calculated  to  prove  of  public  bene- 
fit. His  library  is  a  fine  one,  containing  many 
choice  volumes.  He  has  always  been  a  great 
reader  and  student,  and  from  three  until  ten  A.  M. 
he  devotes  his  time  to  reading,  writing  and  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  has  now  reached  the  uge 
of  eighty-one  years,  yet  his  mental  faculties  re- 
main unimpaired. 


eHRISTIAN  HELLEMANN.an  honored  Her- 
man citizen  of  Tazewell  County,  who  now 
resides  on  a  valuable  farm  on  section  13, 
Elm  Grove  Township,  was  born  in  the  province  of 
Brunswick,  Germany,  November  13,  1831,  and  is 
the  eldest  in  a  family  of  five  children  whose 
parents  were  Christian  and  Fredcricka  (Spandau) 
Hellemann.  By  occupation  the  father  was  a  farm- 
er, and  followed  that  pursuit  throughout  life. 
He  was  killed  by  a  falling  tree  in  the  year  1848, 
and  his  widow,  who  survived  him  for  many  years, 
died  in  1891,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four. 
They  never  left  their  native  land,  but  continued 
there  to  reside  until  called  to  the  home  beyond. 

Mr.  Hellemann,  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  in  the 
Fatherland,  but  when  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
three  resolved  to  seek  a  home  and  fortune  beyond 
the  Atlantic,  and  on  the  29th  of  November,  1854, 
landed  in  New  Orleans.  He  was  the  only  member 
of  his  family  that  emigrated  from  Germany.  On 
reaching  this  country  he  at  once  started  for  the 
west,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  St.  Louis,  where 
for  two  years  he  followed  various  pursuits  in  or- 
der to  earn  an  honest  livelihood.  The  year  1857 
witnessed  his  arrival  in  Tazewell  County,  111.  He 
located  in  Tremont  Township,  where  he  lived  for 
six  years,  and  during  part  of  that  time  worked  as 
a  farm  hand  by  the  month.  Soon,  however,  he 
rented  land  and  engaged  in  farming  for  himself. 
In  this  way  he  succeeded  in  getting  a  start  in  life, 
and  thereby  laid  the  foundation  upon  which  his 
present  fortune  was  built.  After  renting  land  for 
a  few  years,  during  which  time  he  was  economical 


POETRAIT    AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


239 


and  industrious  and  laid  113-  some  capital,  he  pur- 
chased a  farm,  in  1866.  It  was  a  small  tract  of  only 
thirty  acres,  and  was  located  in  Tremont  Township, 
one  mile  east  of  the  village  of  that  name.  There 
he  made  his  home  for  three  years,  when  he  pur- 
chased the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides,  in  Elm 
Grove  Township.  When  he  became  its  owner  in 
1869,  it  comprised  but  sixty  acres,  but  from  time 
to  tune  he  has  added  to  this  amount  as  he  has 
prospered,  until  he  now  owns  two  hundred  and 
seventeen  acres  in  Elm  Grove  Town  hip,  while  his 
landed  possessions  altogether  comprise  three  hun- 
dred and  seventy-seven  acres. 

Mr.  Hellemann  has  found  a  faithful  companion 
and  helpmate  in  his  wife.  He  was  married  Sep- 
tember 18,  1859,  to  Dorothy  Stamme,  a  native  of 
Hanover,  Germany,  and  to  them  were  born  six 
children,  two  sons  and  four  daughters:  Christian, 
who  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  work;  Julia, 
wife  of  Charles  G  iff  horn,  of  Monroe  County,  111.; 
Mary,  wife  of  John  Paupenhausen,  of  P^lm  Grove; 
Frederick,  at  home;  Matilda,  wife  of  Fred  Becker, 
of  Tremont;  and  Anna,  who  completes  the  family. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Hellemann  has  been  a  Republican 
since  the  organization  of  the  party.  By  virtue  of 
his  energy  and  ability  he  has  made  an  unqualified 
success  in  his  chosen  vocation,  and  is  regarded  as 
one  of  the  intelligent  and  well  informed  men  of 
the  community,  as  well  as  one  of  the  very  success- 
ful farmers.  Since  coming  to  America,  he  has 
made  several  visits  to  the  land  of  his  birth,  and 
has  also  sent  his  children  at  different  times,  thus 
giving  them  the  advantages  of  education  by  ex- 
tended travel. 


~//fl\<        '  ,  a  representative  farmer  of  Del- 

ffl  avan  Township,  Tazewell  County,  was 
1ft  born  near  South  Orange,  N.  J.,  March  17, 
1834.  The  family  was  founded  in  Amer- 
ica by  Edward  Ball,  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  which  is  now  the  site  of  Newark, 
N.  J.  This  was  in  1667.  By  occupation  he  was 
a  surveyor,  and  was  a  man  of  considerable  promi- 
nence. His  son  Thomas  was  the  father  of  Aaron, 
and  he  the  father  of  Joseph  Ball,  and.  the  latter 


was  the  father  of  Joseph  B.  Ball,  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject.  The  last-named  was  a  shoemaker 
by  trade,  and  lived  and  died  near  South  Orange, 
N.  J. 

Amzi  Ball,  the  fattier  of  our  subject,  was  there 
born  November  15,  1806,  and  in  1835  emigrated 
to  Ohio.  The  following  year  he  went  to  Indiana, 
and  in  1851  came  to  Tazewell  County,  where  he 
spent  his  remaining  days  upon  a  farm,  his  death 
occurring  May  8,  1890.  He  served  as  a  member 
of  the  New  Jersey  Militia  for  eleven  3'ears,  and 
was  a  leading  and  influential  citizen.  He  was 
married  March  19,  1833,  to  Miss  Maria  Meeker, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Meeker.  She  was  born  Sep- 
tember 19,  1812,  and  is  now  living  with  our  sub- 
ject. She  is  a  bright  and  cheerful  old  lady,  and 
her  eighty-two  years  rest  lightly  upon  her,  her 
faculties  being  quite  well  preserved. 

A.  W.  Ball  was  about  seventeen  years  of  age 
when  he  came  to  Tazewell  County.  He  acquired 
a  good  education,  which  was  completed  in  Tre- 
mont Academy,  after  which  he  engaged  in  teach- 
ing school  for  about  four  years.  On  the  27th  of 
December,  1855,  he  married  Elizabeth  Ann  Mose- 
ley,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Tazewell  County, 
although  her  parents  were  natives  of  Kentucky. 
She  died  June  7,  1889,  leaving  three  children, 
two  sons  and  a  daughter.  The  eldest,  C.  II.,  is  a 
Lieutenant  in  the  Illinois  National  Guards,  and  is 
a  prominent  Odd  Fellow  and  Knight  of  Pythias. 
He  was  graduated  from  the  Jacksonville  Business 
College,  and  is  now  the  head  clerk  in  the  large 
mercantile  establishment  belonging  to  W.  V.  Mc- 
Kinstry,  of  Delavan.  He  married  Ilattie  E.,  daugh- 
ter of  A.  Stubbs,  the  Delavan  miller,  and  their 
union  has  been  blessed  with  one  child,  Arthur  W. 
Gertrude  II.,  born  January  22,  1862,  is  the  wife 
of  Frank  H.  Watkins,  who  is  engaged  in  farming 
on  the  old  homestead,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren: Nellie  I.,  George  W.  and  Charles  E.  Joseph 
Harrison,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  who  was 
born'  March  20,  1866,  married  Mary  E.  Mourer, 
who  is  a  native  of  Indiana.  He  had  charge  of  the 
Collins  Plow  Company's  exhibit  at  the  World's 
Fair,  and  still  travels  for  the  company. 

Throughout  his  entire  life  Mr.  Ball  has  followed 
farming,  although  of  late  years  he  has  left  the 


240 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


management  of  the  place  largely  to  his  son-in- 
law,  and  has  devoted  his  entire  time  and  atten- 
tion to  the  care  of  his  aged  mother,  to  whom  he 
is  greatly  attached.  He  is  a  prominent  Knight 
Templar  Mason,  and  has  served  as  Master  of  the 
blue  lodge,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor.  One  of  the  valued  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity, all  who  know  him  respect  him,  and  it  is 
with  pleasure  that  we  present  his  sketch  to  our 
readers.  It  may  also  be  interesting  to  note  that 
Mary  Ball,  the  mother  of  George  Washington,  was 
a  cousin  of  Joseph  Ball,  the  great-grandfather  of 
our  subject,  and  his  grandmother  was  Eunice  Har- 
rison, a  cousin  of  William  Henry  Harrison. 


OSEPH  M.  COOPER  who  owns  and  operates 
two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  valuable 
land  on  section  1,  Morton  Township,  Taze- 
well County,  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  agriculturists  of  the  community,  and  is  well 
worthy  of  representation  in  the  history  of  his  na- 
tive county.  He  was  born  on  the  farm  which  is 
still  his  home  September  22,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of 
Thomas  and  Margaret  A.  (Strickland)  Cooper. 
His  grandparents  were  William  and  Mary  (Bcal) 
Cooper.  The  former  was  born  at  Ft.  Washington, 
now  Cincinnati,  in  the  year  1806,  and  there  died 
in  the  year  1832.  His  father,  who  also  bore  the 
name  of  William,  was  born  near  Richmond,  Va., 
and  served  his  country  in  the  Indian  War  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  "Mad  Anthony."  The  paternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  contractor  on 
canals  and  roads  and  became  quite  well-to-do.  He 
died  when  his  son  Thomas  was  quite  young,  and 
his  widow  afterward  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Wood. 
By  the  first  union  were  born  only  two  children, 
Thomas  and  Jesse,  both  of  Pekin. 

Thomas  started  out  in  life  for  himself  at  the 
age  of  twelve  years.  He  was  apprenticed  to  a 
machinist,  but  ran  away  and  began  working  on 
the  river  and  canal.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he 
came  to  Tazewell  County,  where  he  worked  one 
year,  after  which  he  returned  to  Cincinnati  and 
engaged  in  boating  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 


Rivers  to  New  Orleans.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
he  enlisted  for  the  Mexican  War  under  General 
Scott,  and  look  part  in  all  the  engagements  with 
that  commander.  At  the  time  of  the  capture  of 
the  City  of  Mexico  he  was  wounded,  being  shot 
in  the  side.  On  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  mus- 
tered out  and  returned  to  his  home  in  the  north. 
Soon  afterward  he  came  to  Tazewell  County  and 
purchased  the  farm  now  belonging  to  our  subject. 
He  married  Miss  Margaret  Strickland,  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Susan 
A.  (Bondurant)  Strickland,  the  former  a  native 
of  Tennessee,  and  the  latter  of  Kentucky.  Her 
mother  was  of  French  descent. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cooper  were  born  three  sons 
and  two  daughters:  Mary;  James,  a  land  agent  of 
North  Dakota;  Mattie  D.,  wife  of  P.  II.  Gupton.a 
grain  dealer  of  Nebraska;  William  I).,  a  land 
agent  of  Washington;  and  Joseph  M.,  of  this 
sketch.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  and  Mr.  Cooper  belongs  to 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  In  politics  he  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and  since  1873  has  held  office.  In  that 
year  he  was  elected  County  Treasurer,  which  po- 
sition he  filled  for  ten  years.  He  served  as  Rev- 
enue Collector  for  the  Eighth  District  during 
President  Cleveland's  first  administration,  and 
was  three  times  Mayor  of  Pekin,  in  which  place 
he  has  made  his  home  for  the  past  twenty -one 
years.  He  came  to  this  county  a  poor  man,  but 
by  well  directed  efforts  acquired  a  handsome  com- 
petency, becoming  the  owner  of  three  hundred 
acres  of  valuable  land. 

Joseph  M.  Cooper,  whose  name  heads  this  rec- 
ord, was  reared  under  the  parental  roof,  his  boy- 
hood days  being  passed  amidst  play  and  work, 
and  in  the  high  school  of  Pekin  he  completed  his 
education.  He  remained  with  his  father  until 
1885,  and  during  that  time  engaged  in  business 
as  the  proprietor  of  an  elevator  in  Cooper  for 
three  years.  He  then  came  to  the  farm  on  which 
he  has  since  resided,  and  devotes  his  time  to  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock-raising.  He  has  met  with 
good  success  in  his  undertakings,  and  the  neat  and 
thrifty  appearance  of  his  place  well  indicates  to 
the  passer-by  his  careful  supervision. 

The  lady  who  bears   the    name  of    Mrs.  Cooper 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


241 


was  in  her  maidenhood  Ida  B.  Robison,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Frank  and  Mary  Robison.  The  union  of 
our  subject  and  his  wife  has  been  blessed  by  one 
son,  Frank  L.  The  parents  hold  an  enviable  po- 
sition in  social  circles,  and  have  many  warm 
friends  throughout  the  neighborhood.  Mr.  Cooper 
is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason,  and  he  and  his  wife 
belong  to  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  In  poli- 
tics lie  is  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy,  and  for 
four  years  served  as  Deputy  Treasurer  under  his 
father.  lie  is  now  serving  as  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
and  by  his  prompt  and  faithful  discharge  of  the 
duties  devolving  upon  him  he  has  won  the  com- 
mendation of  all  concerned. 


SLONNEGER,  one  of  the  enterprising 
farmers  of  Tazewell  County,  now  living  on 
section  1,  Morton  Township,  claims  Ohio  as 
the  state  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Butler  Count}',  December  12,  1839. 
His  paternal  grandfather  was  a  German  farmer  of 
limited  means.  In  his  family  were  the.  following 
children:  Barbara,  wife  of  David  Summers;  Mary, 
wife  of  John  Schatz;  Fannie,  who  married  Michael 
Oswold,  and  after  his  death  became  the  wife  of 
Jacob  Smith;  Peter;  John,  of  Ohio;  Christian  and 
Jacob.  The  father  of  this  family  died,  and  the 
mother  afterward  married  Mr.  Rumsayer,  by  whom 
she  had  a  daughter,  Fannie. 

Jacob  Slonneger,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Switzerland  in  1813,  and  in  1825  came  with  the 
family  to  America.  His  mother  was  then  for  the 
second  time  a  widow,  and  with  her  he  remained 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  The  family- 
located  in  Butler  County,  Ohio,  and  he  there  fol- 
lowed farming  for  some  time.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  a  short  period  spent  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness in  Collinsville,  Ohio,  he  always  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits.  In  1836  he  married  Eliza- 
beth, daughter  of  Benjamin  King.  She  was  born 
in  Baden,  Germany,  as  were  her  parents,  and  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  came  with  her  father  to  Amer- 
ica. To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Slonneger  were  born  eleven 
children:  Christian,  John,  Jacob,  Joseph;  Samuel 


and  William,  twins,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six 
months;  Fannie,  deceased  wife  of  Christ  Bluch; 
Barbara,  wife  of  Charles  F.  Sealman;  Anna,  wife 
of  Dan  Kopendorffer;  Mary  Magdalina;  and  Mary, 
widow  of  John  Jacobs.  The  mother  of  this  fam- 
ily passed  away  in  1857.  She  was  a  member  of  the 
Mennonite  Church,  as  was  also  Mr.  Slonneger.  For 
his  second  wife  he  married  Miss  Schinbler,  and  to 
them  were  born  five  children,  four  yet  living, 
Lydia,  David,  Philip  and  Fritz.  The  father  was 
called  to  his  final  rest  May  8,  1880. 

In  the  common  schools  of"  Ohio,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  acquired  his  education,  and  with  his 
father  remained  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when 
he  began  working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month. 
He  was  thus  employed  until  twenty-four  years  of 
age,  at  which  time  he  married  Magdelene  Summers, 
a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State,  and  a  daughter  of 
Peter  Summers,  who  was  born  in  Alsace,  France. 
To  them  were  born  two  children,  one  yet  living, 
Alfred  F.,  who  makes  his  home  near  Spring  Bay. 

For  about  a  year  Mr.  Slonneger  rented  land.  In 
1869  he  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  McLean  Coun- 
ty, where  for  three  years  he  worked  by  the  month. 
His  first  wife  having  died  three  years  after  their 
marriage,  he  then  wedded  Mary  Belsey,  daughter 
of  Peter  and  Lena  (Springer)  Belsey.  They  then 
made  a  trip  to  Germany,  in  hopes  of  benefiting 
his  wife's  health,  and  spent  one  year  and  twelve 
days  abroad.  They  then  returned  to  McLean 
County,  and  in  1877  came  to  the  farm  on  which 
Mr.  Slonneger  now  makes  his  home.  His  wife  de- 
parted this  life  in  1878.  Three  children  were  born 
of  that  union:  Eddie  and  Maggie,  now  deceased; 
and  Bertha.  The  lady  who  is  now  Mrs.  Slonneger 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Barbara  Zimmerman. 
She  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Ohio,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Chris  and  Barbara  (Kinsinger)  Zim- 
merman, the  former  a  native  of  Alsace,  France; 
and  the  latter  of  Bavaria,  Germany.  The  children 
of  the  third  marriage  are,  Clifford,  Chester,  Fritz, 
Willis  and  John. 

Mr.  Slonneger  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows 'so- 
ciety of  Washington,  111., and  of  the  D.  O.  H.  Lodge 
of  that  place.  He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  Democracy,  and  for  eight  years 
has  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  has  led  a 


242 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


bus}'  and  useful  life,  his  time  and  attention  being 
largely  devoted  to  agricultural  interests,  and  those 
who  know  him  esteem  him  highly  for  his  sterling 
worth  and  strict  integrity. 


lESSE  B.  COOPER,  Supervisor  of  Pekin 
Township,  is  also  Overseer  of  the  Poor  and 
Township  Treasurer.  He  has  also  been 
Deputy  Collecfor  of  Internal  Revenues  at 
Pekin,  and  by  a  systematic  and  thorough  method 
of  work  has  attained  a  success  which  is  justly  de- 
served. He  was  born  in  Clifton,  a  suburb  of  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  February  25,  1831,  and  is  the  son 
of  William  Cooper,  a  native  of  Hamilton  County, 
that  slate. 

Grandfather  Jacob  Cooper  was  born  in  West- 
moreland County,  Va.,  and  removed  to  Cincinnati 
in  1791,  when  that  city  was  known  as  Ft.  Wash- 
ington. He  served  in  the  Indian  Wars,  and  re- 
ceived from  the  Government  a  grant  of  one  thou- 
sand acres  of  land,  which  was  located  where  now 
stands  the  Queen  City,  and  built  a  log  house  on 
the  present  site  of  the  court  house.  He  was  of  Eng- 
lish descent,  an  Episcopalian  in  religion,  and  died 
while  residing  in  Hamilton  County. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  contractor  and 
builder  and  assisted  in  the  construction  of  the 
Miami  Canal, and  his  brother  was  President  of  the 
company  that  had  charge  of  the  work.  His  death 
occurred  in  1833  from  cholera.  He  was  a  Jack- 
sonian  Democrat  in  politics,  and  when  establish- 
ing a  home  of  his  own  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
Beal,  who  was  born  in  New  York  State.  Mrs. 
Cooper  was  the  daughter  of  Jesse  Beal,  also  a 
native  of  that  state,  whence  he  later  removed  to 
Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  a  farmer. 
In  1820  he  located  near  Vincennes,  Ind.,  and  after 
a  residence  there  of  two  years  returned  to  Hamil- 
ton County,  and  in  1847  came  to  this  county, 
where  he  led  a  retired  life  until  his  death.  The 
Beal  family  were  of  German  descent  and  were 
Methodists  in  religion. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband  the  mother  of 
our  subject  came  to  this  county,  in  1855,  and  made 


her  home  with  her  son  until  December,  1889,  when 
she  died,  aged  eighty  years.  She  reared  a  family 
of  two  children,  Jesse  B.  and  Thomas.  The  former 
lived  in  Cincinnati  until  he  was  seven  years  of 
age  and  then  removed  with  his  mother  to  Marietta, 
where  she  was  married  to  Joseph  Wood,  a  butcher 
by  trade.  Jesse  attended  the  schools  of  that  city, 
and  after  obtaining  a  high-school  education,  aided 
his  step-father  in  his  trade  until  1849.  when  he 
came  to  Illinois,  but  remained  here  only  five 
months.  He  then  returned  to  Marietta,  and  in 
1851  again  came  to  the  Prairie  State  and  was  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  brick  in  Washington. 

November  11,  1851,  Mr.  Cooper  was  married  in 
Washington,  111.,  to  Miss  Melinda  C.,  daughter  of 
Charles  Bunn,  who  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio, 
of  which  state  her  father  was  also  a  native.  Her 
grandfather,  Harmon  Bunn,  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  in  early  life  removed  to  Ohio,  where 
he  was  a  farmer.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Cooper  was 
likewise  an  agriculturist,  and  in  1838  came  to  Illi- 
nois, settling  in  Petersburg,  Menard  County;  he 
later  removed  to  Pontiac,  thence  to  Washington 
County,  and  locating  in  the  city  of  that  name,  be- 
gan practicing  dentistry.  Later,  when  on  a  visit 
to  Ohio,  he  was  thrown  from  a  horse  and  killed. 
His  wife,  Mrs.  Mary  (Cummings)  Bunn,  was  like- 
wise born  in  the  Buckeye  State,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  James  Cummings,  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, who,  after  coming  to  America,  followed  farm 
pursuits  in  Ohio.  Mrs.  Bunn  died  in  Washington 
aged  seventy -seven  years. 

Our  subject  after  his  marriage  returned  to  Ma- 
rietta and  engaged  with  his  step-father  in  the 
butcher's  business  until  the  latter  died,  in  August, 
1854.  In  April,  1855,  he  made  a  permanent  loca- 
tion in  this  state,  and  renting  a  farm  near  Wash- 
ington, was  engaged  in  its  cultivation  until  1867. 
That  year  he  moved  into  the  city,  and  opening  a 
market,  carried  on  a  thriving  trade  as  a  retailer 
and  also  engaged  in  shipping  stock  until  1872. 
In  the  last  named  year  he  was  appointed  by 
the  Supervisor  of  Tazewell  County  as  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Poor  Farm,  of  which  position  he 
was  the  incumbent  for  nine  years.  The  County 
Farm  included  two  hundred  and  eight  acres  of 
timber  land,  one-half  of  which  Mr.  Cooper  cleared 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


243 


and  placed  under  a  fine  state  of  improvement. 
In  1881  he  was  petitioned  to  continue  as  its  Sup- 
erintendent, but  refused  to  do  so,  and  coming 
to  Pekin  purchased  a  farm  of  seventy-five  acres 
located  northeast  of  the  city.  This  he  planted 
with  small  fruit  trees,  including  plums,  peaches, 
etc.,  and  was  engaged  in  the  nursery  business  un- 
til the  spring  of  1893,  when  he  rented  the  prop- 
erty. It  is  one  of  the  largest  fruit  farms  in  the 
county,  and  during  the  summer  season  Mr.  Coop- 
er engaged  from  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
to  two  hundred  people  to  pick  the  small  fruits.  In 
the  fall  of  1892  lie  erected  a  beautiful  residence  at 
No.  905  Broadway,  where  he  is  preparing  to  spend 
his  declining  years. 

The  six  children  comprising  the  family  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cooper  are:  M.  Ada,  now  Mrs.  Waugliop, 
of  Washington  Township,  this  county;  William,  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Arapahoe  County,  Colo.;  Kate, 
Mrs.  Scriven,  of  Russell  County,  Kan.;  Clara,  Mrs. 
Eckley,  of  Keithsburg,  111.;  Charles,  a  carpenter  in 
Montana;  and  John,  who  is  following  railroading. 

In  1885  Mr.  Cooper  was  elected  Supervisor  for 
a  term  of  two  years,  and  in  1891  was  re-elected  to 
that  position;  in  1893  he  was  made  Overseer  of 
the  Poor  of  Pekin  Township,  of  which  he  is  also 
Treasurer.  Socially  he  is  a  Mason  of  high  stand- 
ing, and  is  connected  witli  the  lodge  in  Washing- 
ton, of  which  he  was  High  Priest.  He  is  a  Knight 
Templar  and  holds  membership  witli  Peoria  Com- 
mandery  No.  3.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and 
has  been  a  delegate  to  state  and  national  conven- 
tions. Mrs.  Cooper  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  her  life  has  been  replete 
with  good  deeds. 


UDGE  JACOB  RAPP.  Among  those  of 
foreign  birth  who  are  closely  associated 
|l  with  the  business  interests  of  this  county, 
and  who  were  early  settlers  of  the  same,  we 
should  not  fail  to  present  an  outline  of  the  career  of 
Mr.  Rapp,  for  he  has  fully  borne  out  the  reputation 
of  that  class  of  industrious,  energetic  and  thrifty 
men  of  German  nativity  who  have  risen  to  prom- 


inence in  different  portions  of  this  country.  He 
has  been  a  resident  here  since  1860,  and  has  held 
the  oflice  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  since  1884.  In 
1893  he  was  elected  Police  Magistrate  of  Pekin, 
and  in  both  offices  has  rendered  efficient  service, 
and  it  is  therefore  with  genuine  pleasure  that  we 
include  his  sketch  in  this  work. 

Nicholas  Rapp,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
carpet  weaver  and  grocer  in  Hesse-Darmstadt, 
Germany,  where  he  spent  his  entire  life.  He  was 
married  in  that  country  to  Miss  Eva  Maaser,  who 
was  likewise  born  there  and  who  is  still  living  in 
Germany.  Their  family  included  three  sons  and 
three  daughters,  of  whom  Jacob,  of  this  sketch,  is 
the  only  one  who  makes  his  home  in  America,  and 
is  the  eldest  but  one. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  also  born  in  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  February  22,  1845.  He  received  his 
education  in  the  Fatherland,  and  remained  there 
until  July,  1860,  when  he  departed  for  Havre, 
France,  and  there  embarked  on  the  sailing-vessel 
"  Nicholas,"  which  arrived  in  New  York  harbor 
after  a  voyage  of  forty-two  days.  Thence  young 
Rapp  came  by  way  of  Philadelphia  and  Chicago 
to  tliis  city,  where  he  apprenticed  himself  to  [earn 
the  barber's  trade,  working  in  the  shop  of  John 
Monath  until  1864. 

In  September  of  the  above  year  our  subject  vol- 
unteered his  services  in  the  Union  army,  and  be- 
coming a  member  of  Company  K,  One  Hundred 
and  Forty-sixth  Illinois  Infantry,  was  mustered 
into  service  at  Camp  Butler,  and  with  his  regi- 
ment fought  in  the  states  of  Kentucky  and  Ten- 
nessee. He  remained  a  soldier  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  when  he  was  mustered  out  at  Springfield 
as  Corporal,  and  in  July,  1865,  returned  home. 
His  first  work  was  to  purchase  the  barber  shop  of 
his  former  employer  and  start  in  business  with  a 
Mr.  Snapp,  which  partnership  continued  for  six 
years.  Our  subject  then  removed  to  his  present 
location,  and  for  two  years  carried  on  the  business 
with  Mr.  Lauterbach.  since  which  time  he  has  op- 
erated-alone. 

In  the  spring  of  1884  Mr.  Rapp  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Pekin  Township,  and  was 
successively  elected  to  that  position  in  1888  and 
1892.  The  following  year  he  assumed  the  duties 


244 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  Police  Magistrate  of  the  city,  and  is  considered 
one  of  the  honorable  and  useful  members  of  the 
community. 

Jacob  Rapp  was  married  in  1865  to  Miss  Annie 
McCarthy,  who  was  born  in  La  Fayette,  Ind.  The 
six  children  of  whom  they  have  become  the  parents 
are:  Lulu,  Mrs.  W.  G.  Wilds,  who  was  drowned 
on  the  "  Frances  Folsoni"  at  Peoria;  Mamie,  Mrs. 
P.  Burns,  who  makes  her  home  in  this  city;  Katie, 
Annie  and  George,  who  reside  with  their  parents; 
and  William,  who  died  when  eighteen  months  old. 
Mrs.  Annie  Rapp  departed  this  life  in  1884,  and 
two  years  later  our  subject  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  Brady,  a  native  of  Ireland. 

In  social  affairs  Mr.  Rapp  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  be- 
longing to  the  encampment;  he  is  a  member  of 
Joe  Ilanna  Post  No.  117,  G.  A.  R.,and  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  society  of  Druids  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen.  Fie  is  a  prominent  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics, and  has  served  on  various  county  committees. 


GRACE  F.  REASON.  A  residence  of  more 
than  thirty  years  in  Mason  County,  during 
a  portion  of  which  time  he  has  conducted 
a  successful  business  in  Mason  City,  has 
fully  established  Mr.  Reason  in  the  esteem  and 
confidence  of  the  people.  The  firm  of  Ely  &  Rea- 
son, of  which  he  is  the  junior  member,  deals  in 
agricultural  implements,  steam  threshers,  wind 
mills,  etc.,  and  has  one  of  the  most  complete  and 
valuable  stocks  of  the  kind  in  the  county.  In  ad- 
dition to  this  enterprise,  Mr.  Reason  is  also  serv- 
ing as  Treasurer  of  Mason  City,  and  is  the  owner 
of  a  valuable  farm  in  Salt  Creek  Township. 

The  famity  with  which  our  subject  is  identified 
originated  in  England,  but  was  represented  in 
America  early  in^the  Colonial  era.  The  father  of 
our  subject,  John  M.  Reason,  was  born  in  Mary- 
land, and  became  a  pioneer  of  Warren  County, 
Ohio,  where  he  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer. 
The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Mar- 
tindale,  and  was  a  native  of  Maryland.  Horace  F. 
was  born  in  Warren  County,  Ohio,  July  23,  1844, 


and  there  spent  the  days  of  boyhood  and  youth, 
receiving  a  good  education  in  the  common  schools. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  Mr.  Reason  left 
home,  and  coming  west  unaccompanied  by  any 
relatives  or  friends,  has  since  hewed  a  way  in  life 
for  himself.  He  was  a  youth  of  but  seventeen 
when  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  and  became 
one  of  the  boys  in  blue  comprising  Company  K, 
Eighty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  commanded  by  Col. 

C.  J.   Dilworth,  and  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland.     With  his  regiment  he  took  part  in 
the   battles   of    Perryville,   Stone    River,  Chicka- 
mauga.  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta,  Jonesboro,  and 
the  march  to  the  sea.     At  the  close   of  the  war  he 
was   mustered   out,  June  5,  1865,  at  Washington, 

D.  C. 

Returning  to  Mason  County,  our  subject  com- 
menced the  active  prosecution  of  farming  enter- 
prises, in  which  he  continued  successfully  engaged 
until  1884.  At  that  time,  in  partnership  with  S. 
S.  Young,  he  embarked  in  business  under  the  firm 
title,  of  Reason  &  Young.  One  year  later  the  firm, 
.by.,  mutual-  consent,  dissolved,  and  shortly  after- 
ward Mr.  Reason  formed  a  connection  with  J.  A. 
Clegg  in  the  grocery  business,  the  firm  name  being 
Clegg  &  Reason.  Three  years  later  the  firm  dis- 
solved, and  in  1889  the  present  partnership  in  the 
agricultural  implement  business  was  formed  with 
G.  C.  Ely,  and  the  firm  of  Ely  <fe  Reason  has  since 
conducted  a  successful  business.  Their  sales  are 
made  to  farmers  of  Mason  and  adjoining  counties, 
and  their  reputation  as  honorable  business  men  is 
such  that  they  have  the  confidence  of  all  with  whom 
they  come  in  contact. 

A  Republican  in  political  views,  Mr.  Reason  has 
filled  a  number  of  important  local  oflices,  and  at 
present,  as  above  stated,  is  filling  the  position  of 
City  Treasurer,  having  been  elected  in  1893.  For 
three  years  he  was  Supervisor  of  Salt  Creek  Town- 
ship, and  has  for  two  years  served  in  the  same  ca- 
pacity in  Mason  City  Township,  and  was  re-elected 
for  the  same  office  in  April,  1894,  for  two  years. 
In  local,  state  and  national  issues  he  is  interested 
and  well  posted,  and  also  possesses  a  wide  range 
of  information  upon  general  topics.  Socially,  lie 
is  a  member  of  Wilfred  Lodge  No.  142,  K.  I1.,  and 
Duvol  Post  No.  123,  G.  A.  R.  His  wife,  whom  he 


UBRAKY 

OF  fHt 

UNJVERSn  Y  OF  UJNUS 


JOHN    F.    SCHIPPER, 

[DECEASED. j 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


247 


married  in  February  of  1868,  was  formerly  Miss 
Esther  A.  Melton,  being  a  daughter  of  Austin  P. 
Melton,  of  Mason  County. 


F.  SCHIPPER,  deceased,  was  for  many 
years  identified  with  the  business  interests 
of  Pekin,  and  in  every  relation  of  life  was 
known  as  a  most  liberal,  influential  and 
public-spirited  man.  His  high  moral  character  and 
unswerving  devotion  to  right  principles  gave  him 
a  prestige  among  his  fellow-citizens  which  it  is  the 
privilege  of  few  men  to  enjoy. 

Mr.  Schipper  was  born  December  22,  1838,  at 
"Wundel"  the  old  family  home,  near  Wirdummer, 
Ostfriesland,  Germany.  His  parents,  Frederick 
and  Cliarlotta  (Johnson)  Schipper,  occupied  the 
old  family  place,  which  for  over  two  hundred 
years  had  been  in  possession  of  the  Schipper  fam- 
ily, and  is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  the  young- 
est son,  Gerhart.  The  father  filled  responsible 
positions  under  Napoleon  I.,  and  afterward  with 
the  German  army,  fighting  with  the  latter  against 
Napoleon  at  the  great  battle  of  Waterloo.  He  died 
at  the  old  home  in  1876,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-five  years,  an  honored  and  wealthy  citizen, 
surviving  his  wife  by  many  years. 

John  F.  Schipper,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
the  third  of  five  sons,  and  remained  at  home  until 
he  was  seventeen  years  of  age.  He  then  entered  a 
business  college,  where  by  his  studious  habits  and 
eager  desire  for  knowledge  he  obtained  a  most  ex- 
cellent education.  His  college  life  ended,  he  sought 
and  obtained  a  position  in  a  dry-goods  store  in 
Emden,  and  subsequently  spent  two  years  in  Rot- 
terdam, Holland.  Here  his  health  failed,  and  he 
returned  home  with  the  intention  of  going  to  Ja- 
pan. To  this  his  father  objected  and  in  1865  he 
came  to  America.  Pekin  became  his  home,  and  for 
the  first  six  months  he  was  employed  as  clerk  in 
the  store  of  M.  Heisel,  but  the  amount  of  courage, 
enterprise  and  brains  with  which  he  was  endowed, 
pre-eminently  fitted  him  for  a  business  career,  and 
together  with  C.  Bonk,  a  partnership  was  formed, 


which  under  the  firm  name  of  C.  Bonk  &  Co.,  on 
Margaret  Street,  became  one  of  the  leading  dry- 
goods  stores  of  the  city. 

Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Bonk,  Henry  Block  was 
taken  into  partnership  under  the  firm  name  of 
Schipper  &  Block.  In  1874  they  moved  to  Court 
and  Third  Streets.  Their  increased  business  led 
them  to  build  a  large  double  store  at  the  corner  of 
Court  and  Capitol  Streets,  to  which  they  removed. 
A  few  years  later  a  branch  store  was  established  at 
Peoria,  and  in  an  increditably  short  time  was  at 
the  head,  becoming  the  largest  dry-goods  enter- 
. prise  in  the  state  outside  of  Chicago.  Mr.  Schip- 
per was  also  President  of  the  Schipper  &  Block 
Carpet  Company  located  at  Peoria.  As  an  outlet 
to  his  untiring  encrg}-,  other  enterprises  engaged 
his  attention.  He  was  a  large  stockholder  and 
Director  in  the  Teis  Smith  <fe  Co.'s  Bauk,  had  ex- 
tensive interests  in  Wyoming  and  Colorado,  and 
with  several  others  bought  and  assumed  control 
of  the  Pekin  Gas  Works. 

On  the  3d  of  November,  1869,  Mr.  Schipper  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna  Look,  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  I  be  Look.  She  was  born'  and 
grew  to  womanhood  in  Pekin.  Her  parents  were 
born  in  Germany,  but  came  to  America  at  an  early 
age.  The  family  located  in  Limestone,  Peoria 
County,  where  the  grandfather  (also  an  old  Water- 
loo veteran)  died.  Mr.  Look  was  engaged  in  the 
wholesale  and  retail  grocery  business  in  Pekin  for 
twenty-live  years.  He  was  a  stanch  Republican, 
and  a  leading  and  influential  citizen  whose  word 
was  as  good  as  his  bond.  He  died  in  Pekin  in 
1876,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years.  Mrs.  Look, 
nee  Miss  Lena  Steen,  came  to  America  with  her 
parents,  of  whom  she  was  deprived  at  an  early 
ao-e,  as  both  fell  victims  to  cholera,  at  that  time  so 

o     ' 

prevalent  in  this  country.  Mrs.  Look  survived 
her  husband  a  number  of  years.  Her  death  oc- 
curred in  Pekin  in  1889,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six 
years. 

Ten  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Look, 
of  whom  but  four  sons  and  one  daughter  reached 
mature  years,  Mrs.  John  F.  Schipper  being  the 
eldest.  She  is  a  most  estimable  lady,  beloved  by 
many  friends,  and  widely  known  in  the  commu- 
nity in  which  she  resides  as  a  lady  of  culture  and 


248 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


refinement,  well  fitted  to  adorn  the  high  social 
circle  in  which  she  moves.  Her  marriage  with  Mr. 
Schipper  proved  a  particularly  happy  union.  All 
of  the  many  who  have  so  often  shared  the  hospi- 
tality of  their  beautiful  home  bear  testimony  of 
the  genial  happy  character  of  its  host  and  hostess. 

Six  children  came  to  bless  their  union,  three 
daughters  and  three  sons.  Charlotta,  the  eldest 
daughter,  died  at  the  age  of  two  years;  Martena,  at 
the  age  of  one  year,  and  Leonora,  a  bright,  win- 
some girl,  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  The  loss 
of  her  husband  and  children  has  fallen  with  al- 
most crushing  force  upon  Mrs.  Schipper.  The  care 
and  education  of  her  three  remaining  children, 
Karl,  I  be  and  Frederick,  is  now  the  one  all-ab- 
sorbing interest  of  her  life. 

During  1873  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schipper  went  to 
Europe,  visiting  the  World's  Exposition  at  Vienna 
and  the  country  seat  of  the  Schipper  famil}',  mak- 
ing extended  travels  in  Germany  and  other  parts 
of  Europe  during  their  stay  of  six  months.  In 
1892  they  visited  the  Pacific  Coast,  enjoying  to- 
gether the  delights  of  the  varied  and  beautiful 
scenery  of  that  region. 

Mr.  Schipper  took  a  deep  interest  in  all  educa- 
tional pursuits  and  in  whatever  added  to  the  in- 
terests of  the  community  in  which  he  lived.  He 
was  a  large-spirited,  philanthropic  citizen,  affable 
and  agreeable  without  ostentation.  He  was  not  a 
politician,  but  took  a  deep  interest  in  all  that  .re- 
lated to  the  good  government  of  the  country  of 
his  adoption.  In  religion  he  was  a  Lutheran,  but 
was  too  free  from  narrow  inindedness  to  be  either 
sectarian  or  partisan.  He  was  several  times  elected 
Alderman,  and  served  two  different  terms  as 
School  Inspector.  In  each  capacity  he  served 
faithfully  and  efficiently. 

In  1893,  with  a  hope  of  regaining  his  failing 
health,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Schipper,  his  children 
and  a  nurse,  he  went  to  Block  Island,  near  Rhode 
Island.  Here  the  best  medical  aid  which  could  be 
procured  was  obtained,  but  ever}'  effort  proved 
unavailing,  and  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  on  his  way 
homeward,  his  spirit  took  its  flight,  on  the  25th  of 
September,  1893.  The  news  of  his  death  caused 
widespread  grief  among  his  many  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances in  Pekin,and  on  the  day  on  which  he 


was  laid  to  rest,  a  vast  concourse  came  together  to 
pay  the  last  tribute  to  him,  who  by  his  upright- 
ness and  nobility  of  character  had  won  for  him- 
self an  unsullied  name  and  a  high  place  in  the 
hearts  of  his  fellow-men. 


A.  WALLACE  ranks  among  the 
prominent  lawyers  of  the  state,  and  since 
locating  in  Havana  has  won  for  himself  an 
enviable  reputation  as  an  attorney.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Wallace  &  Lacey,  which  partner- 
ship was  entered  into  many  years  ago,  and  enjoys 
the  confidence  of  the  people,  who  repose  the  great- 
est trust  in  his  ability.  He  is  a  native  of  the 
Granite  State,  and  was  born  in  Hillsboro  County, 
June  7,  1843.  His  father,  John  W.  Wallace,  was 
likewise  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  where  he  was 
born  in  1804,  and  died  there  in  1878.  He  in  turn 
was  the  son  of  Josiah  Wallace,  an  old  Revolution- 
ary soldier. 

Mrs.  Ann  C.  (Brackett)  Wallace,  the  mother  of 
our  subject,  also  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  and 
was  the  daughter  of  James  Brackett,  who  was  torn 
in  1777,  and  died  in  1859.  She  departed  this  life 
in  1890,  when  in  her  eighty-fourth  year.  E.  A.,  of 
this  sketch,  after  attending  the  common  schools  in 
his  native  place,  went  to  Henniker,  N.  II.,  and  en- 
tered the  academy  of  that  place,  where  he  took  a 
thorough  course.  On  attaining  his  majority,  he 
began  reading  law  with  F.  N.  Blood,  a  prominent 
attorney  of  Hillsboro  County,  and  in  1865  entered 
the  law  department  of  Harvard,  from  which  uni- 
versity he  was  graduated  with  the  Class  of  '67. 
That  same  year  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  Bos- 
ton, Mass.,  and  November  4  came  to  Havana, 
where  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Judge  Lyman 
Lacey,  which  connection  existed  until  the  latter 
was  elected  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  in  1873. 

Mr.  Wallace  practices  his  profession  in  all  the 
courts,  both  state  and  federal,  and  is  without  ques- 
tion one  of  the  most  prominent  attorneys  in  the 
state.  He  is  a  pronounced  Democrat  in  politics, 
and  socially  is  a  member  of  Havana  Lodge  No.  88, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  Havana  Chapter  No.  86,  R.  A.  M.,  and 
Damascus  Commandery  No.  42,  K.  T.  He  has  al- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


249 


ways  taken  a  prominent  part  in  public  improve- 
ment of  all  kinds,  and  in  1885  drafted  the  Farm 
Drainage  Bill,  which  passed  into  effect  July  1  of 
that  year,  and  under  which  there  have  been  sixty 
thousand  acres  of  land  reclaimed  from  the  swamps 
in  this  county  and  made  tillable.  He  was  the 
projector  of  the  water  works  and  electric  light 
plant  of  this  city,  and  taken  all  in  all,  is  one  of 
Havana's  most  public-spirited  citizens.  He  is  a 
genial,  affable  and  pleasant  gentleman,  and  has  an 
excellent  knowledge  of  law. 

In  1869  K.  A.  Wallace  and  Miss  Gertrude  E., 
daughter  of  Holly  W.  and  Ellen  M.  Lightcup,  were 
united  in  marriage.  Her  parents  were  natives  of 
Ohio,  and  early  settlers  of  tins  county,  where  they 
were  engaged  in  merchant  tailoring. 


AVID  B.  McLEAN  is  a  wide-awake  and 
representative  citizen  of  Tazewell  County 
and  successfully  follows  farming  in  Elm 
Grove  Township.  He  was  born  in  County 
Down,  Ireland,  February  14,  1834,  and  is  of  Scotch 
lineage.  He  is  the  only  survivor  in  a  family  of 
three  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy, 
while  Franklin  J.  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-seven. 
His  father,  Hugh  S.  McLean,  was  born  on  Christ- 
mas Day  of  '1807.  He  married  Janet  Breck  en  ridge, 
who  also  came  of  an  old  Scotch  family.  The  Mc- 
Lean clan  was  a  prominent  one  of  that  country. 
The  paternalgrandparents  were  William  and  Mar- 
garet (McGowan)  McLean.  They  spent  much  of 
their  lives  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  where  the 
former  died  at  an  extreme  old  age,  and  the  latter  at 
the  age  of  ninety-nine. 

In  1834,  when  our  subject  was  four  months  old, 
his  parents  emigrated  to  the  New  World  and 
spent  three  years  in  New  York  City,  where  Hugh 
McLean  served  as  Superintendent  in  Kipps  Bay 
Glass  Bottle  Factory.  lie  was  an  expert  glass- 
worker  and  was  therefore  capable  of  holding  the  re- 
sponsible position  which  he  filled.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  three  years  he  emigrated  to  Pekin,  111., 
July  25,  1837,  and  the  next  da}'  came  to  Elm 


Grove  Township,  making  a  contract  to  work  on  the 
farm  of  Josiah  L.  James  for  two  years.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  employ  of  that  gentleman  until 
1846,  when  he  began  working  for  Isaac  Leonard. 
In  1850  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land,  the  farm  on  which  our  subject  now  re- 
sides. His  death  occurred  July  28,  1852,  at  the 
age  of  forty-five,  and  his  wife  passed  away  March 
22,  1878,  at  the  age  of  seventy- four. 

Mr.  McLean  of  this  sketch  has  lived  in  Elm 
Grove  Township  since  the  age  of  three  and  a-half 
years,  and  his  home  has  always  been  on  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  resides.  During  his  boyhood 
he  attended  a  private  school  for  six  years,  con- 
ducted by  James  J.  Kellogg,  at  Tremont.  He 
being  the  eldest  son  of  the  family,  upon  his  fa- 
ther's death  he  assumed  the  management  of  the 
farm,  which  he  has  since  conducted.  He  was  then 
only  eighteen  years  of  age,  but  he  soon  gave  evi- 
dence of  good  business  and  executive  ability. 

On  the  31st  of  March,  1859,  Mr.  McLean  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lydia  Williams,  of 
Greene  County,  Ind.,  daughter  of  William  Will- 
iams, who  came  of  an  old  Carolina  family.  She  was 
one  of  six  children.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McLean 
have  been  born  the  following  children:  Janet  B., 
wife  of  L.  L.  Barnhouse,  of  Tremont  Township, 
Tazewell  County;  Alice,  wife  of  Joseph  B.  Grote- 
vant,  of  Livingston  County;  Hugh  S.,  of  Cook 
County;  William  F.,  Charles  E.  and  John,  at  home. 

In  politics  Mr.  McLean  has  always  been  a  stanch 
Republican.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  was 
elected  School  Director  and  filled  that  office  for 
twenty-one  years,  when  he  declined  to  serve 
longer.  He  was  Town  Clerk  for  nineteen  years, 
School  Trustee  nine  years,  Justice  of  the  Peace 
twelve  years,  and  is  now  serving  as  Township 
Supervisor.  Socially  he  was  made  a  Mason  in 
March,  1877,  in  Tremont  Lodge  No.  462,  A.  F.  <fe 
A.  M.  The  same  year  he  was  elected  Senior 
Warden,  which  position  he  filled  three  years.  He 
then  served  as  Master  one  year,  and  was  afterward 
Senior  Deacon  four  years;  he  then  again  served  as 
Master  three  years,  and  has  since  been  Senior  Dea- 
con. He  also  belongs  to  Pekin  Chapter  No.  25, 
R.  A.  M.  Mr.  McLean  is  always  true  to  the  trust 
reposed  in  him,  whether  public  or  private.  In  the 


250 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


various  offices  which  he  lias  filled,  he  has  discharged 
his  duties  with  a  promptness  and  a  fidelity  which 
have  won  him  the  high  commendation  of  all  con- 
cerned. He  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens 
of  this  community  and  well  deserves  representa- 
tion in  the  history  of  his  native  county. 


OBERT  A.  DUNHAM,  deceased,  was  born 
'n  ^ort'iurn'>ei'lanc'  County,  Pa.,  April  15, 
1806,  and  was  a  son*  of  Thomas  Dunham. 
lle  was  left  an  orphan  when  quite  young. 
His  early  boyhood  days  were  spent  upon  a  farm 
in  the  Keystone  State,  and  his  school  privileges 
were  received  before  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  He 
prepared  himself  for  teaching  and  followed  that 
profession  for  several  terms  in  Pennsylvania.  He 
also  served  a  three  years'  apprenticeship  to  the 
tailor's  trade  under  James  Hutchinson,of  Milton, 
a  little  town  on  the  Susquehanna  River,  and  when 
his  time  had  expired  went  to  Danville,  where  he 
worked  under  the  instruction  of  E.  Moore.  Later  he 
went  to  northern  Pennsylvania,  and  as  he  then  had 
only  twenty-five  cents,  had  to  engage  in  the  first 
work  which  presented  itself.  This  was  in  a  hotel, 
and  he  had  to  sue  his  employer  for  his  wages, 
amounting  to  $200.  Later  he  had  to  take  1100 
out  in  trade,  so  he  decided  to  open  a  tailoring  es- 
tablishment of  his  own.  He  located  in  Towanda, 
Pa.,  where  he  remained  for  eight  years,  carrying  a 
full  line  of  men's  furnishing  goods,  clothing,  etc., 
making  suits  to  order. 

In  1833,  Mr.  Dunham  determined  to  come  west, 
and  purchasing  a  horse  and  buggy,  made  the  trip 
across  the  country.  He  finally  determined  to  lo- 
cale in  Mackinaw.  His  buggy,  of  the  old  style 
wooden  spring  pattern,  was  probably  the  first  in 
the  county.  This  he  traded  for  a  gold  watch, 
which  he  sold  for  $80,  and  with  this  money  he 
made  a  partial  payment  upon  the  farm  which  is 
now  the  home  of  his  widow.  For  nearly  a  year 
lie  engaged  in  tailoring  in  Mackinaw,  and  then 
returned  to  Pennsylvania  to  settle  up  his  business, 
and  in  June,  1835,  made  a  permanent  location  in 
Tazewell  County.  On  the  second  trip  he  brought 


with  him  a  large  wagon  well  stocked  with  goods 
and  opened  a  general  mercantile  store,  which  he 
carried  on  for  two  years,  and  then  removed  to  his 
farm. 

In  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Dunham  had  married  Miss 
Keeler,  and  to  them  was  born  a  son,  Llewellyn, 
but  the  mother  and  child  both  died.  On  the  llth 
of  July,  1839,  our  subject  wedded  Miss  Sidney 
Ann  Holse}',  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  by  whom 
he  had  seven  children,  three  of  whom  are  yet  liv- 
ing, Lyman  P.;  Frances,  wife  of  Homer  Miller; 
and  Clarinda. 

From  early  life,  Mr.  Dunham  was  an  earnest 
worker  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  his 
wife  is  also  a  consistent  member.  He  ever  labored 
for  the  test  interests  of  the  community  in  which 
he  lived,  doing  all  in  his  power  to  uplift  humanity, 
and  was  well  known  for  his  charity  and  benevo- 
lence. During  the  late  war,  although  too  old  to 
enter  the  service,  he  was  an  ardent  supporter  of 
the  Union  and  gave  freely  of  his  means  towards 
sustaining  the  cause  of  the  north.  He  was  always 
opposed  to  slavery,  and  when  the  Republican 
part}'  was  formed  to  prevent  its  further  extension 
he  joined  its  ranks.  Previously  he  was  a  Whig. 
In  business  he  was  successful  and  -accumulated 
considerable  property,  comprising  four  hundred 
and  fifteen  acres  of  valuable  farm  land.  He  pass- 
ed away  in  1886,  and  in  his  death  the  county  lost 
one  of  its  valued  citizens  and  honored  pioneers. 
His  wife,  a  most  estimable  lady,  still  survives  him 
and  has  reached  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-eight. 

Their  eldest  son,  Lyman  P.  Dunham,  was  born 
on  the  old  home  farm  near  Mackinaw  in  1848, 
and  finished  his  education  in  Eureka.  He  remain- 
ed with  his  parents  until  twenty-nine  years  of  age,  , 
when  he  married  Ida  M.  Miller,  a  native  of  Taze- 
well County,  and  a  daughter  of  P.  J.  F.  and  Martha 
(Adams)  Miller,  the  former  born  in  Culpeper 
County,  Tenn.,  and  the  latter  in  this  county.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dunham  have  two  children,  Myrtle  E. 
and  Mabel.  The  parents  are  members  of  the 
Christian  Church  of  Mackinaw,  and  they  are  among 
the  most  highly  respected  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. With  the  exception  of  a  few  months 
spent  as  a  clerk  in  Mackinaw,  Mr.  Dunham  has  al- 
ways followed  fanning.  For  a  time  he  rented  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


251 


part  of  the  old  homestead,  and  upon  his  father's 
death  lie  came  into  possession  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  good  land,  which  is  now  a  well  im- 
proved farm.  The  fields  are  well  tilled,  every- 
thing about  the  place  is  kept  in  good  repair,  and 
their  home  is  a  pleasant  and  comfortable  residence. 
Mr.  Dunham  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  practical 
and  industrious  agriculturists  of  the  community, 
and  is  one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  his 
native  county.  In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  Re- 
publican. 


OSEPH  C.  ELLSWORTH,  a  successful  agri- 
culturist residing  on  section  20,  Forest  City 
Township,  Mason  County,  is  the  son  of 
William  and  Sarah  (Medaris)  Ellsworth,  the 
former  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  March  24,  1797, 
and  the  latter  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  born 
October  24,  1795.  The  parents  were  married  in 
Ohio  January  21,  1819,  after  which  they  settled  in 
Shelby  Count}'  upon  a  tract  of  unimproved  land. 
There  the  father  built  and  operated  two  sawmills. 

Coming  to  .Illinois  in  the  fall  of  1843  William 
Ellsworth  settled  in  Lewistown,  Fulton  County, 
where  he  sojourned  for  five  years.  In  1849  he 
came  to  Havana  and  remained  in  Forest  City 
Township  until  his  death,  October,  14,  1867.  His 
wife  had  passed  away  five  days  before  his  demise. 
Their  family  consisted  of  nine  children,  of  whom 
the  following  six  now  survive:  T.  II.,  J.  C.,  W.  E., 
IS.  R.,  J.  F.  and  J.  M.,  the  eldest  seventy-three,  and 
the  youngest  sixty  years  of  age.  For  over  forty 
years  the  parents  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  after  which  the}'  united  with 
the  Wesleyan  Church,  and  the  father  was  licensed 
to  preach  in  the  latter  denomination. 

In  Shelby  County,  Ohio,  Januaiy  1,  1823,  the 
subject  of  this  notice  was  born  and  there  he  was 
educated  in  the  pioneer  log  school  house.  In  ad- 
dition to  gaining  a  practical  knowledge  of  agricult- 
ure in  his  youth,  he  also  gained  some  knowledge 
of  the  trades  of  a  carpenter  and  miller.  Accompany- 
ing his  parents  to  Illinois,  he  remained  with  them 
until  1846.  On  the  2d  of  November  of  that  year 
he  married  Cynthia,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Hes- 


ter (DeFord)  Wheeler,  the  former  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  and  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wheeler  were  married  in  Ohio  and 
settled  in  Richland  County,  where  he  improved  a 
farm.  In  1836  they  came  to  Illinois  and  settled 
in  Fulton  County,  where  they  were  early  settlers. 
There  Mrs.  Wheeler  died  in  1839,  and  the  father 
-  subsequently  made  his  home  with  his  children  un- 
til his  death,  September  15,  1865. 

Mrs.  Ellsworth  is  one  of  seven  children,  of 
whom  the  survivors  besides  herself  are  Charles, 
Mrs.  Sarah  Grigsby  and  John.  One  of  her  broth- 
ers, Jacob,  was  Captain  of  Company  K,  Seventeenth 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  served  for  a  period  of  three 
years.  In  an  engagement  in  Missouri  he  was  se- 
riously wounded,  being  shot  through  the  cheek, 
mouth  and  back  of  the  head.  However,  he  re- 
covered his  strength  and  afterward  gained  consid- 
erable prominence  as  a  leader  in  the  Republican 
party  of  his  section.  For  a  time  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Illinois  State  Legislature  and  he  also  held 
the  position  of  Internal  Revenue  Collector.  At 
his  death  he  left  a  widow  and  six  children.  John 
Wheeler  was  also  a  soldier  in  the  Union  army,  be- 
ing a  member  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  in 
which  he  served  as  Corporal.  He  was  seriously 
wounded  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  His  present 
home  is  in  Fulton  County,  111.  Mrs.  Ellsworth  was 
born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  March  3,  1828, 
and  received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of 
Fulton  County,  111. 

After  his  marriage  our  subject  settled  in  Milton, 
Fulton  County,  whence  in  1849  he  came  to  Mason 
County  and  for  one  year  resided  in  Havana  Town- 
ship. Returning  to  Fulton  County,  he  made  a 
brief  sojourn  there  and  in  1853  settled  upon  his 
present  farm,  which  was  then  raw  prairie  land.  At 
present  it  contains  two  hundred  and  forty  acres. 
One  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  this  is  finely  im- 
proved land,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  is 
timber  land.  The  farm  is  located  in  Manito  Town- 
ship, is  embellished  with  suitable  and  substantial 
buildings  and  forms  one  of  the  most  valuable  tracts 
in  this  locality. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellsworth  has  re- 
sulted in  the  birth  of  three  children  now  living, 
namely:  Ellen,  wife  of  John  O'Leary,  of  Bath, 


252 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


this  county,  and  the  mother  of  seven  children; 
Amanda,  who  married  Harmon  Ellenberger  and 
has  six  children;  and  Clark  W.,  a  resident  of  Ne- 
braska, who  married  Ida  Picrson  and  has  two  chil- 
dren. The  children  were  the  recipients  of  excel- 
lent educational  advantages  and  are  well  informed 
and  highly  respected.  Mr.  Ellsworth  is  a  Repub- 
lican iu  politics  and  has  been  identified  with  that 
party  since  its  organization.  For  nine  years  he 
lias  served  as  Road  Commissioner  and  has  also 
served  as  School  Trustee  and  Director  of  School 
District  No.  2. 


MARION  WHITE.  Among  the  residents 
of  Mason  County  who  have  prosecuted 
their  life  work  successfully  and  are  now 
enjoying  the  fruits  of  their  prudence  and  energy 
is  the  gentleman  above  named,  who  is  well  and  fa- 
vorably known  to  many  of  our  readers.  He  owns 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  fertile  land  lo- 
cated on  section  34,  Forest  City  Township,  which 
is  operated  by  tenants. 

W.  W.  White,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  West  Virginia  in  1818,  and  departed  this 
life  in  1866.  Fora  fuller  history  of  his  life  the 
reader  is  referred  to  the  sketch  of  D.  C.  White 
elsewhere  in  this  volume.  V.  Marion  was  born 
July  23,  1844,  in  Marshall  County,  W.  Va.,  and 
was  there  reared  on  a  farm  and  was  attending 
school  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.  In  1864, 
however,  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  First  West 
Virginia  Infantry,  and  with  his  regiment  went  to 
Woodstock,  that  state,  where  they  were  encamped. 
From  there  they  were  ordered  to  the  Snenandoah 
Valley  under  General  Sigel  and  while  there  fought 
the  battle  of  New  Market.  Thence  they  went  to 
Winchester,  and  under  the  command  of  General 
Hunter  marched  on  to  Lynchburg,  and  on  the  way 
occurred  the  battle  of  Piedmont,  in  which  conflict 
eighty  men  were  killed  and  wounded.  The  battle 
of  Lynchburg  occupied  three  days,  when  the  Union 
forces  were  driven  back  to  Meadow  Bluffs;  at  the 
latter  place  they  received  their  rations  and  wentb}' 
boat  to  ParkeYsburg,  and  thence  by  rail  to  Martins- 


burg,  where  they  joined  Gen.  Phil  Sheridan's  com- 
mand. 

While  in  the  service  Mr.  White  was  taken  sick  at 
Martinsburg,  Va.,  and  after  a  furlough  of  thirty 
days  joined  his  regiment  in  the  Shenandoah  Val- 
ley, where  he  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Winches- 
ter, during  which  time  he  witnessed  General 
Sheridan's  famous  ride.  He  was  present  at  Cum- 
berland, Md.,  when  General  Crook  was  captured; 
he  participated  in  all  the  battles  and  skirmishes, 
and  guarded  train?  under  Sheridan  until  he  left 
the  Shenandoah. 

The  regiment  of  which  our  subject  was  a  mem- 
ber was  in  1865  consolidated  with  the  Fourth 
West  Virginia,  and  was  thereafter  known  as  the 
Second  West  Virginia  Veterans,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Col.  Jacob  Weddle.  After  the  re-organi- 
zation the  regiment  remained  in  West  Virginia  in 
order  to  preserve  peace  among  the  people,  and  af- 
ter a  time  went  to  Wheeling,  where  Mr.  White  re- 
ceived his  honorable  discharge  July  20,  1865. 

After  being  mustered  out  Mr.  White  came  to 
Illinois  and  joined  his  father's  family,  who  had  re- 
moved here  in  the  meantime.  He  was  married 
September  4,  18C7,  to  Miss  Barbara  E.,  daughter  of 
Conrad  and  Elizabeth  (Gumbel)  Elenbergcr,  na- 
tives of  Germany  but  at  that  time  residents  of 
this  state.  Mrs.  White  was  born  in  the  Fatherland 
January  29,  1846,  and  became  the  mother  of  live 
children,  of  whom  Lillian  is  the  wife  of  Frank 
Spurrier  and  lives  in  Pennsylvania  Township; 
Gertrude  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth;  Will- 
iam lives  in  Arkansas,  as  does  Gertrude;  and 
Harry  is  at  home  with  his  parents. 

After  his  marriage  our  subject  located  on  his 
present  fine  estate,  which  was  then  in  a  perfectly 
raw  condition,  with  not  a  furrow  turned.  He 
built  his  residence  in  1866,  which  lias  been  re- 
modeled in  later  years,  and  all  the  improvements 
on  the  farm  have  been  placed  there  by  his  own 
hand.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  stock-raising  and 
has  a  fine  drove  of  Poland-China  swine. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  are  active  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  in  which  congregation  the  former 
is  a  Deacon,  and  in  the  Sunday-school  the  entire 
family  have  been  teachers.  Mrs.  Spurrier  is  the 
present  Superintendent  of  the  Pleasant  Plains 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


253 


school,  and  Miss  Gertrude  has  been  organist  of  the 
church;  she  is  a  very  talented  musician  and  has 
been  a  teacher  of  considerable  note  in  this  locality. 
One  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White,  Florence, 
died  aged  nineteen  years  and  six  months. 

Our  subject  has  always  been  interested  in  every- 
thing that  would  enhance  the  prosperity  of  his 
township,  and  as  a  School  Director  aided  in  the  or- 
ganization of  District  No.  9.  He  is  a  straight  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  socially  is  a  Modern 
Woodman,  a  Patron  of  Husbandry  and  Master  of 
Pomona  Grange  of  Mason  County. 


ILLIAM  H.  ECKARD.  Prominent  among 
the  citizens  of  Mason  County  who  have 
materially  contributed  to  its  prosperity  is 
the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  owns  a  fine  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  this  and  Hancock 
Counties,  all  of  which  he  rents.  He  has  been  a  con- 
spicuous figure  in  the  civic  life  of  this  section  for 
many  years,  and  is  at  present  filling  the  position 
of  Supervisor  of  Quiver  Township. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Moses  Eckard,  was 
born  in  1821,  in  Mainland,  while  his  mother,  Mrs. 
Sarah  E.  (Simmons)  Eckard,  was  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, where  also  her  father,  Pollard  Simmons,  was 
born.  The  latter,  who  was  a  prominent  man  in 
his  locality,  came  to  Illinois,  and  after  making  his 
home  for  a  time  in  Menard  County,  removed  to 
the  northern  part  of  Havana  Township,  this  coun- 
ty, in  1835,  where  he  erected  what  was  known  as 
the  Simmons  Mill,  and  for  many  years  operated  it 
in  connection  with  farming.  The  good  wife  of 
Moses  Eckard  died  at  her  home  in  Winchester, 
this  state,  April  22,  1894. 

The  parental  family  included  three  sons  and  a 
daughter,  of  whom  .Sarah  A.  married  Thomas  J. 
Metzler,  who  is  now  deceased,  and  she  is  living  in 
Winchester.  William  II.  is  the  next  in  order  of 
birth.  James  P.  married  Ilettie  Lukins,  and  is  liv- 
ing in  Quiver  Township,  where  also  John  R.,  who 
took  to  wife  Miss  Nannie  Bates,  makes  his  home. 
Moses  Eckard  came  to  this  county  in  1838,  where 
he  was  married  and  located  on  a  farm  of  wild 


land  on  section  29,  this  township.  lie  immediately 
commenced  the  hard  task  of  redeeming  his  pro- 
perty from  its  primitive  condition,  and  at  his 
death  left  a  valuable  estate  of  five  hundred  and 
ten  acres.  He  was  always  actively  interested  in 
local  affairs,  although  never  in  any  sense  an  oflice- 
seeker,  and  in  politics  was  a  strong  Democrat.  He 
served  as  a  member  of  the  School  Board  for  many 
years,  and  died  February  19,  1889. 

William  II.,  of  this  sketch,  was  born  on  the  old 
homestead  May  1,  1846,  and  was  there  reared  to 
manhood,  receiving  his  education  first  in  the  com- 
mon schools  and  later  in  the  high  school  at  Ha- 
vana, lie  afterward  entered  the  business  college 
at  Peoria,  and  after  taking  a  commercial  course 
was  appointed  agent  of  the  Jacksonville  South- 
eastern Railroad,  which  at  that  time  was  known 
as  the  Illinois  River  Railroad.  This  was  in  1867, 
and  he  has  been  the  incumbent  of  that  office  for 
twenty-seven  years,  with  headquarters  at  Topeka. 
In  1868-69  he  was  engaged  in  the  merchandise 
business  in  that  place,  which  village  was  laid  out 
ten  years  previously  by  his  -father  and  a  Mr. 
Thomas,  who  was  President  of  the  railroad  com- 
pany. Mr.  Eckard  in  addition  to  discharging  the 
duties  of  his  position  is  engaged  in  the  grain  and 
coal  business,  and  occupies  an  assured  position 
among  the  business  men  of  the  county. 

The  lady  to  whom  our  subject  was  married  in 
1868  was  Miss  Amelia  J.,  daughter  of  John  Ban- 
dean,  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  where  Mrs.  Eckard  was 
also  born,  April  3,  1846.  By  her  union  with  our 
subject  there  have  been  born  six  children,  viz.: 
Fred  R.,  Elmer  M.,  Harry  W.,  Earl  C.,  Frank  B. 
and  Nellie  M.  The  eldest  sou  is  train  dispatcher 
for  the  Toledo,  Peoria  &  Western  Railroad  Com- 
pany; Elmer  M.  is  a  student  in  the  Rush  Medical 
College  of  Chicago,  and  Harry  W.  is  telegraph 
operator  at  the  home  office. 

In  social  affairs  Mr.  Eckard  is  a  Modern  Wood- 
man of  America,  holding  membership  with  the 
lodge  at  Topeka,  and  in  politics  has  been  a  life 
long  Democrat.  He  has  always  been  actively  in- 
terested in  the  same,  and  has  frequently  been  sent 
as  delegate  to  the  various  conventions  of  his  party. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board  for  ten 
years,  and  in  1883  was  elected  Supervisor  of  Quiver 


254 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Township,  having  the  honor  of  being  the  first 
Democrat  to  ever  hold  that  position.  He  was  re- 
elected  in  1887,  and  again  in  181)1.  He  is  a  Notary 
Public,  and  his  great  popularity  lias  caused  him  to 
be  placed  before  the  people  as  a  candidate  for  the 
ottice  of  Clerk  of  Mason  County.  He  gives  his  aid 
to  all  public  measures  having  for  their  object  the 
promotion  of  the  welfare  of  the  people,  and  may 
be  relied  upon  to  give  his  influence  in  behalf  of 
all  that  is  true,  uplifting  and  beneficial. 


wi 


JOSEPH  B.  I RWIN,  editor  and  manager  of 
the  Weekly  Republican  Post  and  the  Even- 
ing Post,  published  at  Pekin,  is  a  native  of 
_  Circleville,  Ohio,  where  his  birth  occurred 
October  11,  1849.  He  is  the  son  of  John  E.  and 
Catherine  (Tobias)  Irwin,  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
He  passed  his  boyhood  days  in  his  native  town 
and  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
and  the  Circleville  Academy. 

In  January,  1872,  our  subject  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Inez  M.  Fifer,  a  cousin  of  ex- 
Governor  Fifer,  and  to  them  were  born  two;<'4iil-- 
dren,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Prior  to 
leaving  the  Buckeye  State  our  subject  held  the 
position  of  City  Clerk  of  Portsmouth  for  one  term, 
and  since  residing  in  Pekin  has  been  School  In- 
spector for  three  years;  he  was  elected  City  Su- 
pervisor this  spring.  Upon  leaving  Ohio  he  lo- 
cated in  Peoria,  where  he  entered  the  office  of  the 
Peoria  Democrat,  there  remaining  until  1873,  the 
year  of  his  advent  into  thiscity.  Soon  thereafter, 
in  company  with  Col.  W.  T.  Dowdall,  of  Peoria,  lie 
purchased  the  outfit  of  the  Pekin  Register  of  W.  P. 
Allensworth  and  began  the  publication  of  the 
Pekin  Times.  When  the  first  issue  of  the  Times 
appeared  there  was  no  subscription  list,  as  the  paper 
had  changed  hands  so  often  that  its  reputation 
was  well  nigh  gone  and  the  outlook  was  extremely 
discouraging.  But  by  much  hard  work,  natural 
ability  and  perseverance,  our  subject  soon  placed 
the  paper  on  a  solid  financial  basis,  and  as  a  newsy 
and  literary  production  it  ranked  among  the  lead- 
ing weeklies  of  the  northwest. 

In    1885   Mr.  Irwin  sold  the  paper  and  became 
connected  with  the   Republican   Post,  which  was 


owned  by  the  Post  Publishing  Company,  which 
had  purchased  the  Tazewell  County  Republican  and 
changed  its  name  to  that  of  the  Republican  Past. 
Our  subject  was  at  once  installed  as  editor,  and 
soon  thereafter  to  his  other  duties  was  added  that 
of  manager.  The  following  fall  Mr.  Irwin  began 
the  publication  of  the  Evening  Post,  which  has  been 
a  success  from  the  start,  as  has  also  the  weekly  paper. 
There  is  perhaps  no  better  campaigner  among  the 
politicians  of  the  county  than  Mr.  Irwin,  who  is 
well  known  to  every  prominent  citizen  in  Ixjth 
parties,  and  being  acquainted  with  all  the  main 
roads  and  byways  in  this  vicinity,  can  get  over  and 
around  Tazewell  County  and  in  every  township 
and  political  center  quicker  than  any  other  man. 
He  has  met  with  several  business  reverses,  but  his 
fine  financial  standing,  business  ability  and  honesty 
have  never  been  questioned.  Among  politicians 
and  newspaper  readers  generally  he  is  conceded 
to  be  one  of  the  best  editors  in  the  county.  The 
Evening  Post  and  the  Weekly  Republican  are  rap- 
idly forcing  their  way  to  the  front  and  now  rank 
among  the  most  popular  papers  of  the  Republican 
'party..  ...  .  . 


H.  GOLLON.  This  part  of  the  Prairie 
State  has  proved  a  mine  of  wealth  to 
thousands  of  men  who  have  come  hither 
from  foreign  countries  and  by  hard  work 
and  enterprise  have  made  for  themselves  fame 
and  fortune.  Mr. Gollon  furnishes  us  with  a  strik- 
ing case  in  point.  Like  many  of  the  promi- 
nent men  of  Pekin,  he  is  of  foreign  birth,  Budzin, 
province  of  Posen,  Germany,  being  his  native 
place,  and  the  date  of  his  birth  September  13,  1844. 
Jacob  and  Barbara  (Xinger)  Gollon,  the  parents 
of  our  subject,  were  likewise  natives  of  Germany; 
they  reared  a  family  of  live  child-ren,  of  whom  our 
subject  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth.  The  fa- 
ther was  four  times  married,  Miss  Zinger  being 
his  second  companion.  M.  II.,  of  this  sketch,  has 
earned  his  own  living  since  he  was  a  lad  of  four- 
teen years,  at  that  early  age  having  commenced  to 
work  on  a  farm  for  his  half-brother,  with  whom 
he  remained  for  four  years,  or  until  he  came  to 
America.  In  the  spring  of  1863  he  left  Bremen 


LIBRARY 

Of  IHt 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


JACOB    A.   ROELFS. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


257 


on  the  sailing-vessel  ''Helena,"  and  on  the  trip  en- 
countered a  severe  storm,  which  lasted  four  days, 
and  for  two  days  the  passengers  were  in  danger 
of  losing  their  lives. 

Our  subject  landed  on  American  soil  July  17 
of  that  year,  and  after  remaining  "in  the  east  for  a 
short  time  went  to  Chicago,  and  thence  to  Peoria, 
where  he  worked  in  a  brewery  for  five  years.  In 
the  fall  of  1868  he  came  to  Pekin,  and  after 
working  for  others  in  the  malting  business  for 
one  year  opened  an  establishment  of  his  own, 
taking  in  as  partner  John  M.  Gill,  which  connec- 
tion lasted  for  ten  years.  In  1876  they  built  the 
new  malt  house  located  on  Front  Street;  it  is  three 
stories  in  height  and  is  150x95  feet  in  dimen- 
sions. It  is  the  largest  malt  house  in  this  vi- 
cinity and  the  oldest  in  either  Peoria  or  this 
city.  Mr.  Gollon  ships  the  product  of  his  malt 
house  to  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  and  also 
finds  a  ready  market  in  the  southern  cities.  Start- 
ing with  fifty  bushels  a  day,  they  have  since  put 
in  machinery  which  enables  them  to  use  five 
hundred  bushels  of  malt  a  day. 

Mr.  Gollon  is  a  large  stockholder  and  a  Director 
in  the  Pekin  Loan  and  Homestead  Association, 
and  is  the  possessor  of  considerable  real  estate  in 
the  city,  besides  valuable  farming  lands.  He  was 
married  in  Peoria,  in  1869,  to  Miss  Hattie  Rick- 
man,  who  was  born  in  Berlin,  German}'.  She  is 
the  youngest  daughter  of  Fred  Rickman,  of  Pe- 
oria, and  by  her  union  with  our  subject  has  be- 
come the  mother  of  eight  children,  viz.:  Matilda, 
who  is  private  secretary  for  her  father;  Albina 
A.,  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  the  city;  Hat- 
tie  II.,  Clemens  II.,  Rosa,  Lizzie,  Emma  and  Jo- 
sephine. 

Mr.  Gollon  has  been  very  prominent  in  public 
affairs  and  for  two  years  served  as  Alderman  of 
the  Fourth  Ward.  He  was  School  Director  for 
three  years  and  was  Chairman  of  the  Building 
Committee  at  the  time  the  new  high  school  build- 
ing was  erected.  It  is  the  finest  school  edifice 
in  the  state,  which  fact  is  due  greatly  to  the 
efforts  of  our  subject,  who  personally  superin- 
tended its  construction.  Socially,  he  is  an  Odd 
Fellow  in  high  standing,  and  belongs  to  Schuler 
Lodge  No.  200,  Encampment  No,  78,  and  Canton 
4 


Tazewell  No.  53.  He  was  also  one  of  the  prime 
movers  in  the  organization  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men in  this  city,  and  holds  membership  with 
Parker  City  Camp  No.  615.  He  is  Major  of  the 
Fourth  Regiment.  In  politics  he  is  a  strong 
Democrat,  has  been  delegate  to  state  conventions 
several  times,  and  for  four  years  was  Chairman 
of  the  County  Central  Committee. 


[i  ACOB  A.  ROELFS,  of  the  wholesale  and  re- 
tail hardware  firm  of  Velde,  Roelfs  <fe  Co., 
of  Pekin,  was  born  in  Ostfriesland,  Ger- 
many, December  11,  1847.  His  grandfather, 
Jacob  A.,  and  his  father,  L.  I.  Roelfs,  were  both  na- 
tives of  that  place,  and  both  were  grocers.  The 
latter  was  born  October  28,  1815,  was  educated  in 
the  common  schools  and  learned  both  the  Dutch 
and  German  languages.  In  1831  he  began  clerk- 
ing in  a  grocery  store  at  Emden,  where  he  re- 
mained for  three  years,  and  then  entered  his  fa- 
ther's store.  In  1841  he  became  proprietor  and 
did  a  large  business  along  that  line  until  1867, 
when  he  emigrated  to  America.  He  sailed  from 
Bremen  and  landed  in  New  York,  where  he  was 
met  by  his  son-in-law,  Henry  Velde,  and  soon 
reached  Pekin.  In  1870  he  embarked  in  the  gro- 
cery business  and  continued  operations  along  that 
line  until  1880,  since  which  time  he  has  lived  re- 
tired. He  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife 
died  in  December,  1842,  and  in  1845  he  wedded 
Catherine  Vandervelde,  who  died  November  14, 
1892,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven.  Of  her  seven 
children  five  are  yet  living.  The  father  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  is  a 
Republican  in  politics. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  the  second 
of  the  family,  spent  his  early  youth  in  Germany, 
but  at  the  age  of  sixteen  bade  adieu  to  friends  and 
Fatherland  and  sailed  from  Bremen  to  New  York 
City,  where  he  arrived  in  the  month  of  October. 
He  then  attended  the  public  schools  for  several 
years,  after  which  he  became  traveling  salesman 
for  the  grocery  house  of  H.  Velde  &  Co.,  in  which 
capacity  he  was  employed  for  about  three  years. 


258 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


He  then  became  clerk  in  the  retail  department  of 
the  hardware  store  of  Smith,  Velde  <fe  Co.,  and  in 
1878  was  admitted  to  partnership.  The  firm  name 
continued  the  same  until  1885,  when  it  was 
changed  to  Velde,  Roelfs  &  Co.  Their  store  is  now 
located  in  the  Empire  Block,  and  is  50x95  feet, 
two  stories  in  height  with  a  basement.  The  first 
floor  is  occupied  as  a  retail  store,  the  second  floor 
is  used  as  a  tin  shop,  and  there  is  manufactured 
roofing,  cornice,  etc.  The  jobbing  Jrade  covers  a 
radius  of  one  hundred  miles;  two  men  are  always 
employed  upon  the  road  and  twelve  men  are  em- 
ployed in  the  store.  They  make  a  specialty  of 
heavy  hardware  and  hardwood  lumber,  for  in  con- 
nection with  their  store  they  own  a  hardwood  lum- 
ber yard.  They  also  carry  a  line  of  furnaces. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1871,  Mr.  Roelfs  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Adeline  Frances 
Feltman,  a  native  of  Kenosha,  Wis.,  and  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Catharsena  (Velde)  Feltman.  They 
have  one  child  living,  Josephine,  who  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  Pekin  High  School,  and  who  is  now 
the  wife  of  H.  J.  Rust,  of  this  city.  Lucien  Jacob, 
the  eldest  child,  died  October  12,  1872.  Mr.  Roelfs 
is  a  stalwart  Republican  in  politics  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in 
which  he  is  now  serving  as  Trustee.  He  is  a  pub- 
lic-spirited and  progressive  citizen,  in  whom  the 
best  interests  of  the  community  find  a  friend,  and 
is  a  practical  and  enterprising  business  man,  pos- 
sessed of  a  resolute  will  to  carry  forward  to  a  suc- 
cessful completion  whatever  he  undertakes.  This 
is  the  secret  of  his  prosperity. 

\||  OHN  VELDE,  senior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Velde,  Roelfs  &  Co.,  wholesale  and  retail 
hardware  merchants,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
and  best  known  citizens  of  Pekin,  where  he 
is  highly  respected  and  very  influential.  He  is 
upright  and  honest  in  all  dealings  with  his  fellow- 
men,  and  has  hosts  of  friends  throughout  the 
county. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Ostfriesland,  Germany, 
August  30,  1831,  and  is  a  son  of  Deidrich  and 


Jentje  Velde,  the  former  of  whom  was  also  a  native 
of  that  country,  where  he  was  a  shoemaker;  he 
departed  this  life  in  1840.  His  father,  known  as 
Teis  Van  der  Velde  in  the  Old  Country,  was  a 
shoemaker  Dear  Verdum.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject was  a  mehiber  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Water- 
loo, and  while  in  the  army  contracted  a  dii-ease 
which  resulted  in  his  death  in  1840,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-one  years.  His  wife,  Jentje  Velde,  was  born 
in  Marienhofe,  Germany,  a  city  well  known  for  the 
high  tower  which  looks  out  over  the  North  Sea. 
She  reared  a  family  of  five  children,  and  died  in 
1839. 

John  Velde  was  doubly  orphaned  when  nine 
years  of  age,  and  made  his  home  with  a  fanner 
for  three  years,  when  he  was  apprenticed  to  learn 
the  shoemaker's  trade  in  Hamswerum.  Serving 
thus  for  three  years,  he  continued  to  follow  that 
branch  of  work  in  Groothusum  until  1849.  when 
he  came  to  America  in  company  with  his  guardian, 
Conrad  Smith,  and  family.  The  party  left  Bremen 
on  a  sailing-vessel,  which  landed  them  in  New  Or- 
leans June  22  of  that  year,  after  a  tedious  voyage 
of  nine  weeks.  They  then  made  their  way  up  the 
Mississippi  River,  stopping  at  St.  Louis.  The 
cholera  being  prevalent  there,  they  hastened  on  to 
Peoria,  landing  July  4,  1849,  and  after  a  stay  of 
two  months  in  that  city,  came  to  Pekin. 

On  arriving  in  this  city,  our  subject  was  vari- 
ously employed  until  he  was  able  to  get  work  at 
his  trade.  During  the  cholera  scourge  of  1850,  he 
was  afflicted  with  that  disease,  and  after  his  recov- 
ery went  to  Beardstown,  and  later  to  Greenfield, 
in  which  places  he  spent  about  eight  months.  In 
1852  he  returned  to  Pekin,  and  started  in  business 
for  himself  on  Court  Street,  where  he  carried  on  a 
good  business,  employing  three  helpers.  He  was 
compelled  to  close  out  the  following  year  on  ac- 
count of  ill  health.  Mr.  Velde  then  entered  the 
employ  of  the  T.  &  H.  Smith  Company  as  carriage 
trimmer,  with  whom  he  remained  for  seven  years, 
and  at  the  end  of  that  time  formed  one  of  the  firm 
of  Hippin,  Smith,  Velde  <fe  Co.,  hardware  merchants, 
which  connection  lasted  until  1891,  when  the  firm 
name  was  changed  to  Velde,  Roelfs  &  Co.  They 
have  a  large  wholesale  and  retail  store  located  on 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


259 


Court  Street,  and  have  a  patronage  extending 
throughout  the  entire  county. 

John  Velde  was  married  in  1852  to  Miss  Agnes 
Fry,  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany,  and  to  them 
has  been  born  a  family  of  ten  children:  Jacob,  a 
hardware  and  grain  merchant  in  Fremont;  Deit- 
rich,  who  is  engaged  in  his  father's  store;  Cath- 
erine, Mrs.  W.  C.  Reuter,  of  Tarkio,  Mo.;  Henry,  a 
grain  merchant  of  Peoria;  Emma,  now  Mrs.  Peter 
Bergner,  of  Peoria;  Fred  W.,  also  employed  in  his 
father's  hardware  store;  and  Agnes,  Lulu,  Rudolph 
and  Frank,  who  arc  at  home. 

Mr.  Velde  is  a  popular  gentleman,  widely  and 
favorably  known  in  this  his  adopted  county — one 
who  exerts  a  good  influence  in  his  community  by 
his  example — and  he  has  the  best  wishes  of  his 
neighbors  and  friends  for  his  complete  success  in 
life.  He  has  been  Alderman  from  the  Second  Ward 
one  term,  has  also  served  as  a  member  of  the  School 
Board,  and  socially  is  a  Knight  of  Honor.  He  is 
an  active  member  of  the  German  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  has  aided  in  the  building  of 
three  churches. ,  Politically  he  is  a  Republican. 


M.  ARNOTT.  Although  quite  a  young 
man,  this  gentleman  has  considerable  in- 
fluence  in  Pekin,  where  he  resides  nnd 
where  he  is  engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail 
oil  business.  He  is  a  native  of  this  county,  hav- 
ing been  born  in  Sand  Prairie  Township,  August 
3,  1860,  and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  A.  Arnott,  a  na- 
tive of  Highland  County,  Ohio,  where  his  father, 
Andrew  Arnott,  located  on  removing  from  Penn- 
sylvania. 

The  father  of  our  subject  came  to  Tazewell 
County  when  a  young  man  and  located  in  the 
above  township,  where  he  was  engaged  at  his 
trade,  that  of  a  carpenter,  together  with  farming, 
until  his  decease,  in  1875.  He  was  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  from  the  interest  which  he  took  in 
local  affairs  was  elected  to  several  offices.  His 
wife,  Mrs.  Nancy  (Larimore)  Arnott,  was  a  native 
of  Island  Grove  Township,  this  county,  and  the 
daughter  of  William  Larimore,  an  early  settler  in 


this  locality  and  a  large  land  owner.  Mrs.  Arnott 
died  in  1861. 

L.  M.  Arnott  was  the  only  child  born  to  his  par- 
ents, and  was  living  under  the  parental  roof  when 
his  father  died.  This  event  occurring  when  he 
was  fourteen  years  of  age  he  returned  to  Ohio  and 
made  his  home  with  Mathew  Arnott,  of  Greenfield, 
for  five  years,  working  on  the  farm.  In  1880,  hav- 
ing learned  the  carriage-maker's  trade,  he  fol- 
lowed that  in  Greenfield  for  six  years.  Later  lie 
sold  out  his  interest  in  the  business  and  immedi- 
ately came  west  to  Pekin,  near  which  cit}'  lie  pur- 
chased a  farm  and  was  engaged  in  its  cultivation 
for  two  years.  The  old  homestead  comprised 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  improved  land 
in  Sand  Prairie  Township,  on  which  was  erected  a 
large  and  substantial  residence,  where  the  family 
of  Mr.  Arnott  made  their  home  for  four  years. 
On  account  of  the  failing  health  of  his  wife  he  re- 
turned to  Pekin,  and  for  one  year  was  engaged  in 
laying  brick  with  his  father-in-law.  In  1890  he 
began  his  present  business,  that  of  a  wholesale  and 
retail  oil  merchant,  and  has  his  office  and  store- 
rooms located  at  No.  313  Elizabeth  Street.  He  is 
doing  a  large  business  in  his  line,  running  one 
wagon  and  handling  both  the  Pennsylvania  and 
Standard  oils. 

Mr.  Arnott  was  married  in  Pekin  in  1885  to  Miss 
Ida  Merrill;  she  was  born  in  Pekin  and  has  become 
the  mother  of  a  son,  Fay  E.  Our  subject  is  highly 
regarded  for  his  sterling  traits  of  character,  and 
in  his  political  opinions  is  a  Democrat,  having 
early  decided  that  the  principles  enunciated  by 
that  party  were  most  in  accordance  with  his  views. 


A.  UBBEN,  Superintendent  of  the  Acme 
Harvester  Company  and  one  of  Pekin 's 
most  prominent  business  men,  was  born 
nearEmden.Ostfrieslaud,  Hanover,  Germany,  June 
13,  1850.  He  is  the  son  of  Albert  Ubben,  also  a 
native  of  Hanover,  and  a  cooper  by  trade.  The 
latter  emigrated  to  America  about  1854  and  set- 
tled near  Dixon,  111.,  where  for  a  time  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  plow  factories.  In  1856  his  family 


260 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


came  to  this  country,  and  two  years  later,  accom- 
panied by  them,  he  removed  to  Pekin,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade.  After  some  years  thus  spent, 
he  returned  to  Germany  for  his  health,  but  instead 
of  regaining  his  strength  as  he  bad  hoped,  he  grad- 
ually grew  worse  and  died  in  1870.  His  wife, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Jennie  Baumann,  is  now 
about  sixty-six  years  of  age  and  resides  with  her 
son  Henry. 

In  the  parental  family  there  were  three  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  U.  A.,  of  this  sketch;  Henry, 
foreman  in  the  paint  shop  of  the  Harvester  Com- 
pany, and  represented  on  another  page  of  this 
volume;  and  Lena,  the  wife  of  Herman  Becker,  of 
Pekin.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  child  of 
eight  years  when  he  came  to  Pekin,  and  here  his 
education  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools. 
When  about  twelve  years  old  he  began  to  learn 
the  painting  trade,  and  in  the  spring  of  1865 
entered  the  employ  of  Haines,  Maus  <fc  Co.,  manu- 
facturers of  headers. 

In  the  fall  of  1865  the  firm's  business  passed 
into  the  hands  of  Baker  &  Hawley,  with  whom  Mr. 
Ubben  continued  until  another  change  was  made 
to  A.  J.  Hodges  &  Co.  In  1874  he  was  chosen  for 
the  position  of  foreman  of  the  painting  depart- 
ment, and  continued  thus  engaged  until  the  Acme 
Harvester  Company  purchased  the  business  in  the 
fall  of  1890.  On  January  1st  of  the  next  year  he 
was  made  Superintendent  of  the  works,  in  which 
capacity  he  is  now  engaged.  He  has  charge  of  all 
the  rooms,  viz.:  wood  shop,  warerooms.  foundiy, 
painting,  packing  and  finishing  rooms.  Special  at- 
tention is  given  to  the  manufacture  of  headers, 
hay  stackers  and  hay  rakes.  Constant  employ- 
ment is  given  to  a  force  of  two  hundred  hands. 
and  the  industry  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  and 
substantial  in  central  Illinois. 

The  beautiful  residence  in  which  Mr.  Ubben  and 
his  family  are  comfortably  domiciled  was  erected 
under  his  personal  supervision,  and  is  situated  on 
Park  Avenue.  Surrounding  it  is  a  well  kept  lawn 
of  seven  and  one-half  acres,  which  adds  to  the 
value  of  the  property  and  also  enhances  its  beauty. 
In  addition  to  his  home,  Mr.  Ubben  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  eight  acres  near  the  city  limits  of  Pekin, 
which  he  rents.  His  marriage  occurred  at  Pekin, 


November  26,  1874,  uniting  him  with  Miss  Eliza 
Ubben,  who  though  bearing  the  same  name  as  him- 
self, and  a  native  of  the  same  province,  Hanover, 
is  not  a  relative.  They  are  the  parents  of  the 
following  seven  children:  Jennie,  Theodore,  Tee- 
nie,  Albert,  Sarah,  Louis  and  Lena.  Theodore  is 
employed  in  the  ofliceof  the  Acme  Harvester  Com- 
pany. 

In  the  German  Baptist  Church,  Mr.  Ubben  is  a 
prominent  member  and  a  Trustee.  All  religious 
and  benevolent  projects  receive  his  warm  support 
and  liberal  contributions.  In  his  political  belief 
he  is  identified  with  the  Republican  party,  but  is 
not  solicitous  for  office,  preferring  to  give  his  en-  j 
tire  time  to  the  interests  of  his  business. 


/p^,OTTLOB  J.  ZERWEKH,  who  in  company 
fife—)  with  his  son,  William  G.,  is  proprietor  of 

5^5)  the  Pekin  Bottling  Works,  is  also  agent  in 
this  city  for  the  Pabst  Brewing  Company.  He  has 
been  a  resident  here  since  1854,  and  has  been  en- 
gaged in  his  present  business  since  the  spring  of 
1866.  He  was  born  in  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  Octo- 
ber 3, 1833, and  is  a  son  of  Johannas  Zerwekh.also 
a  native  of  the  Fatherland.  The  latter  was  a  gar- 
dener and  died  when  in  his  fiftieth  year.  His 
mother  was  also  a  native  of  Germany  and  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Christine  Schnaitman. 

Our  subject  has  two  brothers  who  are  living, 
Gottleib  and  Fritz,  who  make  their  home  in  Ger- 
many. Gottlob  J.  was  apprenticed  when  old  enough 
to  learn  the  locksmith's  trade  and  was  thus  em- 
ployed in  his  native  land  for  two  years,  when  he 
went  to  Switzerland.  In  1853  he  set  sail  from 
Bremen, and  after  a  voyage  of  seven  weeks  lauded 
in  New  York  City.  Thence  he  went  to  Philadel- 
phia, later  to  Hagerstown,  where  he  worked  for  a 
short  time  at  his  trade,  and  in  1854  came  to  Peo- 
ria.  As  there  was  no  locksmith  shop  in  the  city 
he  walked  to  Pekin  and  found  work  with  Mr. 
Spellman,  and  later  in  the  shops  of  Smith  &  Co. 
In  1866  he  began  in  business  for  himself,  manu- 
facturing soda  and  pop  on  a  small  scale.  Being 
the  only  one  in  the  county  thus  engaged  he  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


261 


soon  compelled  to  increase  his  business  and  is 
now  occupying  three  floors  of  the  large  brick 
building  located  at  No.  230  Court  Street.  Three 
years  ago  he  accepted  the  agency  for  the  sale  of 
Pabst's  beer  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Zerwekh  was  married  in  Peoria  in  1857  to 
Miss  Christina  F.  Schuaitmaun,  who,  like  him- 
self, was  a  native  of  Wurtemberg,  Germany.  To 
them  were  born  five  children,  of  whom  the  eldest, 
William  G.,  is  a  partner  in  the  bottling  works  of 
our  subject;  Albert  is  proprietor  of  a  bakery  and 
confectionery  store  in  the  city;  Carl  and  John  are 
employed  in  the  factor}'  of  their  father,  and 
Bertha  is  at  home. 

Socially,  our  subject  is  a  prominent  Odd  Fel- 
low. He  has  occupied  all  the  chairs  of  the  en- 
campment and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Druid 
Society  in  the  city.  He  is  a  consistent  member  of 
St.  Paul's  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  and  in 
politics  is  a  stanch  Democrat. 


MAURICE  MAY,  M.  D.  The 
of  this  RECORD  would  fail  in 
object  of  presenting  to  their  readers 
an  outline  of  the  lives  of  the  best  citizens  of  the 
county  were  they  to  omit  that  of  the  gentleman 
above  named.  He  is  located  in  Green  Valley,  in 
and  about  which  place  he  has  an  excellent  prac- 
tice. He  is  well  educated,  and  his  extensive  infor- 
mation is  not  confined  to  matters-pertaining  to  his 
vocation,  but  includes  all  topics  of  general  inter- 
est and  literary  merit. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Mattoon,  this  state, 
July  23,  1868,  and  carried  on  his  primary  studies 
in  the  schools  at  Decatur.  After  completing  his 
education  in  the  liigli  school  he  entered  the  tele- 
graph service  of  the  Wabash  Railroad  and  located 
first  at  Decatur.  He  afterward  went  to  Bloom- 
ington  in  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  <k  Alton  Rail- 
road, later  to  Chicago,  and  finally  left  the  employ 
of  that  road  to  accept  ^a  like  position  with  the 
Iron  Mountain  Railroad  Compan}'. 

It  being  his  determination  to  follow  a  profes- 
sional life,  Mr.  May  in  1889  went  to  Keokuk,  Iowa, 


where  he  attended  a  course  of  lectures  in  the  Keo- 
kuk College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  He  after- 
ward spent  a  year  in  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College, 
after  which  he  returned  to  Keokuk,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  the  above  college  with  the  Class  of  '93. 
After  receiving  his  diploma  he  went  to  Mt.  Zion, 
111.,  where  he  engaged  in  practice  with  his  brother 
for  a  short  time,  but  finding  a  better  opening  in 
Green  Valley,  removed  hither  and  has  since  made 
this  place  his  field  of  operation. 

November  1,  1893,  Dr.  May  and  Miss  Jessie 
Black,  a  native  of  this  county,  were  united  in  mar- 
riage. The  lady  was  the  daughter  of  Jesse  and 
Mary  (Johns)  Black,  who  were  born  in  Pennsylva- 
nia and  who  came  to  this  state  in  an  early  day. 
In  connection  witli  the  practice  of  his  profession 
our  subject  is  the  proprietor  of  a  drug  store,  which 
is  stocked  with  medicines,  etc.,  for  his  own  use. 
Mrs.  May  was  born  November  1,  1873;  she  is  a  lady 
of  fine  accomplishments  and  a  graduate  of  the 
schools  of  Delavan  and  Bushnell.  In  social  affairs 
our  subject  is  a  Modern  Woodman. 

The  Rev.  Daniel  E.  May,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Rockingham  County,  Va.,  Feb- 
ruary 24,  1829,  and  is  the  son  of  Adam  May,  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  where  his  birth  occurred 
in  1800.  The  father  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  May  went  to 
Virginia  in  company  with  his  father,  who  also 
bore  the  name  of  Adam,  and  who  was  a  carpenter 
by  trade.  The  paternal  grandmother  of  our  sub- 
ject was  in  her  maidenhood  Nancy  Rains;  she 
was  also  a  native  of  Virginia,  of  English  ancestry, 
and  the  daughter  of  a  Revolutionary  soldier  who 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  British. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  third  in  a  family 
of  eight  children  born  to  his  parents,  and  the  eld- 
est but  one  of  four  brothers.  Of  the  latter,  George 
Westey  was  a  railroad  conductor.  Benjamin  was 
forced  into  the  service  of  the  Confederate  army 
during  the  late  war,  but  making  his  escape,  joined 
the  Unionists.  The  Rev.  Mr.  May  was  educated 
in  the  high  school  at  Port  Republic,  Va.,  and  later 
entered  the  theological  school.  In  1865  he  en- 
tered the  ministry,  joining  the  Illinois  Methodist 
Episcopal  Conference,  and  receiving  his  first  charge 
at  Oakland,  Coles  County.  In  1891  he  came  to 
Green  Valley,  where  lie  is  now  located,  and  ranks 


262 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


among  the  most  successful  preachers  in  the  state. 
He  is  the  proprietor  of  a  fine  farm  in  McLean 
County,  which  is  occupied  by  tenants. 

Daniel  E.  May  was  married  August  10,  1852,  to 
Miss  Sarah  A.  Merica,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  four  children,  of  whom  the 
three  sons  are  prominent  physicians.  Shetiie  R., 
the  eldest,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Keokuk  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  as  are  also  Wilbur  F.,  and 
Edward  M.,  of  this  sketch.  The  daughter,  Clara 
J.,  is  a  finely  educated  young  lady  and  a  graduate 
of  the  Wesleyan  College  at  Bloomington.  Socially 
the  father  of  our  subject  is  a  Mason  of  high  stand- 
ing and  has  voted  with  the  Republican  party  since 
its  organization. 


ENRY  A.  TOMM.  In  the  Farmers'  Na- 
tional Bank  Block  of  Pekin  will  be  found 
the  olfice  of  this  gentleman,  who  is  well 
and  favorably  known  as  the  agent  for  many 
prominent  fire  and  life  insurance  companies, 
among  which  may  be  mentioned  the  Northern  of 
London,  the  Glens  Falls  of  New  York,  the  Phoenix 
of  Hartford,  and  the  Hartford  Life  <fe  Annuity 
Company.  A  German  by  birth,  he  is  a  loyal 
American  in  all  things  else,  and  our  country  has 
no  citizen  more  patriotic  than  is  he. 

In  Saleske,  Prussia,  Germany,  our  subject  was 
born  on  the  last  day  of  the  year  1839.  His  father, 
Joachim  Tomm,  was  also  born  in  the  same  place, 
and  was  a  merchant  by  occupation.  Two  sons 
having  previously  emigrated  to  America  and  em- 
barked in  the  mercantile  business  at  Pekin,  in 
1853  he  brought  the  remaining  members  of  his 
family  hither,  and  in  this  city  lived  in  retirement 
until  his  death,  in  1873.  His  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Caroline  Nunke,  and  who  was  born  in 
Prussia,  died  in  Pekin  in  1868. 

There  were  seven  children  in  the  parental  fam- 
ily, namely:  George,  formerly  a  merchant  in  Pe- 
kin, where  he  died;  Philip,  who  was  a  merchant  in 
this  city  and  later  a  farmer,  but  is  now  deceased; 
Paulina,  Mrs.  Voll,  of  Pekin;  Henry  A.,  of  this 


sketch;  Emma,  Mrs.  Muhlmann,  of  Pekin;  Otto, 
who  is  a  miner  in  Nevada;  and  Martha  T.,  Mrs. 
IIippen,a  resident  of  Pekin.  Henry  A.  was  reared 
in  German}'  until  the  age  of  fourteen  years.  In 
the  spring  of  1853  he  took  passage  on  the  sailing- 
vessel  "  Weichelhausen  "  at  Bremen,  and  after  a 
voyage  of  seven  weeks  landed  in  New  York  City, 
from  which  place  he  proceeded  to  Pekin.  The 
journey  hither  was  made  by  boat  up  the  Hudson 
River  to  Albany,  then  by  rail  to  Chicago  and 
La  Salle,  and  from  the  latter  city  by  boat  to  Pekin. 
Here  he  continued  his  studies  in  the  public  schools 
for  a  time. 

About  two  years  after  coming  to  this  city  Mr. 
Tomm  entered  the  employ  of  his  brothers,  who 
kept  a  dry-goods  store,  but  later  he  became  a 
student  in  the  Commercial  College  at  Quiucy,  where 
he  spent  six  months  in  1863-64.  April  28,  1864, 
his  name  was  enrolled  as  a  member  of  Company  C, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-ninth  Illinois  Infantry. 
He  was  mustered  into  service  at  Peoria,  and  was 
appointed  Sergeant  of  his  company.  In  order  to 
fight  for  the  Union  he  resigned  a  position  in  the 
store,  where  he  was  receiving  a  salary  of  $60  per 
month,  and  entered  upon  a  life  of  great  peril,  ex- 
posure and  unnumbered  hardships.  Such  was  his 
loyalty  to  the  land  of  his  adoption.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  his  period  of  service  he  was  mustered 
out  at  Peoria,  October  28,  1864. 

Returning  to  Pekin,  Mr.  Tomm  was  for  a  time 
clerk  for  his  brothers,  and  afterward  became  a 
partner  in  the  firm,  the  title  being  George  Tomm 
&  Bro.  The  store  was  situated  on  the  corner 
of  Court  and  Capitol  Streets,  in  a  building  erected 
by  George  Tomm  and  now  occupied  by  the  Smith 
Bank.  In  1870  the  brother  died  and  the  estate 
was  settled.  Our  subject  then  abandoned  the 
mercantile  and  embarked  in  the  hardware  business 
at  Delavan,  this  state,  the  firm  name  being  King- 
man  &  Tomm.  After  some  time  thus  spent,  he 
disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  concern  and  entered 
the  grain  business,  in  which  he  was  engaged  for 
three  years.  His  father-in-law,  Daniel  Crabb,  hav- 
ing a  private  bank,  he  retired  from  the  grain  busi- 
ness in  order  to  clerk  in  the  bank,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1885.  On  account  of  trouble  with 
his  eyes  he  was  unable  to  engage  in  business  of 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


263 


any  kind  for  the  two  ensuing  years.  Regaining 
the  use  of  his  eyes,  in  1887  he  became  a  clerk  for 
Teis  Smith  <^  Co.,  bankers  of  Pekin,  and  held 
that  position  until  1889,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  engaged  in  the  insurance  business. 

At  Delavan,  this  state,  in  1880,  Mr.  Tomm  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Mary  (Crabb)  Gudell, 
daughter  of  Daniel  Crabb,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Tazewell  County.  By  her  first  marriage,  this  lady 
became  the  mother  of  one  daughter,  Asulla,  now 
a  resident  of  Chicago.  Her  union  with  Mr.  Tomm 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  one  child,  Eugene.  She 
passed  away  in  1884,  mourned  by  a  large  circle  of 
friends,  to  whom  her  noble  character  had  endeared 
her.  Socially  Mr.  Tomm  is  identified  with  Joe 
Manna  Post  No.  117,  G.  A.  R.,  and  is  the  present 
Adjutant  of  the  post.  Politically  he  is  a  Republi- 
can, and  is  firm  in  his  allegiance  to  party  men  and 
principles.  He  well  remembers  when  a  mere  child 
seeing  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  came  to  Pekin  with 
the  intention  of  opening  a  law  office  at  this  place. 


YfjOHN  A.  ANDREWS,  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm  of  John  A.  Andrews  &  Co.,  millers, 
of  Washington,  was  born  in  Trumbull 
County,  Ohio,  August  13,  1827,  and  is  a 
son  of  the  Rev.  Wells  Andrews.  His  father  was 
born  and  reared  in  Connecticut  and  was  a  son 
of  Asa  Andrews,  one  of  the  heroes  of  the 
Revolution.  Rev.  Mr.  Andrews  was  graduated 
from  Jefferson  College,  of  Pennsylvania,  entered 
the  Presbyterian  ministry  and  took  charge  of  the 
church  in  Alexandria,  Va.  He  there  married 
Nancy  Harper,  a  native  of  the  Old  Dominion  and 
a  daughter  of  John  Harper.  In  1826  he  removed 
to  Trumbull  County,  Ohio,  where  he  remained 
for  ten  years  as  a  preacher,  after  which  he  became 
a  professor  in  the  Ohio  University  at  Athens. 
The  year  1843  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Washing- 
ton, 111.,  and  after  serving  as  pastor  here  for  a 
short  time  he  went  to  Tremont,  then  the  county 
seat,  where  he  spent  eleven  years.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  returned  to  Washington, 
and  was  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  until 


his  decease,  which  occurred  in  February,  1867. 
He  was  an  active  and  prominent  minister  for  a 
half-century,  and  his  earnest  and  untiring  labors 
were  productive  of  much  good.  He  was  one  of 
the  pioneer  preachers  of  Tazewell  County,  and  all 
who  knew  him  respected  him.  His  wife  passed 
away  July  12,  1872. 

In  the  Andrews  family  were  eight  children,  all 
of  whom  reached  mature  years,  while  five  are  yet 
living,  viz.:  John  A.;  James,  who  resides  near 
Geneseo,  111.;  Lucy,  wife  of  George  Shaw,  a  resi- 
dent of  Henry  County,  111.;  Margaret,  widow  of 
J.  M.  Harlan,  a  resident  of  Eureka,  111.;  and  Ches- 
ter, who  is  engaged  in  cattle  raising  in  Nebraska. 
Those  deceased  are,  Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of 
John  M.  Bush  and  died  in  1856;  Robert,  whose 
death  occurred  in  1856;  and  Wells,  who  died 
March  11,  1894,  at  which  time  he  was  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  milling  firm  of  W.  &  J.  A.  Andrews. 

Our  subject  was  a  3'outh  of  sixteen  years  when 
with  his  parents  he  came  to  Tazewell  County.  He 
was  educated  in  the  Ohio  University,  of  Athens, 
and  on  starting  out  in  life  for  himself  he  turned 
his  attention  to  farming.  Having  purchased  land 
in  Washington  Township,  he  continued  to  culti- 
vate and  improve  his  farm  for  about  three  years. 
In  1851  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother 
Wells  and  bought  out  the  flouring  mill  of  A.  W. 
Danforth.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  engaged 
in  the  milling  business,  and  his  has  been  the  only 
mill  of  importance  in  Washington  during  the 
long  period  of  thirty-eight  years.  He  makes  an 
excellent  grade  of  Hour,  therefore  receives  a  liberal 
patronage  and  enjoys  an  excellent  trade.  He  has 
also  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  grain,  and 
from  1854  until  1866  carried  on  general  mer- 
chandising. 

In  1855  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  An- 
drews and  Mary  Telva  Burton,  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky and  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Robert  Burton,  a 
physician  of  Kentucky,  who  brought  his  family 
to  Tazewell  County  in  1837.  Here  he  engaged  in 
practice  for  a  time,  and  then  embarked  in  the 
dry-goods  business,  which  he  followed  until  his 
death,  in  1859.  Mrs.  Andrews  was  reared  in  Taze- 
well County,  and  here  died  November  21,  1878. 
To  our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born  ten  chil- 


264 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


dren,  six  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Charles  W.,  a 
farmer  of  Washington  Township;  James,  who  is 
now  serving  as  County  Treasurer  of  Dundy  Coun- 
ty, Neb.,  and  makes  his  home  in  Benkelman; 
Telva,  who  is  engaged  in  teaching  in  the  public 
schools  of  Washington;  Margaret  Wells,  at  home; 
J.  Andrew,  who  is  studying  medicine;  and  Anna, 
who  completes  the  family. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Andrews  affiliated  with  the 
Whig  party,  but  since  voting  for  John  C.  Fremont 
in  1856  has  been  a  stalwart  Republican.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  English  Lutheran  Church,  to  which 
his  wife  also  belonged.  One  of  the  oldest  settlers 
now  living  in  this  section  of  Tazewell  County,  he 
may  well  be  numbered  among  the  honored  pio- 
neers, and  also  among  the  valued  citizens,  for  he 
has  taken  an  active  part  in  everything  pertaining 
to  the  welfare  of  the  community,  and  withholds 
his  support  from  no  enterprise  calculated  to  prove 
of  public  benefit. 


?ILLIAM  R.  LACKLAND.  The  gentleman 
whose  sketch  now  claims  our  attention  is 
\ij  one  of  the  most  successful  business  men 
of  Morion,  and  is  Cashier  of  the  Morton  Bank, 
which  he  was  instrumental  in  organizing  in  the 
fall  of  1886.  He  was  born  in  Tremont,  this  coun- 
ty, November  27,  1862,  and  is  the  son  of  Col. 
William  R.  and  Cordelia  (Warner)  Lackland. 

Grandfather  James  Lackland  and  his  wife  were 
natives  of  Tennessee,  from  which  state  they  emi- 
grated to  this  county  in  1832,  and  were  among 
the  very  earliest  settlers  of  Tremont.  There  the 
grandfather  entered  a  small  tract  of  land  from  the 
Government  and  led  the  life  of  a  farmer  until  his 
decease,  a  few  years  later.  The  responsibility  of 
caring  for  the  family  was  thus  thrown  upon  the 
father  of  our  subject,  he  being  the  only  son  in  a 
family  of  five  children.  His  education  was  re- 
ceived in  the  common  schools  of  this  state,  and  he 
followed  the  life  of  a  farmer  during  his  entire  ca- 
reer, with  the  exception  of  the  time  spent  as  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Union  army.  He  was  married  in  this 
county  to  Miss  Cordelia,  daughter  of  Hiram  and 


Phoebe  Warner;  she  was  born  in  New  York  (of 
which  state  her  parents  were  also  natives)  and 
came  of  old  Revolutionary  stock.  The  maternal 
grandparents  of  our  subject  were  likewise  pioneers 
of  this  county,  having  located  here  a  few  years 
after  the  Lackland  family. 

The  father  of  our  subject  became  a  soldier  in 
the  late  war,  serving  in  Company  G,  One  Hundred 
and  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry.  This  was  a  Peoria 
regiment,  and  Mr.  Lackland  was  appointed  its 
Captain  and  was  soon  promoted  to  be  Colonel.  The 
company  was  one  of  the  first  to  respond  to  the 
call  for  volunteers,  and  Colonel  Lackland  served 
In  an  official  position  until  the  close  of  the  war.  J 
His  company  formed  a  part  of  Grant's  army  and 
participated  in  many  of  the  decisive  battles  of  that 
period,  among  which  was  the  siege  of  Yicksburg. 

On  his  return  from  the  war  Colonel  Lackland 
turned  his  attention  to  farm  pursuits  and  accum-  ' 
ulated  about  five  hundred  acres  of  as  fine  land  as 
;js  to  be  found  within  the  limits  of  this  county. 
'•He  was  elected  Sheriff  on  the  Republican  ticket,  and 
while  the  incumbent  of  this  position  he  gave  the  i 
people  the  very  best  satisfaction  and  bore  the 
reputation  of  being  able  to  secure  all  criminals 
when  once  he  started  after  them,  often  capturing 
them  in  other  states.  He  was  Sheriff  of  the  county 
for  two  terms,  and  the  entire  community  mourned 
his  loss  when  he  died,  in  June,  1874.  His  wife 
still  survives  and  is  living  on  the  old  home  farm. 

William  R.  was  one  in  a  family  of  five  sons  and 
three  daughters,  of  whom  Melvin  P.  is  Professor 
of  Mathematics  in  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  Univer- 
sity at  Bloomington;  John  J.  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Kansas;  Leonard  is  a  senior  in  the  Universi- 
ty at  Bloomington  and  is  taking  the  classical 
course;  Thomas  II.  is  a  fanner  in  this  county;  Net- 
tie is  the  wife  of  James  Bradshaw,  an  agriculturist 
of  Kansas;  Alice  C.  married  John  E.  Russell,  a 
farmer  of  this  count3';  as  is  also  Charles  Broy- 
hill.  the  husband  of  Frankie. 

Our  subject  has  been  the  recipient  of  a  fine  edu- 
cation. He  attended  school  at  Evanston  and  Onarga, 
this  state,  and  was  graduated  from  the  school  in 
the  latter  place  in  1885.  He  then  began  clerking  in 
the  Bank  of  Tremont,  and  after  holding  a  position 
there  for  a  year,  in  the  fall  of  1886  organized  the 


LIBRARY 
OF  m 

UNIVERSm  Of  ILLINOIS 


W.  H.  COXIBEAR,   M.  D. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


267 


Morton  Bank,  of  which  he  is  the  Cashier  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  firm.  He  is  also  interested  in 
real  estate  and  owns  a  quarter-section  of  valuable 
farming  land  in  Madison  Count}',  Neb. 

Mi*?  Margaret,  the  daughter  of  Richard  and 
Elizabeth  M.  (Evans)  Barry,  became  the  wife  of 
onr  subject  in  October,  1888.  The  ceremony  was 
performed  in  Tremont,  and  Mrs.  Lackland  is  a 
native  of  Washington  City,  D.  C.,  while  her  par- 
ents were  born  respectively  in  Ireland  and  Eng- 
land. Mr.  Barry  was  a  prominent  business  man 
in  the  east  and  died  when  Miss  Margaret  was 
quite  young.  To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have 
been  born  two  children,  William  R.  and  Bruce  B. 
The  parents  are  members  of  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  socially  our  subject  is  a  Modern 
Woodman,  belonging  to  Lodge  No.  768.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  but  in  local  affairs  votes 
for  the  man  whom  he  considers  will  best  fill  the 
office,  regardless  of  party. 

yiLLIAM  H.  COM  BEAR,  M.  D.  This  pop- 
ular and  successful  physician  of  Morton 
was  born  in  Devonshire,  England,  Decem- 
ber 12,  1843,  being  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Ann 
(Kingdom)  Conibear.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
George  Conibear,  who  was  likewise  a  native  of  De- 
vonshire, was  a  representative  of  one  of  England's 
oldest  families  and  participated  in  many  of  the 
wars  of  early  days.  Both  the  father  and  grand- 
father were  wheelwrights,  but  prior  to  that  the  an- 
cestors were  farmers  by  occupation. 

In  Grandfather  Conibear's  family  there  were 
six  children,  as  follows:  George,  who  emigrated 
to  the  United  States  and  died  in  Peoria  County, 
111.;  Philip,  who  died  in  England  about  1888; 
Thomas,  the  father  of  our  subject;  Mary,  who  mar- 
ried Thomas  Stephens,  and  removing  to  Canada 
there  died  in  1893;  Ann,  whose  home  is  in  Lon- 
don, England;  and  Margaret,  who  removed  to 
Australia,  though  nothing  is  definately  known 
concerning  her  at  present,  but  it  is  probable  that 
she  died  there.  Thomas  Conibear  received  a  com- 
mon-school education  and  followed  his  chosen 
trade  throughout  the  greater  |»rt  of  his  life.  An 
expert  mechanic,  he  always  had  plenty  of  work 
and  good  pay. 


Emigrating  to  the  United  States  in  the  spring 
of  1851,  Thomas  Conibear  settled  with  his  family 
at  Peorra,  111.,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade.  In 
1855  he  came  to  Tazewell  County,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  two  years.  He  then  settled 
on  the  military  tract  of  Illinois, in  Bureau  County, 
where  he  followed  agricultural  operations  until 
1866.  In  partnership  with  his  son  Edward  he 
embarked  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Mineral, 
and  a  few  years  after  dissolving  the  connection 
he  followed  the  trade  of  a  pattern  maker  in  Mo- 
line.  His  death  occurred  in  Mineral  April  13, 
1871,  at  the  age  of  fifty -six  years. 

In  religious  belief  Mr.  Conibear  was  a  Baptist, 
and  after  coming  to  this  country  united  with  the 
First  Baptist  Church  of  Peoria.  In  politics  he 
affiliated  with  the  Douglas  Democrats  prior  to  the 
war,  but  that  conflict  caused  a  change  of  opinion  on 
his  part  and  he  afterward  was  a  stanch  advocate  of 
Republican  principles.  His  wife,  whom  he  mar- 
ried in  England,  was  a  member  of  an  old  family 
of  that  country.  Her  parents  lived  upon  land 
which  had  been  bought  the  latter  part  of  the  last 
century  and  was  then  leased  back  to  them  for 
ninety-nine  years. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  seven  children, 
but  one  died  in  childhood.  The  others  are:  Ed- 
ward, who  is  in  the  implement  business  at  Peo- 
ria; William  H.;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Ralph  Mc- 
Clmtock,  of  Little  Rock,  Ark.;  Mary,  who  married 
Joseph  Tompkins,  of  South  Dakota;  Sarah,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years;  and  Ella, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Rile}-,  of  Denver,  Colo. 
The  mother,  who  is  now  (  1894)  seventy-three  years 
of  age,  makes  her  home  with  Mrs.  Riley. 

When  less  than  twenty  years  of  age  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  entered  the  Union  army,  and  in 
August  of  1862  his  name  was  enrolled  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Twelfth 
Illinois  Infantry.  He  accompanied  his  regiment  to 
Kentucky,  and  his  first  field  work  was  in  pursuit 
of  Morgan  and  Pegram.  Having  been  detailed  from 
his  regiment  with  a  battery,  he  took  part  in  the 
battles  of  Danville,  Dutton  Hill  and  Monticello, 
Ky.,  after  which  he  re-joined  his  regiment  and  with 
them  participated  in  the  engagements  at  Athens 
and  Loudon,  Tenn.  (where  the  regiment  received 


268 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


commendation  for  bravery),  Lenoir  Station,  Camp- 
bell Station  and  Knoxville.  The  day  on  which 
Sanders  was  killed  was  a  trying  one  for  the  regi- 
ment, who  were  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  and  to 
prove  how  busy  our  subject  was  we  need  but  state 
that  he  fired  one  hundred  and  twenty  rounds  that 
day. 

While  following  Longstreet  the  regiment  took 
part  in  a  number  of  skirmishes,  and  then  march- 
ing to  Knoxville,  soon  afterward  joined  General 
Sherman  at  Tunnel  Hill  and  accompanied  him  to 
Jonesboro.  Thej-  went  from  there  back  to  At- 
lanta and  pursued  Hood  into  Alabama  and  fought 
him  at  Nashville.  Next  they  were  transferred  to 
the  coast,  and  after  engagements  at  Anderson  and 
Wilmington  went  to  the  relief  of  General  Cox 
near  Kingston.  Marching  with  General  Cox  to 
Goldsboro,  they  there  joined  Sherman's  army  and 
proceeded  to  Raleigh  and  Jonesboro,  at  the  latter 
place  taking  charge  of  General  Johnston's  muni- 
tions of  war.  June  24,  1864,  our  subject  was  dis- 
charged, and  on  the  6th  of  the  following  month 
he  was  mustered  out  at  Chicago.  Through  the 
entire  period  of  his  active  service  he  was  never 
wounded  nor  taken  prisoner. 

Realizing  the  need  of  a  more  thorough  educa- 
tion, our  subject  entered  Eureka  College,  in  Wood- 
ford  County,  111.,  where  he  prosecuted  his  literary 
researches  for  one  year.  Afterward  he  secured  a 
position  as  teacher  of  a  district  school,  his  salary 
being  $25  the  first  three  months,  but  his  services 
proved  so  valuable  that  he  afterward  received 
$75.  Meantime,  his  leisure  moments  were  devoted 
to  the  study  of  physiology,  in  which  he  became  so 
interested  that  he  commenced  the  study  of  medi- 
cine. After  studying  alone  for  three  years  he  at- 
tended a  course  of  lectures  at  Rush  Medical  Col- 
lege in  1867,  and  from  there  came  to  Morton, 
where  he  opened  an  office.  In  1875  he  returned 
to  Rush  Medical  College,  graduating  in  the  fol- 
lowing year.  He  has  continued  the  practice  of 
his  profession  at  this  place,  and  being  a  skilled 
physician  as  well  as  a  genial  companion  he  has 
won  the  confidence  of  the  people,  who  hold  him 
in  high  regard.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Peoria  City, 
the  State  and  National  Medical  Societies. 

In   Bureau   County,  this  state,  the  Doctor  mar- 


ried Miss  Jane  A.  Sterling, a  native  of  Connecticut 
and  a  member  of  one  of  the  old  Colonial  families. 
Her  parents,  David  and  Cornelia  Sterling,  were 
also  torn  in  the  Nutmeg  State.  Six  children  were 
born  of  their  union,  as  follows:  Cornelia, a  talented 
artist  and  a  young  lady  of  splendid  education,  hav- 
ing been  a  student  in  the  colleges  at  Jacksonville 
and  Galesburg;  Charles,  a  farmer  of  Lee  County; 
John,  a  graduate  of  the  Illinois  Pharmaceutical 
College  and  now  employed  in  his  father's  drug 
store;  En  and  Grant,  both  in  school;  and  Bruce, 
who  died  in  December,  1891.  Mrs.  Jane  A.  t'oni- 
bear  died  July  31,  1883. 

At  the  home  of  the  bride's  parents,  in  Deer 
Creek,  October  29,  1885,  Dr.  Conibear  and  Miss 
Mary  A.  Bogardus  were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs. 
Conibear  was  born  in  Tazewell  County,  while  her 
parents,  Eri  and  Mary  A.  Bogardus,  were  natives 
respectively  of  New  York  and  Virginia,  being 
among  the  earliest  settlers  of  this  county.  The 
Doctor  and  his  wife  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  George  II.,  who  died  September  1, 
1887;  Ruth  B.,  who  was  born  August  12,1888; 
Lucy  K.,  April  29,1891;  and  Florence  N.,  March 
18,  1893. 

In  addition  to  his  practice  Dr.  Conibear  has 
owned  an  interest  in  the  drug  store  at  Morton  for 
the  past  seventeen  years.  He  is  the  owner  of  six 
hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Lee  County,  and  also  lias 
large  tracts  in  Dakota.  He  and  his  wife  are  iden- 
tified with  the  Congregational  Church.  Socially, 
he  affiliates  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  at  Grove- 
land,  and  during  the  existence  of  the  post  at  Mor- 
ton was  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public. Politically  a  Republican,  he  has  held 
many  of  the  local  offices  of  village  and  township 
and  was  President  of  the  Board  four  terms.  In 
the  organization  of  the  village  he  took  an  active 
part,  and  also  aided  in  securing  the  introduction 
of  electric  lights  and  the  water  works. 


ORNELIUS   B.  CUMMINGS  is  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  and  deservedly  success- 
ful   of   the  many  eminent  gentlemen  who 
have   devoted   their  time  and  energies  toward  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


269 


material  advancement  of  the  best  interests  of  Pe- 
kin,  who  maintain  a  high  reputation  fOyT  integ- 
rity and  reliability.  As  he  has  been  a  resident 
of  the  county  since  1859  he  is  well  and  favorably 
known  throughout  its  length  and  breadth.  His 
methods  have  always  been  straightforward  and 
honorable,  and  as  a  consequence  he  did  a  large 
business  and  is  now  able  to  retire  from  the  active 
duties  of  life. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  Count}-, 
N.  Y.,  in  1832,  and  is  the  son  of  James  P.  Cum- 
mings,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Burlington,  Vt. 
The  family  trace  their  ancestry  back  to  England, 
whence  the  first  representative  came  to  this  coun- 
try over  two  hundred  years  ago.  James  P.  Cum- 
mings  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in 
St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.,  and  also  owned  con- 
siderable real  estate.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  pol- 
itics and  died  in  1879,  when  in  his  eightieth  year. 
His  wife,  Mrs.  Clarissa  (Wilson)  Cummings,  is  a 
native  of  the  Empire  State  and  is  now  living  in 
Chicago,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years. 

Of  the  eleven  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cummings  six  are  living.  C.  B.  was  reared  near 
Can  ton,  N.  Y.,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools 
and  lived  with  his  parents  on  the  home  farm  until 
reaching  his  twentieth  year,  when  he  went  to  Pa- 
latka,  Fla.,  and  for  two  years  was  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising. At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he 
returned  north,  and  going  to  Lawrence,  Mich.,  had 
charge  of  several  sawmills  for  a  Chicago  house. 
In  1859,  however,  he  came  to  Pekin,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  established  himself  in  the  mercantile 
business  in  company  with  his  brother  C.  R.,  under 
the  name  of  C.  B.  Cummings  &  Co.  This  partner- 
ship was  dissolved  two  years  later  and  our  subject 
took  in  another  partner,  G.  R.  Cobley.  They  have 
a  fine  dry-goods  establishment  in  Pekin.  He  was 
engaged  in  this  line  of  trade  for  nearly  a  quarter  of 
a  century,  and  during  the  war  sent  out  wagons 
stocked  with  notions  through  the  central  portion 
of  the  state. 

Mr.  Cummings  has  been  more  than  ordinarily 
successful  as  a  business  man,  and  in  1881  was  en- 
abled to  retire  from  active  business.  He  is  the 
owner  of  a  good  farm  and  is  also  the  proprietor 
of  a  brick  block  on  Court  and  Capital  Streets.  The 


lady  to  whom  Mr.  Cummings  was  married  in  1859 
was  Miss  Harriet  A.  Cumings,  who  was  also  born 
in  New  York  and  who  was  the  daughter  of  P.  R. 
Cumings.  To  them  have  been  born  two  daughters: 
Harriet  Eugenia,  now  Mrs.  John  A.  May,  of  Chi- 
cago; and  Emma  L.,  the  wife  of  Frank  Lowery, 
who  makes  her  home  in  Pekin. 

In  his  political  relations  our  subject  votes  with 
the  Democratic  party,  and  socially  is  a  Mason.  He 
has  been  Supervisor  for  twenty  years,  during  which 
time  he  served  on  the  Finance  Committee.  He  is 
public  spirited  and  enterprising,  gives  his  hearty 
support  to  all  worthy  movements,  and  is  much  re- 
spected. He  lias  built  a  fine  residence  in  the  city, 
and  is  recognized  not  only  as  one  of  the  wealthy, 
but  as  one  of  the  prominent  and  valued  citizens 
of  the  community. 


mer. 


LOR1MER,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
plastering  business  in  Morton,  was  born  in 
New  York  City,  July  18,  1828,  and  is  a  son 
of  John  and  Charlotte  M.  (Sinclair)  Lori- 
His  grandparents  were  Alexander  and  Char- 
lotte Lorimer.  The  father  and  grandfather  were 
both  natives  of  Coopertown,  Fifeshire,  Scotland. 
The  latter  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  was  well- 
to-do,  belonging  to  a  wealthy  family  in  his  native 
land.  He  had  four  children,  Alexander,  William, 
Isabella  and  John.  The  first-named  inherited  the 
property,  but  as  he  never  had  children  it  descended 
to  children  of  Isabella  Lorimer. 

The  father  of  our  subject  acquired  a  good  edu- 
cation in  his  native  land,  and  possessed  a  most  ex- 
cellent memory.  He  was  the  only  one  of  the  fam- 
ily who  emigrated  to  America.  In  1818,  he  became 
a  resident  of  New  York  City,  and  there  married 
Charlotte,  daughter  of  Hector  and  Isabella  Sin- 
clair. She  was  born  in  New  York.  Her  father 
was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  her  mother,  who 
was  born  in  the  Empire  State,  was  of.  Scotch  line- 
age. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lorimer  became  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  Alexander,  John,  William,  George 
C.;  James,  who  served  in  the  late  war;  Isabella, 
deceased,  and  Charlotte  A.  The  father  of  this 
family  was  a  slater  by  trade,  and  was  an  extensive 


270 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


contractor,  doing  business  along  that  line  all  over 
the  United  States.  He  accumulated  considerable 
real  estate  in  the  east,  but  in  1835  sold  his  prop- 
erty, and  in  June  came  to  Tazewell  County,  mak- 
ing the  trip  by  way  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Rivers.  He  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  in  Fond  du  Lac  Township,  and  began  its 
cultivation,  but  had  no  practical  knowledge  of 
farming  and  lost  considerable  money.  He  was  a 
Knight  Templar  Mason,  and  in  politics  was  a 
Whig.  Both  parents  have  long  since  passed  away. 

When  the  family  came  to  the  west  the  Indians 
had  just  been  removed  to  their  reservation  beyond 
the  Mississippi,  and  the  country  was  still  wild  and 
unbroken.  Deer  were  plentiful  and  other  kinds 
of  wild  game  abounded.  Our  subject  was  reared 
in  the  usual  manner  of  pioneer  settlers,  and  was 
educated  in  a  log  schoolhouse.  During  his  vouth 
he  gave  his  parents  the  benefit  of  his  services.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  learning  the  cooper's 
trade,  and  on  attaining  his  majority  went  to  New 
York  City,  where  he  worked  at  the  plasterer's 
trade  for  sixteen  months,  after  which  he  returned 
home. 

Mr.  Lorimer  has  been  twice  married.  In  Fond 
du  Lac  Township,  he  wedded  Margaret  A.  Arnold, 
a  native  of  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Morton  and 
Patsy  Arnold,  who  were  born  in  Virginia.  Four 
children  graced  this  union,  but  only  two  are  now 
living.  Isabella  E.,  wife  of  H.  Rork,  a  farmer  of 
Livingston  County,  111.,  and  Charlotte,  wife  of 
William  Witenaur,  an  agriculturist  of  Shelby 
County,  111.  The  mother  died  in  1870,  and  Mr. 
Lorimer  afterward  married  Miss  Mary  J.  Mooberry, 
a  native  of  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Lydia  (Marion)  Mooberry.  Her 
father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  her  mother 
in  Massachusetts.  His  ancestors  were  originally 
natives  of  Scotland,  but  at  the  time  of  the  Crusades 
were  driven  to  Ireland,  and  during  Colonial  days 
the  family  was  founded  in  America. 

During  his  entire  residence  in  Morton,  Mr.  Lor- 
imer has  been  engaged  in  the  plastering  business, 
and  is  meeting  with  good  success  in  his  undertak- 
ings. He  also  owns  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Liv- 
ingston County,  111.,  and  an  interest  in  the  home 
place.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with  Peoria 


Lodge  No.  15,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  his  wife  is  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Christian  Church.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  has  served  as  Road  Com- 
missioner, which  position  he  filled  six  years,  and 
since  that  time  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He 
has  also  been  Town  Clerk  for  two  years,  and  was 
elected  without  opposition.  He  was  Township 
Supervisor  four  terms,  Collector  five  terms  and 
Commissioner  two  terms,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
re-election  as  Commissioner  he  received  every 
vote  cast.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Village 
Board  two  terms,  and  at  this  writing  is  Notary 
Public.  The  duties  of  these  offices  he  has  dis- 
charged with  a  promptness  and  fidelity  that  have 
won  him  high  commendation  and  made  him  one 
of  the  valued  citizens  of  the  community. 


ENJAMIN  W.  KINSEY  is  the  able  editor 
of  the  principal  newspaper  of  Morton,  The 
Messenger.  It  contains  first,  that  which 
even'body  wants  to  know  concerning  their 
neighbors  and  locality;  second,  a  review  of  the 
happenings  of  the  world  in  general,  and  third, 
formative  opinions  by  a  keen,  shrewd  business 
man. 

Our  subject  was  born  near  Mackinaw,  this  coun- 
ty, June  13,  1872.  He  is  the  son  of  Nicholas  B. 
and  Caroline  (Hatcher)  Kinsey,  the  former  of 
whom  was  born  in  Culpeper  County,  Vn.,  where 
he  was  reared  to  manhood.  Later  he  came  to 
this  county  in  company  with  his  brother,  Andrew 
J.,  and  on  arriving  here  worked  out  by  the  month 
on  farms.  He  soon  became  one  of  the  well-to- 
do  agriculturists  of  this  vicinity,  and  in  1885 
was  chosen  Superintendent  of  the  Poor  Farm, 
which  responsible  position  he  held  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  April  27,  1887,  by  being  thrown 
from  his  buggy.  He  was  married  in  this  county 
to  Miss  Hatcher,  whom  he  left  at  his  decease  with 
five  children,  namely:  Minnie,  now  Mrs.  Benjamin 
Russell;  James  H.  and  Nora,  deceased;  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  and  Leon  E.  Nicholas  B.  Kinsey  was 
a  consistent  member  of  the  Christian  Church,  and 
socially  was  a  Master  Mason. 

Our  subject  remained  at  home  with  his  parents 
until  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  thus  early  in  life 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


271 


he  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world, 
working  as  a  farm  hand  for  $8  per  month.  Prior 
to  leaving  home  he  had  received  a  fair  education, 
and  after  being  employed  as  a  laborer  for  two 
years,  taught  school  for  about  three  years,  spend- 
ing his  vacations  learning  the  printer's  trade  in  an 
office  at  Mackinaw.  In  the  fall  of  1893,  he  came 
to  this  village  and  purchased  the  Morton  Messenger, 
which  he  is  now  editing  with  good  success.  The 
paper  is  independent  in  politics,  and  although  the 
list  of  subscribers  was  very  small  when  it  came  into 
Mr.  Kinsey's  possession,  he  lias  doubled  the  circu- 
lation and  it  now  receives  and  merits  a  liberal 
patronage  of  the  citizens  throughout  the  town  and 
county.  Mr.  Kinsey  was  married  May  12,  1894, 
to  Pearl  Fly  nn,  of  Indianapolis,  Ind. 


PRANK  J.  KELCH,  of  Pekin,  was  for  many 
years  with  the  A.  J.  Hodges  Header  Works, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens 
of  this  nourishing  town.  He  has  one  of  the  most 
elegant  and  conveniently  arranged  residences,  situ- 
ated at  No.  900  Prince  Street,  and  which  is  pic- 
turesquely located  at  the  highest  point  in  the  city, 
surrounded  by  about  two  acres  of  well  kept  lawn. 

Born  in  Morris  County,  N.  J.,  near  the  village 
of  Morristown,  February  7,  1850,  our  subject  is 
the  son  of  Nicholas  Kelch,  a  native  of  Germany. 
The  latter  was  the  son  of  a  wealthy  German,  and 
after  his  marriage  in  the  land  of  his  birth  he  emi- 
grated to  America,  about  1836,  settling  near  Mor- 
ristown, N.  J.,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  In 
the  spring  of  1868  he  removed  to  Iowa,  and  im- 
proved a  farm  in  Cedar  County,  where  he  con- 
tinued to  make  his  home  until  his  death,  in  1873, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  In  religious  views  he 
was  a  Catholic.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Catherine  White,  and  who  was  also  a  native  of 
Germany,  died  while  visiting  in  Pekin,  aged 
eighty-two  years. 

The  youngest  of  nine  children,  all  of  whom  are 
now  living,  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was 
reared  in  Morristown  until  a  youth  of  eighteen 
years,  meantime  enjoying  common-school  advan- 


tages. In  1868  he  removed  with  his  father  to 
Iowa,  but  a  very  short  time  afterward  he  came  to 
Pekin  and  joined  his  brother  John,  a  carpenter 
here.  The  date  of  his  arrival  in  this  city  was  June 
1,  1868.  Under  his  brother  he  commenced  to  work 
as  a  bridge  builder,  and  for  a  time  acted  as  Super- 
intendent of  bridge  building  on  the  Peoria,  Pekin 
&  Jacksonville  Railroad,  remaining  with  that  com- 
pany for  nine  years. 

Mr.  Kelch  was  employed  as  foreman  in  the  erec- 
tion of  a  large  number  of  bridges  on  the  road 
above-named.  After  resigning  his  position  in 
1877,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  A.  J.  Hodges 
Header  Works  as  carpenter,  and  later  was  chosen 
foreman  of  the  wood  department,  retaining  charge 
of  it  for  six  years.  During  the  harvesting  season 
he  usually  traveled  for  the  firm,  sell  ing  and  putting 
up  machines  in  Kansas,  the  Dakotas  and  Iowa.  In 
that  line  he  was  an  expert,  and  his  services  were 
in  constant  demand.  Remaining  with  the  com- 
pany from  1877  until  August,  1891,  the  concern 
was  then  sold  to  the  Acme  Harvesting  Company, 
and  he  remained  with  them  until  August  1,  1892, 
being  foreman  of  the  wood  department.  At  the 
present  time  he  is  engaged  in  carpentering. 

At  Pekin,  July  17,  1873,  Mr.  Kelch  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Bitzel,  a  native  of  this  city.  Our  sub- 
ject and  wife  have  three  children,  A.  Katie,  George 
H.  and  Mabel  G.  Mrs.  Kelch's  parents,  Henry  and 
Catherine  (Shafer)  Bitzel,  were  born  in  Baden, 
Germany,  and  there  married.  Emigrating  to  the 
United  States,  they  settled  in  Pekin  in  1846,  where 
the  father  followed  his  trade  of  a  shoemaker  until 
failing  health  obliged  him  to  abandon  active  work. 
Afterward  he  and  his  wife  kept  a  boarding  house 
until  his  death,  in  1874;  she  passed  away  the  fol- 
lowing year. 

The  judgment  of  Mr.  Kelch  concurs  in  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Democratic  party,  which  he  therefore 
supports  on  all  occasions.  In  the  spring  of  1887, 
he  was  nominated  and  elected  School  Director,  and 
three  years  later  was  re-elected,  serving  until  1893. 
For  a  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  Visiting  and 
Building  Committee,  and  was  serving  on  the  Build- 
ing and  Finance  Committee  when  the  present  high 
school  building  was  erected.  About  the  same  time 
an  addition  was  erected  to  the  Douglas  and  Lin- 


272 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL,   RECORD. 


coin  schools.  In  1890  he  was  President  of  the 
School  Board.  To  his  judgment  and  excellent  man- 
agement is  largely  due  the  fact  that  Pekin  now  has 
one  of  the  finest  schoolhouses  in  the  state.  Soci- 
ally, he  is  identified  with  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows.  In  religious  views  he  is  identified 
witli  the  First  Reformed  Church,  of  which  he  is 
Deacon.  He  is  prominently  connected  with  the 
Carpenters'  Union.  A  practical  builder,  he  is 
thoroughly  competent  to  take  charge  of  work,  and 
being  a  man  of  honor  his  business  is  conducted  in 
a  reliable  and  straightforward  manner,  and  his 
word  may  be  relied  upon  in  matters  pertaining  to 
it.  In  his  domestic  relations  he  is  kindly  and  con- 
siderate, in  society  a  pleasing  companion,  and  in 
all  his  dealings  with  mankind  both  just  and  gen- 
erous. 


ISS  JOSEPHINE  GOODHEART,  at  pres- 
ent Principal  of  the  high  school  at  Pekin, 
was  born  in  Pekin,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
John  Goodheart,  who  was  a  native  of  Mc- 
Lean County,  111.  Her  grandfather.  Rev.  William 
Goodheart,  and  his  wife  were  natives  of  Ger- 
many. He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  Methodist  min- 
isters of  Illinois  and  located  in  McLean  County. 
His  old  farm  is  now  the  site  of  a  fine  park  in 
Bloomington. 

John  Goodheart  was  reared  on  the  old  home- 
stead, served  in  the  Mexican  War  and  took  part 
in  the  battles  of  Buena  Vista  and  Vera  Cruz. 
When  a  young  man  he  came  to  Pekin,  where  he 
engaged  in  pork-packing  until  1860.  In  that  year 
he  embarked  in  the  same  business  in  Havana,  111., 
but  when  Ft.  Sumter  was  fired  upon  he  immedi- 
ately enlisted  for  the  war  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany C,  Second  Illinois  Cavalry.  He  was  made 
Sergeant,  and  by  meritorious  conduct  rose  to  the 
rank  of  Second  Lieutenant.  He  participated  in 
the  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Ft.  Donelson, 
Island  No.  10  and  Ft.  Henry,  and  while  crossing 
the  ferry  at  Hickman,  Ky.,  was  shot  and  killed, 
August  11,  1862.  His  remains  were  then  brought 
back  to  Pekin  and  interred  in  the  cemetery  at  this 
place.  In  politics  he  was  a  stalwart  Democrat, 


and  was  ever  fearless  in  the  support  of  his  views 
on  any  question. 

On  the  24th  of  January,  1859,  Mr.  Goodheart 
married  Miss  Sarah  C.  Shober,  a  native  of  Zanes- 
ville,  Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of 
Henry  Shober,  who  was  born  in  Germany  and  who 
became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  Buckeye 
State,  where  he  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe  bus- 
iness. He  served  in  the  War  of  1812,  came  to 
Pekin  in  1837  and  was  in  the  Black  Hawk  War. 
Here  he  followed  fruit  farming  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  about  1840.  His  wife,  who  lx>re 
the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Roach,  was  born  in 
Baltimore,  Md.,  and  died  in  Pekin.  Mrs.  Good- 
heart  went  to  the  south  in  November,  1861,  to  be 
near  her  husband,  and  remained  in  Cairo,  III.,  until 
April,  1862,  when  General  Grant  ordered  all 
women  to  return  home.  She  then  lived  in  Ha- 
vana from  the  1st  of  May  until  after  her  hus- 
band's death.  Some  time  later  she  became  the 
wife  of  Stephen  Roney,  a  native  of  Chester  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  and  an  early  settler  and  blacksmith  of  Ex- 
eter, 111.  Afterward  he  came  to  Pekin,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  hardware  and  agricultural  imple- 
ment business,  becoming  the  owner  of  the  largest 
store  of  the  kind  in  this  place.  During  the  last 
four  years  of  his  life  he  lived  retired,  and  passed 
away  in  1884,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine.  He 
served  as  Alderman  for  many  years,  was  also  School 
Director,  and  from  the  age  of  twenty-one  was  a 
member  of  the  Reformed  Church,  to  which  his 
widow  also  belongs.  In  politics  he  was  a  Demo- 
crat, and  was  a  prominent  Mason.  Mi»s  Good- 
heart,  of  this  sketch,  and  Mrs.  Kate  Woost,  of 
Tremont,  were  the  only  children  in  their  parents' 
family. 


PRANZ  LORENZ.     The  enterprising  sons  of 
the  Fatherland  have   penetrated  all   parts 
of  the  United  States  and   have   left  their 
ineffaceable  mark  as  the  sign-manual  of  industry, 
energy   and  a  perseverance    which  has  never  ad- 
mitted the  existence  of  any  such  word  as  "fail." 
They  have  brought  to  their  adopted  country  the 
steady  habits  that  were  transmitted  to  them  from  a 
substantial  ancestry  and   that  have  aided  them  in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


273 


arising  to  positions  of  prominence  in  the  industrial 
and  commercial  world. 

Among  the  residents  of  Pekin  who  have  been 
important  factors  in  the  development  of  the  busi- 
ness resources  of  the  city  may  be  mentioned  the 
name  of  Mr.  Lorenz,  a  native  of  German}',  but 
long  a  resident  of  the  United  States.  He  enjoys 
the  distinction  of  having  been  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness for  a  longer  period  than  any  other  grocer  at 
this  place,  and  the  success  which  has  rewarded  his 
efforts  is  well  deserved.  His  establishment  is  lo- 
cated at  No.  311  Court  Street.  The  building  is 
22x80  feet  in  dimensions,  and  contains  a  good 
basement.  Here  he  carries  a  full  line  of  general 
staple  and  fancy  groceries,  as  well  as  a  complete 
assortment  of  groceries. 

In  Kirchberg,  province  of  Koblentz,  Prussia,  the 
subject  of  this  notice  was  born  March  6, 1834.  He 
is  the  son  of  Frederick  Lorenz,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many and  a  book-binder  by  trade,  who  spent  his 
entire  life  in  the  land  of  his  birth  and  there  passed 
away.  He  and  his  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Sophia  Junker,  were  the  parents  of  three 
sons  and  five  daughters.  At  the  present  time  two 
sons  and  two  daughters  survive.  Of  these  the 
third  in  order  of  birth  is  Franz,  who  was  reared  to 
manhood  in  Prussia,  receiving  in  his  boyhood  the 
advantages  of  the  excellent  schools  of  his  province. 
At  the  age  of  fourteen,  his  schooling  ceased,  and 
he  thereafter  assisted  his  father  until  twenty  years 
old,  when  he  entered  the  Prussian  army.  He  re- 
mained at  Vetzlar  as  a  private  for  three  years,  and 
at  the  expiration  of  his  period  of  service,  left  his 
native  country. 

Taking  passage  on  a  sailing-vessel  at  Antwerp 
in  1857,  Mr.  Lorenz  spent  forty-two  days  upon 
the  ocean  and  landed  in  New  York  City  after  an 
uneventful  voyage.  Thence  he  traveled  westward 
to  Peoria,  111.,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  set- 
tled in  Peoria  Township,  Peoria  County,  where 
he  worked  on  the  coal  banks  and  engaged  in  haul- 
ing the  coal  from  the  banks  to  the  river.  After 
one  year  thus  spent,  he  was  attacked  by  the  ma- 
larial fever,  from  which  he  suffered  for  nine 
months  or  more.  As  soon  as  he  had  recovered 
sufficiently,  he  went  to  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  where  he 
soon  secured  work.  In  1860  he  returned  to  Peo- 


ria Township  and  resumed  his  former  labor  of 
hauling  coal,  but  during  the  same  year  he  came  to 
Pekin  and  became  clerk  in  the  dry-goods  store  of 
his  brother-in-law,  Philip  Weyhrich. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Lorenz  enlisted  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  A,  Forty-fourth  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  joined  his  regiment  at  Bowling  Green,  Ky. 
Among  the  engagements  in  which  he  participated 
may  be  mentioned  the  following:  Murfreesboro, 
Chickamauga,  Lookout  Mountain,  Mission  Ridge, 
Resaca,  Dalton,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Peach  Tree 
Creek,  Snake  Creek,  Jonesboro  and  Atlanta.  From 
the  latter  city  the  regiment  was  sent  back  to  Ten- 
nessee in  pursuit  of  General  Hood,  and  under 
General  Thomas  our  subject  took  part  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Spring  Hill,  Franklin,  Nashville  and  Cum- 
berland Gap. 

During  the  entire  period  of  his  service,  Mr. 
Lorenz  was  fortunate  in  escaping  imprisonment  or 
injury,  and  his  most  serious  accident  was  that  of 
being  knocked  down  by  a  bomb.  So  close  did  the 
bullets  fly,  that  they  penetrated  his  coat  and  hat, 
but  glanced  aside,  thus  preventing  injury.  He  en- 
listed as  a  private,  and  when  discharged  was  serv- 
ing as  Corporal,  his  promotion  being  due  to  meri- 
torious service.  In  June,  1865,  he  was  mustered 
out  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  at  once  returned  to 
Pekin,  with  a  record  as  a  soldier  of  which  lie 
might  well  be  proud. 

Beginning  as  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  store,  Mr. 
Lorenz  has  since  engaged  in  that  business,  and  in 
J878  bought  out  a  stock  of  goods  and  embarked 
in  the  enterprise  for  himself.  Since  that  time  he 
has  gained  a  lucrative  and  constantly  increasing 
trade,  and  as  a  business  man- is  well  and  favorably 
known  among  the  people  of  Tazewell  County.  In 
this  city,  November  15,  1866,  Mr.  Lorenz  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Charlotte  Briede,  a 
native  of  Germany.  Of  the  children  born  to  them, 
three  are  now  living:  Rudolph,  who  is  a  clerk  for 
his  father,  Minnie  and  Edward. 

A  Democrat  in  politics,  Mr.  Lorenz  served  as 
Tax  Collector  for  one  year,  and  has  occupied  other 
local  positions.  Socially  he  is  identified  with  the 
Joe  Hannah  Post  No.  116,  G.  A.  R.,  the  German 
Workmen's  Society,  of  which  he  was  for  three 
years  Treasurer,  the  German  Mutual  Aid  of  Chi- 


274 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


cago,  and  the  Independent  Mutual  Aid  of  Illinois. 
In  his  religious  connections  he  is  a  member  of  the 
German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


W.  HARMEL,  President  and  Treasurer  of 
the  Pckin  Milling  Company  of  Pekin,  111., 
was  born  on  the  22d  of  September,  1861,  in 
I'  Lansing,  Allamakee  County,  Iowa.  His  fa- 
ther, Rev.  Louis  Harmel,  was  a  native  of  Prussia, 
and  in  that  country  married  Matilda  Franz.  Soon 
afterward  they  came  to  the  New  World,  and  the 
father  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  threshing 
machines  in  Battle  Creek,  Mich.  In  his  native  land 
he  had  been  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
but  after  coming  to  America  joined  the  Methodist 
Church  and  entered  the  ministry.  He  preached  in 
Iowa  City  and  Muscatine  (Iowa),  St.  Joseph  (Mo.), 
Mascoutah,  Alton,  Pekin  and  Peoria  (111.),  and  is 
now  pastor  of  the  church  of  his  denomination  in 
the  last  named  city.  In  all  his  work  he  is  ably  as- 
sisted by  his  most  estimable  wife,  and  the  result  of 
their  labors  cannot  be  estimated.  This  worthy 
couple  had  six  children,  three  of  whom  are  yet 
living:  Paul  L.,  a  farmer  of  Christian  County,  Mo.; 
Mrs.  Anna  Sleeter,  of  Boody,  111.;  and  J.  W.,  of 
this  sketch. 

Our  subject  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
various  removals  and  was  educated  in  McKendree 
College,  at  Lebanon.  He  was  apprenticed  to  the 
miller's  trade  in  Ilalstead,  Kan.  Before  his  term 
of  service  had  expired  he  had  become  head  miller, 
and  the  capacity  of  the  mill  had  been  increased 
from  fifty  to  four  hundred  barrels.  Later,  in 
company  with  Messrs.  Warkentin  and  Barkeme3-er, 
they  organized  a  stock  company  known  as  the 
Newton  Milling  and  Elevator  Company;  a  mill 
was  purchased  in  Newton,  Kan.,  and  Mr.  Harmel 
was  placed  in  charge.  It  was  supplied  with  a  full 
roller  process  and  the  business  was  increased  from 
two  hundred  to  four  hundred  barrels  of  flour  per 
day.  But  the  climate  did  not  agree  with  him  and 
also  from  over  work  he  was  compelled  to  lay  aside 
business  cares  for  a  time.  He  then  spent  about 
four  months  in  his  father's  home  in  Boody,  111. 


In  October,  1888,  his  old  partners  wishing  to  es- 
tablish a  mill  in  Burton,  Kan.,  Mr.  Harmel  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  same  and  continued  in 
charge  for  some  time.  Business  was  carried  on 
under  the  name  of  the  Burton  Grain  and  Milling 
Company. 

In  1891  Mr.  Harmel  sold  his  interests  in  the 
mills  in  Newton  and  Burton.  Kan.,  and  in  Janu- 
ary, 1892,  came  to  Pekin,  where  in  February  he 
succeeded  in  establishing  the  Pekin  Milling  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  has  since  been  President  and 
Treasurer.  He  overlooks  the  management  of  the 
mill,  which  is  now  doing  a  good  business,  his  trade 
having  constantly  increased  from  the  beginning. 
Our  subject  is  a  practical  miller,  and  through  able 
management  he  has  won  success.  He  also  owns 
an  interest  in  farm  and  city  property. 

In  November,  1891,  Mr.  Harmel  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Theresa  Smith,  daughter  of 
Teis  and  Dena  F.  (Neef)  Smith.  She  was  born  in 
Pekin  and  was  educated  in  its  public  schools  and 
in  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa.  A  daughter  graces  their 
union,  Sieverdena  M.  L.  Socially,  Mr.  Harmel 
is  connected  with  the  Woodmen's  society  and 
with  the  National  Uqion,and  held  membership 
with  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Burton,  Kan. 
He  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity 
and  has  won  the  confidence  and  high  regard  of 
all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations  have 
brought  him  in  contact. 


EWIS  H.  BURNS.     There  are  few  men   of 

the  present  day  more  successful  or  more 
worthy  of  honorable  mention  than  the  sub- 
ject of  the  present  sketch,  who  is  one  of  the 
wealthiest  agriculturists  of  Tazewell  County.  A 
record  of  his  life  fully  illustrates  what  may  be  ac- 
complished by  will  and  perseverance,  for  through 
his  own  efforts  he  has  became  a  leading  farmer  in 
his  community  and  is  well  and  favorably  known 
throughout  the  county. 

A  native  of  Maryland,  our  subject  was  born  in 
Manchester,  Carroll  County,  March  17,  1827,  and 
is  a  son  of  John  Burns,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Baltimore,  that  state,  in  1805.  The  latter  was  a 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


277 


carpenter,  which  trade  he  followed  in  connec- 
tion with  tavern-keeping,  having  a  good  building, 
located  on  the  Western  turnpike,  at  Fmksburg. 
Finally  coming  west  to  Green  Valley,  this  county, 
in  1863  he  purchased  a  farm  adjacent  to  that 
place,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  in  1873. 

The  maiden  name  of  our  subject's  mother  was 
Mary  Magdaline  Leister.  She  was  also  born 
in  Carroll  County,  Md.,  in  1806,  and  coming  west 
witli  her  husband,  made  her  home  on  the  farm  un- 
til she  too  departed  this  life,  that  event  occurring 
in  1885.  Grandfather  John  Burns  was  a  native 
of  Manchester,  Md.,  but  his  father  was  born  on 
the  ocean  while  his  parents  were  en  route  from 
Scotland  to  this  country. 

The  parental  family  included  nine  children,  of 
whom  Lewis  II.  was  the  eldest.  Elizabeth  is  the 
widow  of  Thomas  J.  Lockard,  who  died  in  Green 
Valley  in  1893;  she  is  now  living  in  Pekin. 
Israel  B.,  the  third  child,  died  when  four  years  of 
age;  Abraham  B.  lives  at  Elkhart,  this  state,  and  is 
engaged  in  farming  near  that  cit}1;  Catherine  B. 
was  the  wife  of  Jabez  Lcppoand  resided  in  Farmer 
City  until  her  decease,  in  1887;  John  married  Miss 
Ellen  Wilson  and  is  cultivating  a  farm  in  Sand 
Prairie  Township;  Mary  B.  is  the  wife  of  William 
Magee,  a  retired  farmer  living  in  the  city  of  Pekin; 
George,  who  married  Miss  Belle  Sleath,  makes  his 
home  in  Malone  Township;  and  Nicholas  died 
when  six  years  of  age. 

Our  subject  spent  his  early  life  on  his  father's 
farm,  alternating  the  duties  of  a  farmer  boy  with 
attendance  at  the  district  school.  One  year  prior 
to  attaining  his  majority  he  learned  the  miller's 
trade,  which  he  followed  for  many  years  in  his  na- 
tive state.  In  1854  he  came  on  a  prospecting 
tour  to  this  state  and  county,  and  returning  to 
Maryland,  stayed  there  until  the  following  Oc- 
tober, when  he  again  came  to  the  Prairie  State, 
making  his  residence  here  for  two  years.  At  the 
expiration  of  that  time,  as  he  had  an  important  en- 
gagement to  fulfill  in  the  east,  he  returned  to 
Maryland,  and  February  12,  1857,  was  married  to 
Miss  Julia  Ilildebrant.  The  young  couple  im- 
mediately came  to  their  western  home  and  located 
upon  a  farm  which  our  subject  had  purchased  in 
Sand  Prairie  Township,  which  is  a  quarter  of  a 
5 


mile  distant  from  his  present  fine  estate.  Mr. 
Burns  being  possessed  of  marked  enterprise  and 
much  ability,  soon  put  up  the  needful  structures, 
and  as  his  means  would  allow,  placed  upon  the 
farm  the  latest  improvements  in  the  way  of 
machinery,  and  has  continued  to  reside  here  for 
the  past  forty  years. 

Of  the  six  children  born  to  our  subject  and  his 
wife  we  make  the  following  mention:  Thomas 
Jefferson  was  born  in  1857  and  died  in  August, 
1879;  John  Jacob  was  born  December  13,  1860, 
and  is  living  at  Carthage,  S.  Dak.;  he  was  married 
in  1880  to  Miss  Laura  Watts.  Sarah  A.,  the  third 
member  of  the  family,  is  the  wife  of  William  L. 
Woodrow,  of  Green  Valley;  Lewis  N.,  who  was 
born  January  16,  1866,  married  Miss  Flora  Bethard 
in  1887,  and  is  living  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.;  George  Z., 
who  was  born  in  May,  1868,  died  November  16 
of  that  year;  and  William  II.,  born  October  29, 
1872,  lives  with  his  parents  on  the  home  farm. 

Mr.  Burns  is  numbered  among  the  most  success- 
ful agriculturists  of  Tazewell  County  and  has 
many  friends,  who  recognize  the  nobilit3'  of  his 
character  and  realize  that  he  is  worthy  of  being 
held  in  the  highest  possible  esteem.  Besides  his 
estate  in  Sand  Prairie  Township  he  is  the  possessor 
of  a  valuable  farm  in  Trego  County,  Kan.  With 
his  wife  he  is  a  devoted  member  of  the  Methodist- 
Episcopal  Church,  and  they  both  possess  many 
Christian  virtues.  Our  subject  has  been  a  life- 
long Democrat  and  always  votes  that  ticket  on 
national  issues. 


S  VEKETT  W.  WILSON,  Mayor  of  Pekin,  is 
one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  deservedly 

_ successful  of  the  many  eminent  gentlemen 
who  devote  their  time  and  energies  to  the  material 
advancement  of  the  best  interests  of  the  city.  He 
is  also  President  of  the  American  Distilling  Com- 
pany, and  holds  the  same  position  in  the  German- 
American  National  Bank  of  Pekin. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Peoria  in  1861,  and  is 
the  son  of  John  Wilson,  whose  sketch  the  reader 
will  find  in  that  of  his  brother,  Charles  L.  Wilson. 
Our  subject  came  to  Pekin  in  the  year  1879  and 


278 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


accepted  a  position  as  bookkeeper  in  the  Hamburg 
Distilling  Company.  A  year  later  he  was  made 
its  manager,  and  remained  in  that  capacity  until 
the  distillery  was  sold  in  1888. 

In  the  spring  of  1893  Mr.  Wilson  was  one  of  the 
incorporators  of  the  American  Distilling  Company, 
which  has  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000,  and  which 
was  ready  for  business  in  the  fall  of  that  year. 
The  buildings  of  the  plant  cover  about  six  acres 
of  land,  aud  the  distillery  has  a  capacity  of  four 
thousand  bushels  of  grain  per  day.  As  before 
stated,  our  subject  is  also  President  of  the  German- 
American  National  Bank,  which  was  organized  in 
1887  with  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000.  It  is  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  reliable  institutions  in  this 
part  of  the  state,  and  is  doing  an  extensive  busi- 
ness among  the  business  men  and  farmers  of  the 
county. 

From  1887  to  1893,  Mr.  Wilson  served  as  Alder- 
man of  the  First  Ward  on  the  Republican  ticket, 
and  in  the  spring  of  the  latter  year  was  elected 
Mayor  of  the  city,  assuming  the  duties  of  that  re- 
sponsible position  May  1.  The  lady  whom  he 
married  in  1885  was  Miss  Anna,  daughter  of 
David  Wandschneider,  and  to  them  were  born  two 
sons,  John  and  Everett  R.  Socially,  our  subject  is 
a  Modern  Woodman,  in  which  society  he  is  quite 
prominent  and  takes  great  interest.  He  is  one  of 
the  most  popular  and  highly  esteemed  men  of  the 
county.  He  and  his  family  occupy  a  model  home, 
which  'was  completed  in  1889,  and  which  is  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  in  the  citv. 


^fp^l  DWARD  O'BRIEN,  who  is  an  efficient  and 
popular  passenger  engineer  on  the  Santa 
Fe  Railroad,  was  born  in  Dixon,  Van  Wert 
County,  Ohio,  February  28,  1861.  He  is  the  son 
of  Michael  O'Brien,  a  native  of  Cork,  Ireland, 
who,  emigrating  to  America  in  early  manhood,  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  bookkeeper  in  the  office  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railway  Company.  In  1874  he  re- 
moved west  to  Indianapolis,  whence  in  September, 
1888,  he  went  to  Chillicothe,  111.,  and  secured  a 
position  in  the  railroad  shops  there.  In  March, 
1893,  he  came  to  Pekin,  where  he  still  makes  his 


home.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Margaret  Welch,  was  born  in  Ireland  and  died  in 
Dixon,  Ohio. 

In  the  parental  family  are  two  sons  and  two 
daughters.  Edward,  who  is  next  to  the  eldest, 
was  reared  in  Dixon,  Ohio,  and  in  Indianapolis, 
Ind.,  and  received  ordinary  common-school  ad- 
vantages. At  the  age  of  seventeen  lie  began  to 
work  in  the  shops  of  the  '-Pan  Handle,"  where  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  machinist.  For  two  years 
he  was  foreman  on  that  road  between  Indianapolis 
and  Columbus,  Ohio.  In  the  fall  of  1881  he  be- 
came engineer  on  the  same  road  between  these  two 
cities,  and  continued  thus  engaged  until  1886. 

On  January  2  of  the  above-named  year,  Mr. 
O'Brien  went  to  Topeka,  Kan.,  where  he  secured  a 
position  as  freight  engineer  between  Topeka  and 
Kansas  City,  and  later  from  Topeka  to  Argentine. 
Later  removing  to  P't.  Madison,  Iowa,  he  became 
an  engineer  on  the  Santa  Fe  between  that  city  and 
Chicago.  On  the  2d  of.  September,  1890,  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Pekin  branch  for  the  passenger 
run  between  Chicago  and  Pekin,  and  in  that  capa- 
city he  has  since  been  engaged,  making  runs  daily 
except  Sunday.  The  distance  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty-eight  miles  is  covered  in  five  hours  and  forty- 
five  minutes  with  an  "eight-wheeler,"  and  during 
the  entire  period  of  Mr.  O'Brien's  connection  with 
the  road  he  has  never  had  an  accident. 

At  Bradford,  Ohio,  March  27, 1882,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Edward  O'Brien  and  Miss  Mary  Mc- 
Carty,  the  latter  being  a  native  of  the  city  in 
which  her  wedding  was  solemnized.  Four  chil- 
dren have  blessed  the  union,  named  as  follows: 
Katie,  Michael,  Margaret  and  Edward.  They  are 
bright  and  intelligent,  and  will  receive  the  best 
educational  advantages  the  city  of  Pekin  affords. 
Mr.  O'Brien  has  a  brother  who  is  a  locomotive  en- 
gineer on  the  branch  road  at  Ft.  Madison,  and  the 
entire  family  has  been  well  known  in  railroad  cir- 
cles for  many  years.  T 

While  Mr.  O'Brien  is  able  to  spend  but  little  of 
his  time  in  Pekin,  he  is  highly  respected  by  those 
who  have  made  his  acquaintance, and  ranks  among 
the  public-spirited  citizens  of  the  town.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Pekin  Loan  and  Homestead  Asso- 
ciation and  owns  a  comfortable  residence  on  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


279 


corner  of  Third  and  Caroline  Streets,  in  addition  to 
valuable  property  in  Cliillicothe,  this  state.  His 
wife  is  an  amiable  and  estimable  lady,  who  lias  a 
wide  circle  of  friends  in  this  city. 


-AGIN,  foreman  of  the  hominy 
<——!  mills  at  Pekin  and  widely  known  as  the 
inventor  of  several  useful  devices,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky,  having  been  born  in  Union 
County,  January  8,  1846.  The  family  was  prom- 
inent in  Virginia  for  several  generations,  and  in 
the  Old  Dominion  our  subject's  grandfather,  James 
Agin,  was  born  and  reared.  Thence  in  an  early 
day  he  emigrated  to  Kentucky,  becoming  a  pioneer 
of  the  Blue  Grass  State,  where  lie  continued  to  re- 
side until  his  death. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  David  Agin,  was  born 
in  Union  Count\-,  Ky.,  in  1821,  and  followed  the 
trades  of  a  shoemaker,  blacksmith,  carpenter  and 
wagonmaker.  In  1849  he  removed  to  Indiana 
and  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Terre  Haute,  where 
he  followed  these  various  trades.  After  a  short 
sojourn  in  Chicago  he  came  to  Pekin,  in  1887,  and 
now  makes  his  home  with  his  son  George.  At  pres- 
ent he  is  employed  as  night  watchman  in  the 
hominy  mills.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Nancy  Overpeck,  was  born  in  Kentucky  of  Ger- 
man ancestry,  and  died  in  Indiana. 

In  the  parental  farmily  there  were  six  children, 
but  only  two  are  now  living.  The  eldest  of  the 
six  is  George,  who  was  reared  in  Vigo  County, 
Ind.,  three  miles  north  of  Terre  Haute,  his  boy- 
hood days  being  passed  on  his  father's  farm.  For 
a  time  he  was  a  pupil  in  the  subscription  schools 
of  the  neighborhood,  but  afterward  conducted  his 
studies  in  the  free  schools.  When  sixteen  he  com- 
menced to  work  in  a  factory,  where  he  remained 
for  several  years,  being  promoted  from  fireman  to 
engineer.  For  eight  years  he  operated  the  sawmill 
owned  by  T.  B.  Johns,  and  in  1877  accepted  the 
position  of  engineer  in  the  hominy  mill  at  Terre 
Haute,  remaining  there  for  four  years.  After 
three  months  spent  in  Mt.  Vernon  as  engineer, 
Mr.  Agin  came  to  Pekin  for  the  purpose  of  re- 


modeling the  engine  department  in  the  mills,  and 
was  later  placed  in  charge  of  the  mills. 

In  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  March  30,  1880,  Mr.  Agin 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lua  Grosvenor, 
a  native  of  that  city.  Her  father,  Augustine 
Grosvenor,  was  born  in  Ohio  and  educated  in 
Streator,  111.;  he  resided  for  some  years  in  Indi- 
ana, where  his  death  occurred.  He  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Mexican  War,  and  by  occupation  he  was  a 
painter  and  contractor.  His  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Catherine  Hudnut,  was  born  in  Coving- 
ton,  Ky.,  and  was  a  sister  of  the  late  Theodore 
Hudnut,  proprietor  of  the  mills  and  elevator.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Agin  are  the  parents  of  two  children, 
Wallace  M.  and  Le  Roy. 

In  his  business  transactions  Mr.  Agin  is  reliable, 
energetic  and  capable,  and  lifts  worthily  won  the 
high  regard  in  which  he  is  held.  A  Democrat  in 
politics,  he  has  been  prominent  in  local  affairs  and 
is  especially  interested  in  school  affairs.  From 
1889  until  1892  he  was  a  member  of  the  School 
Hoard,  during  which  time  the  high  school  build- 
ing was  erected,  and  for  one  year  he  was  Chairman 
of  the  Building  Committee.  Socially  he  is  identi- 
fied with  the  Mystic  Circle,  K.  O.  T.  M. 


EDWIN  FORRECT  LAMPITT  traces  his 
ancestry  back  to  the  nobility  of  England, 
where  his  father,  Capt.  Edwin  D.  Lampitt, 
was  born.  The  latter  came  to  America  with  his 
mother  when  only  four  years  of  age  and  with  her 
located  in  New  York  City,  whence  they  came  to 
Pekin.  Here  the  father  learned  the  trade  of  a 
machinist,  at  which  he  worked  until  his  decease,  in 
1877,  when  forty  years  of  age.  His  wife,  Helen 
(Ilabberneld)  Lampitt,  was  born  in  New  York  City 
and  was  the  daughter  of  Fred  Habberfieid,  a  na- 
tive of  England.  He  was  an  early  settler  of  Pe- 
kin, and  during  the  late  war  served  as  a  soldier  in 
a  company  of  Illinois  infantry.  He  departed  this 
life  in  1865.  The  father  of  our  subject  also 
fought  during  the  Rebellion,  enlisting  as  a  private 
in  Company  F,  Eighty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry.  He 
was  later  promoted  to  be  Captain  of  his  company 


280 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  served  as  such  until  1864,  when  he  resigned 
and  came  home. 

Of  the  three  children  comprised  in  the  parental 
family,  one  is  deceased.  Herbert  is  a  brick  mason 
of  this  city,  and  our  subject  is  a  contractor  and 
stone  mason  of  some  prominence  in  Pekin.  His 
father  dying  when  lie  was  a  lad  of  ten  years,  Ed- 
win  F.  was  obliged  to  begin  to  earn  his  own  liv- 
-ing,  and  was  variously  employed  until  reaching  his 
fourteenth  year,  when  he  apprenticed  himself  to 
learn  the  trade  of  a  brick  mason.  After  working 
under  instructors  for  three  years  he  went  to  Peo- 
ria,  where  he  was  employed  for  a  twelvemonth. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  returned  to  Pe- 
kin, where  lie  has  since  been  carrying  on  a  success- 
ful business  as  contractor  and  mason. 

Mr.  Lampitt  was-  married  in  Peoria  in  1886  to 
Miss  Fannie  Geer,  who  was  born  in  Kansas  in 
1865.  To  them  has  been  born  a  son,  Edwin  A. 
In  social  affairs  our  subject  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and 
Knight  of  the  Maccabees,  and  in  politics  never 
fails  to  cast  a  Democratic  vote.  He  commands 
and  deserves  the  respect  of  the  entire  community 
and  is  a  man  who  would  be  sadly  missed  should 
he  remove  from  this  locality. 


(eT 


EWIS  TARBELL.  Among  the  represen- 
tative and  esteemed  citizens  of  Tazewell 
County,  there  is  probably  no  one  more  de- 
serving of  mention  than  Mr.  Tarbell,  whose  resi- 
dence within  its  borders  has  extended  over  many 
years.  He  has  been  very  successful  as  an  agri- 
culturist, and  is  now  living  retired  in  the  village 
of  Morton,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  early  toil. 

A  native  of  New  York,  our  subject  was  born  in 
Chenango  County,  October  1,  1828,  and  is  the  son 
of  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  (Lamb)  Tarbell.  The 
paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were  natives 
of  Vermont,  whence  the  former  emigrated  to  Che- 
nango County,  N.  Y.,  when  Jonathan  Tarbell  was 
quite  j-oung.  They  were  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  were  highly  respected  in  their  com- 


munity. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jonathan  Tarbell  were  mar- 
ried in  New  Hampshire,  of  which  state  the  mother 
was  a  native.  They  came  to  Illinois  in  1838,  stop- 
ping for  about  nine  months  in  Bloomington.  and 
then  came  to  this  county,  where  the  father  pur- 
chased and  farmed  a  small  tract  of  land.  The 
journey  to  this  state  was  made  witli  two  wagons, 
in  which  were  stored  all  their  earthly  effects.  The 
family  consisted  of  six  children,  those  besides  our 
subject  being  Horace,  a  very  wealthy,  retired 
farmer  of  Peoria,  where  also  Isaac  is  living  in  re- 
tirement; Abigail,  the  widow  of  Henry  Burhans, 
of  Groveland;  Eliza,  who  died  when  young;  and 
Jane,  Mrs.  Samuel  Berry,  who  is  also  deceased.  The 
father  of  these  children  departed  this  life  when 
fifty-five  years  of  age,  and  fifteen  years  later  was 
followed  to  the  better  land  by  his  good  wife. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
of  New  York  and  Illinois,  and  remained  with  his 
mother  until  reaching  his  twentj'-fifth  year,  when 
he  established  a  home  of  his  own  and  was  married 
to  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Cyrus  and  Margaret 
(Cooper)  Akers.  She  was  born  in  Brown  Coun- 
tjr,  Ohio,  in  1836,  while  her  parents  were  natives 
respectively  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania,  and 
came  to  this  state  in  1834. 

Of  the  seven  children  born  to  our  subject  and 
his  wife,  we  make  the  following  mention:  Charles 
married  Ann  Orendorff,  and  is  engaged  in  the 
stock  business  in  Delavan;  Horace,  who  is  a  farmer 
in  North  Dakota,  married  Mary  Cross  in;  Ida  be- 
came the  wife  of  Robert  Goodyear,  and  makes  her 
home  in  McLean  County,  this  state;  Clarence,  who 
married  Isabel  Ferrier,  is  deceased;  Edith  is  the 
wife  of  Lyman  Stinyard,  and  makes  her  home  in 
Peoria;  and  Henry  and  Alice  are  deceased. 

Prior  to  his  marriage,  our  subject  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Morton  Township,  which 
he  cultivated  in  such  a  profitable  manner  that  he 
was  enabled  to  retire  from  active  work,  and  five 
years  ago  moved  into  the  village.  At  that  time  he 
sold  his  estate  and  now  owns  a  quarter-section  in 
Thayer  County,  Neb.,  besides  valuable  town  prop- 
erty. With  his  wife  he  is  a  prominent  and  active 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church,  although 
he  was  reared  a  Methodist.  In  politics  lie  is  a 
true-blue  Republican,  and  has  always  been  found 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


281 


ready  to  aid  in  any  movement  which  seemed  to 
promise  well  for  his  neighborhood,  and  he  has 
made  a  favorable  impression  upon  all  with  whom 
he  lias  come  in  contact. 

ACOB  COIIENOUR,  a  veteran  of  the  late 
war,  is  now  serving  as  engineer  of  the 
hominy  mill  of  Pekin,  and  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  this  place  since  September  1,  1843. 
He  was  born  in  Zanesville,  Ohio,  on  the  14th  of 
June  previous.  His  father,  Jacob  Cohenour,  was 
a  native  of  Virginia,  and  became  a  farmer  of 
Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  whence  he  removed 
with  his  family  to  Illinois.  Purchasing  land  on 
Sand  Prairie,  he  there  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits for  a  number  of  years,  but  his  last  days  were 
spent  in  retirement  in  Pekin,  where  he  died  at  the 
age  of  seventy-three.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mary  Woods,  and  who  was  a  native 
of  Ohio,  passed  away  in  1846.  They  had  twelve 
children,  six  sons  and  six  daughters,  and  with  the 
exception  of  one,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen, 
all  grew  to  mature  years.  Five  sons  and  four 
daughters  are  yet  living.  William  served  in  the 
Union  army  for  three  years  and  four  months,  and 
Robert  was  in  the  same  company  for  nine  months. 
Jacob  Cohenour  is  the  youngest  of  his  father's 
family.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  in  1856 
went  to  Jackson  County,  Iowa,  where  he  worked 
as  a  farm  hand  for  about  three  years,  after  which 
he  returned  home.  In  1861,  he  responded  to  the 
country's  call  for  troops,  becoming  a  member  of 
the  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  but  at  Cairo,  111.,  was 
taken  sick  and  came  home.  In  August,  1861,  he 
again  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  E,  Forty- 
seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  and  participated  in  the 
sieges  of  Island  No.  10  and  Corinth.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1863,  on  account  of  physical  disability,  he  was 
mustered  out;  he  then  returned  to  Jackson  County, 
Iowa,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  on  rented  land 
until  1864,  when  he  returned  to  Pekin.  He  was 
then  variously  employed  in  the  town  until  1870, 
when  he  began  work  in  the  Peona,  Pekin  &  Jack- 
sonville shops.  He  then  became  lireman  on  the  road, 
and  in  1874  was  made  engineer,  thus  serving  until 


1883,  when  he  became  engineer  of  the  City  Mills, 
which  position  he  filled  until  the  fall  of  1890. 
In  February,  1891,  he  became  engineer  of  the 
hominy  mills,  and  now  has  charge  of  two  engines, 
one  of  sixty  and  the  other  of  eighty  horse  power, 
together  with  three  boilers  of  forty  horse  power 
each. 

Mr.  Cohenour  was  married  in  Mt.  Carroll,  III.,  in 
1864,  to  Miss  Ariana  Doty,  who  was  born  in  In- 
gersoll,  Canada.  She  died  leaving  two  children, 
one  of  whom,  Edwin,  makes  his  home  in  Pekin. 
For  his  second  wife  our  subject  chose  Susan  Angus, 
a  native  of  Schuyler  County,  Pa.,  who  died  in 
1882.  For  his  third  wife  he  married  Diantha  Otto, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio;  she  was  called  to  her  final 
rest  in  January,  1893. 

Mr.  Cohenour  is  a  member  of  the  Pekin  Loan 
and  Homestead  Association,  and  from  the  spring 
of  1888  to  1893  was  a  member  of  the  School 
Board,  during  which  time  he  served  as  its  Secre- 
tary for  three  years.  He  was  Chairman  of  the 
Printing  and  Supply  Committee  for  five  years,  of 
the  Building  Committee  for  one  year,  and  of  the 
Finance  Committee  for  one  year.  He  was  on 
the  Board  when  the  high  school  building  was 
erected  and  when  the  addition  was  made  to  the 
Dougjas  school,  and  purchased  the  seats  and  desks 
for  the  former.  He  belongs  to  Empire  Lodge 
No.  126,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.,  to  the  Royal  Arch  chap- 
ter, of  which  he  has  served  as  Scribe;  and  is  a 
charter  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Red 
Men.  He  is  now  Great  Sachem  of  thecount}',  and 
has  several  times  been  a  delegate.  The  Democracy 
finds  in  him  a  stanch  supporter,  ever  ready  to  ad- 
vance its  interests.  Mr.  Cohenouv  is  a  pleasant, 
genial  gentleman  and  has  many  friends  in  the 
community. 


McFALL,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
blacksmith  business  in  Lilly,  was  born  on  the 
4th  of  June,  1822,  in  Brownsville,  Fayette 
County,  Pa.  His  great-grandparents  were 
natives  of  Ireland,  but  the  family  was  of  Scotch 
origin;  however,  its  representatives  had  lived  on 
the  Emerald  Isle  for  one  hundred  years  before 


•2X2 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


coming  to  America.  Their  emigration  to  the  New 
World  occurred  during  Colonial  days.  The  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  Charles  McFall,  was  born  in 
Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  and  was  a  blacksmith 
by  trade,  but  in  his  later  years  followed  farming. 
He  reared  a  large  family  and  all  lived  to  an  ad- 
vanced age.  His  death  occurred  in  Fayette 
County,  at  the  age  of  eightv-six.  lie  was  twice 
married  and  outlived  his  second  wife. 

Charles  McFall,  Jr.,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  and  reared  in  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.; 
acquired  a  fair  education,  and  by  his  extensive 
reading  became  a  well  informed  man,  who  was  not 
only  posted  on  the  topics  of  the  day,  but  was  also 
very  familiar  with  ancient  history.  For  years  he 
was  a  leading  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  served  as  Class-leader.  In  Fayette 
County,  Pa.,  he  married  Jane,  daughter  of  Fred- 
erick ,1.  and  Esther  Cohenes.  Her  mother  was  of 
French  descent.  Her  father  was  a  weaver  by  trade 
and  had  lie  lived  three  days  longer  would  have 
been  one  hundred  years  of  age. 

Charles  McFall  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade 
and  carried  on  a  shop  in  Brownsville  until  1846, 
when  he  emigrated  to  Peoria,  111.,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  business  for  a  few  years.  He  then  pur- 
chased a  farm,  but  after  a  time  returned  to  Peoria, 
where  he  lived  retired  until  his  death,  in  1881,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  In  early  life  he 
was  a  Democrat,  but  after  the  war  became  a  Re- 
publican. His  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  forty. 
Their  family  numbered  eight  children:  Nancy, 
widow  of  William  Stone;  John;  William,  from 
whom  nothing  has  been  heard  since  he  started  for 
California  in  an  early  day;  Hugh  B.,  a  blacksmith 
of  Fulton  County,  111.;  Hannah,  who  became  the 
wife  of  James  Bunch,  but  is  now  deceased;  Mrs. 
Margaret  Albertson,  of  Kansas;  Elizabeth  A.,  de- 
ceased wife  of  William  League;  and  James  M., 
who  died  in  childhood.  After  the  death  of  his 
first  wife  the  father  of  this  family  married  Lydia 
Rigg,  and  to  them  were  born  five  children,  three 
of  whom  died  in  early  life.  Minnie,  who  is  de- 
ceased, was  the  wife  of  Henry  Green ;  and  Sarah  is 
living  in  Peoria. 

Mr.  McFall  of  this  sketch  attended  school  until 
seventeen  years  of  age,  prepared  himself  for  teach- 


ing and  received  a  certificate  but  never  followed 
the  profession.  lie  taught  vocal  music  in  differ- 
ent counties  in  Illinois  and  Pennsylvania  for 
many  years,  possessing  much  natural  talent  in  that 
line.  In  the  fall  of  1846  he  emigrated  to  Illinois. 
He  had  previously  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade 
with  his  father,  and  had  also  learned  the  trade  of 
manufacturing  edged  tools.  In  1848  he  established 
a  blacksmith  shop  in  Kickapoo,  Peoria  County,  car- 
rying on  business  there  three  years,  then  went  to 
Woodford  Count}',  where  he  operated  a  blacksmith 
shop  through  the  winter,  while  in  the  summer  he 
carried  on  a  brick  yard.  In  1859  lie  embarked  in 
the  same  lines  of  business  in  New  Castle,  and  was 
thus  employed  until  1872,  when  he  established  his 
smith}1  in  Lilly. 

When  twenty  years  of  age  Mr.  McFall  wedded 
Mary  Wagner,  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Lucretia 
Wagner.  They  became  the  parents  of  seven  chil- 
dren, but  four  died  in  early  life.  Those  still  liv- 
ing are:  Mary  E.,  wife  of  John  L.  Brock,  of  this 
county;  Ellen  L.,  wife  of  Charles  Demon t,  of  South 
West  City,  Mo.;  and  Jennie,  wife  of  John  Plank, 
of  Newton,  Kan. 

Since  coming  to  Lilly  Mr.  McFall  served  as  Post- 
master for  nine  months,  but  at  length  resigned  the 
office.  He  has  held  a  number  of  school  oflices,  and 
for  nineteen  years  has  served  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  proving  a  most  competent  officer,  as  is  in- 
dicated by  his  long  term.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  his  wife  belongs 
to  the  Christian  Church.  In  politics  he  is  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Democracy.  Faithful  to  every  trust 
reposed  in  him,  whether  public  or  private,  he  has 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  know  him, 
and  in  the  history  of  his  adopted  county  well  de- 
serves representation. 


ENRY  G.  WOOST,  who  resides  in  Tremont, 
is  engaged  in  business  as  a  dealer  in  wall 
paper,  paints  and  furniture,  under  the  firm 
name  of  H.  G.  Woost  &  Co.  He  was  born 
in  Pekin,  111.,  March  3,  1866,  and  is  the  fourth  in 
a  family  of  eleven  children,  seven  of  whom  are 
yet  living,  viz.:  Sophia,  widow  of  A.  Tliurman, 
of  Pekin;  William  H.,  of  Pekin;  Emma,  wife  of 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


283 


George  Flagg,  of  Peoria;  Louise,  Charles  O.  and 
Frank,  who  also  live  in  Pekin.  The  parents  of 
tliis  family  were  II.  W.  C.  and  Mary  (Koch)  AVoost. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Germany 
and  came  to  this  country  when  about  twenty-five 
years  of  age.  Continuing  his  journey  westward, 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  Pekin,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home.  He  is  a  tailor  by  trade,  and 
has  followed  that  business  throughout  his  entire 
life  as  a  means  of  livelihood.  He  is  still  engaged 
in  that  enterprise,  and  is  enjoying  a  liberal  pat- 
ronage. Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Mutual  Aid.  His  wife  was  also 
born  in  Germany,  and  when  a  child  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  America  with  her  parents.  She  mar- 
ried Mr.  Woost  in  Peoria,  and  since  that  time 
they  have  lived  in  Pekin.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, Henry  Woost,  died  in  Germany  at  the  age 
of  eighty-one. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  during  his  boyhood 
attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  started  out  in  life  for 
himself,  and  has  since  made  his  own  way  in  the 
world.  He  first  began  earning  his  own  liveli- 
hood as  a  painter,  and  followed  that  pursuit  in 
Pekin  for  two  years.  He  was  then  employed  for  one 
year  as  asistant  bookkeeper  in  the  wagon  factory 
of  the  T.  <fe  H.  Smith  Company,  and  later  learned 
the  machinist's  trade.  In  March,  1886,  he  left 
his  old  home  and  removed  to  Tremout.  He  se- 
cured a  position  as  Cashier  in  the  Tremont  Bank, 
where  he  continued  for  two  years,  when  with  the 
capital  he  had  acquired  he  embarked  in  business 
for  himself  as  a  dealer  in  wall  paper  and  paints. 
To-  the  sale  of  those  commodities  he  gave  his  atten- 
tion for  three  years,  and  was  alone  in  business 
until  March,  1891,  when  he  took  a  partner.  He 
also  opened  a  furniture  and  undertaking  estab- 
lishment in  connection  with  his  other  business. 
In  August,  1893,  James  Dean  bought  a  half-inter- 
est in  the  business,  which  is  now  conducted  under 
the  firm  name  of  H.  G.  Woost  <fe  Co.  In  Septem- 
ber their  store  was  burned  and  they  suffered  a 
heavy  loss,  but  a  commodious  brick  building  was 
at  once  erected  on  the  old  site  by  Mr.  Davis  and 
they  again  resumed  trade. 

In  September,  1889,  Mr.  Woost   was    united  in 


marriage  with  Kate  Goodhart,  who  was  a  music 
teacher  of  Pekin,  and  a  daughter  of  John  Good- 
hart,  of  that  place.  She  was  one  of  four  children, 
but  two  of  the  number  died  in  childhood.  Her 
sister  Josephine  is  now  Principal  of  the  Pekin 
High  School.  Her  father  served  in  the  Mexican 
War,  and  when  the  Rebellion  broke  out  he  became 
a  First  Lieutenant  in  the  Union  army,  and  was 
killed  while  fighting  for  his  country.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Woost  were  born  three  children:  Jo- 
sephine, Sophia  and  George. 

In  politics  Mr.  Woost  has  always  been  a  stal- 
wart Republican,  and  takes  a  deep  interest  in  the 
success  of  his  party.  He  belongs  to  Tremont  Lodge 
No.  462,  A.  F.  &  A.  M..  and  also  to  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows' society  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica. He  possesses  good  business  ability,  is  enter- 
prising and  progressive,  and  is  now  enjoying  a 
constantly  increasing  trade. 


ARL  F.  WINKLE,  Secretary  and  Manager 
Winkle  Brewing  Company,  of  Pekin, 
was  born  in  this  city  June  14,  1866.  His 
father,  August  Winkle,  was  born  in  Saxony,  Ger- 
many, and  is  a  butcher  by  trade.  When  a  young 
man  he  came  to  America  and  followed  the  butcher- 
ing business  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  in  St.  Louis. 
He  then  came  to  Pekin  and  engaged  in  the  same 
line  of  trade  on  Margaret  Street  until  1860,  when 
he  embarked  in  the  brewing  business.  He  began 
operations  in  a  frame  building,  but  in  1874  erected 
a  brick  brewery,  which  he  has  since  enlarged.  He 
is  now  President  and  Treasurer  of  the  company. 
After  coming  to  Pekin  he  married  Augusta  Neu- 
barth,  a  native  of  Saxony,  who  died  in  December, 
1887.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children, 
four  of  whom  are  yet  living:  August  and  Carl, 
who  are  now  connected  with  the  brewing  busi- 
ness; Martha,  at  home;  and  Mina,  now  Mrs.  Reul- 
ing,  of  Pekin. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  his  native  city,  at- 
tended its  public  schools,  and  later  completed  a 
course  in  Bryant  &  Stratum's  Business  College  of 
Chicago.  He  then  became  his  father's  bookkeeper, 


284 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  later  learned  the  business.  In  1888  he  went 
to  New  York  City  and  spent  four  months  in  a 
brewing  school  of  that  place,  after  which  we  find 
him  in  New  York  State,  where  he  worked  at  hib 
trade  until  1889.  In  that  year  he  returned  to 
Pekin,  and  in  March,  1890,  assumed  the  manage- 
ment of  the  brewery  owned  by  the  Winkle  Brew- 
ing Company.  The  business  was  incorporated  in 
May,  1890,  under  its  present  name,  with  August 
Winkle,  Sr.,  as  President  and  Treasurer;  and  Carl 
F.  Winkle  as  Secretary  and  Manager.  The  brew- 
ery is  located  on  the  Illinois  River  at  the  west 
end  of  Caroline  Street.  The  main  building  is 
55x55  feet,  and  there  are  two  ice  houses  and  store 
rooms.  The  machinery  is  run  by  engines  of 
thirty  horse  power,  and  the  boiler  has  a  capacity 
of  six  thousand  barrels  per  year.  Mr.  Winkle 
superintends  the  manufacture  of  the  beer  himself 
and  manufactures  his  own  malt. 

On  the  12th  of  October,  1892,  Mr.  Winkle  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna  Dietrich, 
daughter  of  L.  Dietrich,  proprietor  of  the  Union 
and  Central  Hotels  of  Pekin.  In  his  political  'View's- 
Mr.  Winkle  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  a  wide-awake 
and  enterprising  business  man. 


y.ILLIAM  V.  McKINSTRY,  of  Delavan,  is 
the  proprietor  of  the  Palace  of  Trade,  one 
W^i  of  the  most  extensive  furniture  and  hard- 
ware establishments  in  central  Illinois.  He  is  a 
native  of  Tazewell  County,  having  been  born  in 
Delavan  Township,  August  24,  1856.  The  family 
of  which  he  is  a  member  originated  in  Scotland, 
but  afterward  removed  to  the  North  of  Ireland, 
where  his  grandfather,  Thomas  McKinstry,  first 
opened  his  eyes  to  the  light.  So  far  back  as  the 
records  extend,  the  Presbyterian  Church  was  the 
religious  home  of  the  family. 

When  a  lad  of  six  years  Thomas  McKinstry  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  the  United  States  and 
settled  with  them  in  Bucks  County,  Pa.  He  had 
two  brothers,  William,  who  died  in  Pennsylvania, 
leaving  three  children;  and  John,  whose  death  oc- 
curred in  Ohio.  Grandfather  McKinstry  passed 
away  in  the  Keystone  State  in  1853.  His  wife, 


whose  maiden  name  was  Isabel  Huston,  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  of  Scotch  descent,  and  was  a  sis- 
ter of  the  father  of  ex-United  States  Treasurer 
James  Nelson  Huston,  who  for  a  considerable 
length  of  time  made  his  home  with  our  subject's 
father  in  Delavan.  Mrs.  Isabel  McKinstry  died 
about  1846. 

James  Huston  McKinstry,  our  subject's  father, 
was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  August  3,  1827, 
and  was  the  youngest  of  three  children  that  at- 
tained mature  years.  His  brother  John  came  to 
Illinois  and  engaged  in  farming  and  milling. 
Margaret,  the  only  sister,  married  J.  C.  Duncan, 
then  of  Pennsylvania,  but  now  a  wealthy  retired 
farmer  of  Delavan.  James  II.  spent  his  early  life 
on  the  farm  in  Franklin  County  and  was  educated 
in  Marshall  College.  In  1851  he  moved  west  to 
Indiana,  whence  the  following  year  he  came  to 
Delavan  Township,  Tazewell  County.  Here  he 
purchased  a  half-section  of  land,  which  he  still 
(>wn.s,  and  upon  which  he  has  been  extensively  en- 
'gaged-iji -.fawning  and  stock-raising.  For  several 
years  he  was  also  in  the  grain  and  mill  business. 
Since  1864  he  has  resided  on  an  eighty-acre  farm 
adjoining  the  city  of  Delavan.  He  has  filled  a 
number  of  local  offices  and  for  three  years  served 
as  Supervisor  of  Delavan  Township. 

In  1853  James  II.  McKinstry  married  Miss  Sarah 
J.  McDowell,  a  resident  of  Franklin  County,  Pa., 
and  of  Scotch  descent.  One  of  her  brothers,  James 
McDowell,  was  killed  by  sharpshooters  during  the 
Civil  War.  Mr.  McKinstry  was  one  of  the  original 
members  of  the  Presb3'terian  Church  of  Delavan, 
which  he  helped  to  organize..  Of  the  charter  mem- 
bers there  are  but  five  now  living,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McKinstry,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  C.  Duncan  and  Miss 
Sarah  Bell  Davidson.  In  the  building  up  of  the 
church  he  has  long  rendered  active  assistance,  be- 
ing an  Elder  for  the  past  ten  years,  and  has  also 
promoted  the  development  of  the  county  in  gen- 
eral. Through  his  influence  more  than  fifty  fami- 
lies have  come  hither  from  Pennsylvania.  In 
politics  he  was  formerly  a  Whig  and  has  been  a 
Republican  since  the  organization  of  the  party. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McKinstry  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  nine  children,  the  two  eldest  dying 
in  infancy.  W.  V.,  the  eldest  living,  is  the  subject 


LIBRARY 

or 

UNIVERSITY  Of 


HON.  H.  C.  BURNHAM. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


287 


of  this  notice;  Elizabeth  L.  is  the  wife  of  George 
A.  Worden,  of  Ottuniwa,  Iowa;  Marguerite  Alice 
died  in  1864;  Thomas  II.  died  when  twenty-two 
years  of  age;  Charlotte  J.  died  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen; James  T.  is  engaged  in  the  furniture  business 
at  Mason  City,  this  state;  Ella  May,  the  youngest, 
is  at  home  with  her  parents. 

In  the  schools  of  Delavan  Willim  V.  McKinstry 
received  his  education,  and  after  his  studies  were 
finished  he  clerked  in  a  drug  store  for  two  years. 
For  five  years  after  his  marriage  he  resided  upon 
a  farm  and  then  embarked  in  the  furniture  and 
hardware  business  at  Delavan.  More  than  ordinary 
success  has  met  his  efforts.  In  1889  he  erected  a 
large  double  two-story  brick  structure,  which  is 
occupied  by  his  extensive  stock,  which  is  one  of 
the  largest  in  the  state.  As  a  business  man  he  is 
progressive  and  popular,  reliable  in  his  transac- 
tions and  courteous  in  manner. 

A  Republican  in  politics  Mr.  McKinstry  has 
served  as  a  me.iiber  of  the  Central  Committee.  In 
religious  belief  he  is  a  Presbyterian.  His  social 
connections  are  with  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  in  which  he  has  passed  all  the  chairs, 
and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
lodge.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Minnie 
C.  Bryant,  and  was  born  in  VVatseka,  111.  Her  fa- 
ther, H.  C.  Bryant,  was  at  one  time  a  hardware 
merchant  in  Delavan.  The}"  are  the  parents  of  one 
child,  Helen  Bryant. 


1  UDGE  HENRY  C.  BURNHAM.  This  coun- 
ty is  the  home  of  quite  a  number  of  men 
who  were  thrown  upon  their  own  resources 
at  an  early  age,  and  whose  natural  aptness 
and  energy  were  developed  and  strengthened  by 
contact  with  the  world,  resulting  in  making  their 
lives  more  than  ordinarily  successful  in  worldly 
prosperity.  Among  this  number  is  Judge  Burn- 
ham,  who  has  not  only  attained  a  competency,  but 
has  won  an  honorable  record  on  the  Judicial  Bench 
and  as  a  private  citizen. 

Heredity  is  so  important  a  factor  in  life  that  it 
may  be  well  before  noting  the  chief  incidents  in 


the  career  of  our  subject  to  make  brief  mention  of 
the  family  history.  The  first  representatives  of 
the  Burn  ham  family  in  America  were  three  broth- 
ers, John,  Thomas  and  Robert,  who  came  from 
England  and  located  in  Massachusetts  at  an  early 
da}'  in  its  history.  Our  subject  is  descended  from 
John,  who  was  born  in  1618.  Ebenezer,  a  grand- 
son of  John,  and  the  Judge's  great-grandfather, 
migrated  in  1733  to  Hampton,  Windham  County, 
Conn.  The  grandfather,  Daniel,  served  as  a  pa- 
triot in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Festus  Burn  ham,  was 
a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  served  as  a  member 
of  the  Legislature  of  that  state  from  1837-39.  A 
man  of  good  judgment,  he  was  often  consulted 
upon  matters  of  public  importance,  and  was  a  pro- 
nounced Abolitionist.  His  death  occurred  in  Con- 
necticut April  12,  1865.  His  wife,  who  preceded 
him  to  the  better  land  March  7,  1864,  was  Lora» 
daughter  of  Daniel  Clark,  and  a  native  of  the  Nut- 
meg State. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  in  Windham 
County,  Conn.,  until  reaching  his  eighteenth  year, 
when  he  removed  to  Ohio,  and  after  four  3'ears 
spent  in  the  mercantile  business  and  in  teaching 
returned  to  his  native  state,  and  resided  there  for 
the  following  two  years.  He  was  born  in  the  above 
place  in  Connecticut  January  30,  1826,  and  was 
thus  in  his  twenty-sixth  year  when,  in  October, 
1852,  he  came  to  Mason  County.  Here  he  located 
and  began  the  work  of  a  general  farmer.  Having 
received  a  good  common-school  education  in  Con- 
necticut, he  was  fitted  to  occupy  almost  any  posi- 
tion in  life. 

Mr.  Burnham  was  very  successful  in  his  opera- 
tions as  an  agriculturist,  and  continued  thus  em- 
ployed until  the  spring  of  1883,  when  he  came  to 
Havana.  He  still  owns  his  estate,  which  comprises 
three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land  on 
sections  33  and  28,  Salt  Creek  Township.  The 
property  is  under  an  admirable  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, and  from  its  rental  he  derives  a  good  in- 
come. In  1882  he  was  elected  Judge  of  Mason 
County  on  the  Republican  ticket  by  a  handsome 
majority,  although  the  county  was  Democratic  by 
fiv3  hundred  majority.  He  filled  the  position  for 
a  term  of  four  years,  during  which  time  he  gave 


288 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


entire  satisfaction   to  all   who   were  interested  in 
the  county's  welfare. 

December  16,  1847,  Judge  Burnham  and  Miss 
Angeline  Courrier,  a  native  of  New  York  State, 
were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs.  Burnham  is  the 
daughter  of  Eliab  and  Mary  (Blaisdel)  Courrier, 
the  former  born  in  New  Hampshire,  of  English 
descent,  while  the  latter  traced  her  ancestry  back 
to  Scotland.  Remaining  in  New  York  until  thir- 
teen years  of  age,  Mrs.  Burnham  then  accompanied 
her  parents  on  their  removal  west  to  Ohio.  By 
her  union  with  our  subject  there  have  been  born 
seven  children,  of  whom  those  living  are,  Alonzo 
F.,  a  prominent  physician  in  Ashland;  James  E., 
who  is  practicing  law  in  Unionville,  Mo.;  George 
T.,  also  an  attorney  in  the  same  place;  Henry  P., 
who  is  engaged  in  farming  in  this  county,  and 
Carrie,  Mrs.  Thurman  1).  Ellsberry,  who  resides  in 
Englewood,  a  suburb  of  Chicago. 


AVID  M.  BROWN,  well  known  as  a  success- 
ful contractor  and  builder  of  Pekin,  was 
born  in  Franklin,  Johnson  County,  Ind., 
March  27,  1855.  He  is  of  Scotch  descent, 
his  ancestors  as  far  back  as  there  is  any  record 
having  been  residents  of  the  land  of  the  heather. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  Aaron  Brown,  was  born 
in  that  country,  where  lie  followed  the  occupation 
of  a  millwright.  Thence,  accompanied  by  his 
family,  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1825 
and  settled  in  Virginia,  amid  the  picturesque 
scenery  of  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains.  In  1840 
he  removed  to  Indiana  and  settled  in  Johnson 
County,  at  a  period  so  early  in  its  history  that  his 
family  was  the  third  to  make  settlement  there.  He 
served  as  the  second  Sheriff  the  county  ever  had. 
His  time,  however,  was  devoted  principally  to  the 
cultivation  of  his  three  hundred  acre  farm,  upon 
which  he  made  his  home  until  his  death,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-eight.  In  religious  belief  lie  was  a  Pres- 
byterian. 

The   father  of  our  subject,  Isaac  S.  Brown,  was 


born  near  Glasgow,  in  Lancashire,  Scotland,  in 
1827,  and  was  a  mere  lad  when  the  family  came 
to  America.  In  youth  he  learned  the  trade  of  a 
millwright,  which  he  followed  in  connection  with 
the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  When  somewhat  ad- 
vanced in  years  he  retired  from  active  labors,  and 
taking  up  his  abode  in  the  village  of  Franklin, 
continued  to  reside  there  until  his  death,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-four  years.  In  the  Presbyterian 
Church  he  served  as  an  Elder  from  his  twenty-first 
year  until  his  demise.  Politically  he  advocated 
Republican  principles. 

Cynthia  Sorter,  as  the  mother  of  our  subject  was 
known  in  maidenhood,  was  born  in  Glasgow,  her 
father  having  been  a  farmer  and  sheep-raiser  in 
Scotland.  In  1826  he  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Virginia,  whence  he  removed 
to  Kentucky  and  engaged  in  farming  in  Mercer 
County.  Later,  moving  to  Indiana,  he  had  charge 
of  a  stage  line  between  Indianapolis,  Madison  and 
Louisville.  As  a  Republican  he  was  a  man  of  con- 
siderable prominence  in  political  affairs  and  served 
his  district  in  the  State  Legislature.  In  religion 
he  was  a  Presbyterian.  Mrs.  Cynthia  Brown  died 
after  having  become  the  mother  of  two  sons:  John, 
who  died  in  Indianapolis;  and  David  M.,  of  this 
sketch.  Isaac  S.  Brown  was  a  second  time  mar- 
ried, his  wife  being  Mary  Cornine,  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  who  now  resides  in  Franklin,  Ind.  She 
had  five  children,  but  only  three  are  now  living. 

At  the  age  of  nine  years  our  subject  accompan- 
ied the  family  in  their  removal  from  Franklin  to 
Indianapolis,  and  in  the  latter  place  he  received 
excellent  school  advantages.  For  a  time  lie  was  a 
student  in  Hopewell  Academy.  The  Sunday- 
school  which  he  attended  was  connected  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  which  ex-President  Har- 
rison was  a  leading  member.  In  boyhood  he  be- 
gan to  work  at  his  trade,  and  in  1867  commenced 
the  business  of  a  contractor  in  Indianapolis,  later 
removing  to  Jacksonville,  111.,  where  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  insane  hospital,  first  as  carpenter 
and  afterward  as  storekeeper  for  two  years. 

In  1880  occurred  the  marriage  of  David  M. 
Brown  and  Miss  Annie  Morgan,  a  native  of 
Whitehall,  Greene  County,  111.,  and  a  graduate  of 
the  high  school  at  that  -place.  The  year  of  his 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


289 


marriage  lie  went  to  Newton,  Harvey  County, 
Kan.,  where  his  wife  died  in  1882.  Returning  to 
Indianapolis  in  that  year  he  embarked  in  the  busi- 
ness of  a  contractor  and  builder,  but  afterward  re- 
turned to  Jacksonville,  111.,  where  he  was  store- 
keeper in  the  insane  asylum.  His  second  marriage, 
which  occurred  in  1886,  united  him  with  Miss  Hat- 
tie  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Deer  Creek  Township, 
Tazewell  County,  111.  She  is  the  daughter  of  G. 
W.  Smith,  a  farmer  and  at  one  time  Township  Su- 
pervisor. 

Again  going  to  Newton,  Kan.,  in  1887,  Mr. 
Brown  followed  his  chosen  occupation  for  one 
year  and  then  removed  to  Wichita,  then  at  the 
height  of  its  great  "boom."  In  the  founding  of 
the  Garfield  University  he  was  a  prominent  worker, 
contributing  of  his  time  and  means  to  the  attain- 
ment of  that  object.  However,  as  did  so  many  un- 
lucky investors  in  Wichita  property,  he  lost  heav- 
ily at  the  collapse  of  the  "boom"  and  found  his 
experience  in  the  Sunflower  State  more  instructive 
than  pecuniarily  profitable. 

While  Kansas  proved  a  disappointment  to  him 
as  to  many  other  speculators,  yet  from  the  time  of 
his  first  trip  to  that  state  in  1884  until  he  returned 
to  Illinois  for  permanent  location  in  1889,  he  wit- 
nessed many  wonderful  changes.  At  first  all  was 
new,  and  many  now  large  cities  were  in  their  in- 
fancy. The  railroad  was  entering  the  state  then,  the 
city  of  Newton  had  but  five  frame  houses,  and  so 
far  as  the  eye  could  discern  stretched  a  seemingly 
endless  tract  of  prairie  without  habitation  of  any 
kind. 

In  1889  Mr.  Brown  settled  in  Peoria,and  thence 
in  October  of  1891  he  came  to  Pekin,  where  he  has 
since  conducted  a  profitable  business.  Wherever 
he  has  resided  his  reputation  as  a  contractor  is  an 
enviable  one,  and  he  has  assisted  in  the  erection 
of  many  substantial  private  residences  and  public 
buildings.  His  home  is  situated  at  No.  1202  South 
Fourth  Street,  and  his  shop  at  No.  14  Capitol 
Street.  While  a  resident  of  Newton  he  was  Chief 
of  the  Volunteer  Fire  Department.  Socially  he  is 
connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  the  Uniformed  Rank,  K.  P.,  in  which 
he  has  passed  all  the  chairs.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican.  Of  his  first  marriage  he  has  one  child, 


Harry,  while  he  and   his   present  wife,  who  was 

Miss    Hattie    Smith,   of   this    county,  have  one 

daughter,  Georgia.     The  religious   home  of  this 
family  is  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


>>ELLS  COREY,  editor  and  publisher  of  the 
II  Tazewell  County  Tribune,  was  born  in  Cin- 
cinnati,  Ohio,  April  24,  1832.  He  is  a 
son  of  A.  W.  Corey,  a  native  of  Goshen,  Orange 
County,  N.  Y.,  whose  father  came  from  Scotland 
when  a  boy  and  located  in  New  York,  where  he 
later  became  a  farmer.  A.  W.  Corey  was  a  pub- 
lisher in  Cincinnati,  and  was  the  first  publisher  of 
Webster's  Dictionary,  having  for  his  partner  the 
son  of  the  author  of  that  famous  work. 

In  1836,  the  father  of  our  subject  went  to  Al- 
ton, this  statei  where  he  was  general  agent  for  the 
American  Sunday-school  Union,  and  died  in  God- 
frey, 111.,  in  1880.  Ills  wife,  Mrs.  Zebiah  (Smith) 
Corey,  was  born  in  Danville,  Va.,  and  died  in  Cin- 
cinnati in  1836.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Oliver 
Smith,  a  city  missionary  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Philadelphia. 

Our  subject  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Madison 
County,  this  state,  and  remained  at  home  until 
1846,  when  he  came  to  Washington,  this  county, 
and  remained  a  year.  Thence  he  went  to  Putnam 
County  and  worked  on  a  farm  until  1851,  at 
which  time  he  entered  Knox  College,  carrying 
on  his  studies  in  that  institution  until  1854.  That 
year  he  went  to -Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Brown,  who  was  a  native  of 
that  place.  The  young  couple  located  on  a  farm 
in  Whiteside  County,  111.,  where  he  engaged  in  cul- 
tivating the  soil  for  five  years,  when  he  removed  to 
Sangamon  County,  engaging  in  the  mercantile  bus- 
iness in  Chatham  until  1863.  Then  going  to  Quinc3-, 
he  became  an  insurance  agent  and  resided  in  that 
city  until  1874,  when  he  purchased  the  Mason  City 
Journal,  editing  that  paper  until  1887. 

In  the  above  year  Mr.  Corey  went  to  Welling- 
ton, Kan.,  and  until  1889  published  the  Welling- 
ton Daily  Quid  Nunc.  Since  that  time  he  has  been 
located  at  Pekin,  engaged  as  the  editor  of  the  Taze- 


290 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


well  County  Tribune,  which  is  a  weekly  Republican 
paper.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Corey  were  born  three 
children:  Lizzie,  Mrs.  F.  R.  Sprague,  of  Kansas 
City,  Mo.;  Frank,  a  printer  in  Peoria;  and  Kate, 
Mrs.  John  Shade,  of  this  city.  In  politics  he  is  a 
stalwart  Republican,  and  is  influential  in  the  ranks 
of  his  party  in  this  part  of  Illinois. 


AMES  E.  RAILSBACK  is  one  of  the  most 
enterprising  and  progressive  business  men 
of  Minier,  and  has  done  much  for  the  up- 
building of  this  place.  He  is  now  the  senior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Railsback  &  Mitchell,  deal- 
ers in  lumber  and  grain.  He  has  the  honor  of  be- 
ing a  native  of  Tazewell  County,  for  his  birth 
occurred  in  Little  Mackinaw  Township,  November 
17,  1833.  His  father,  Thomas  F.  Railsback,  was 
born  in  Culpcper  County,  Va.,  in  1796.  The 
grandfather  was  a  native  of  Germany  and  the 
founder  of  the  family  in  America.  In  his  native 
county  Thomas  Railsback  married  Louisa  V.  Aliens- 
worth,  lie  then  engaged  in  farming  for  a  time, 
after  which  he  removed  to  Montgomery  County, 
Tenn..  where  he  again  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits. 

In  the  autumn  of  1830,  the  father  came  to  Illi- 
nois, and  was  here  during  the  deep  snow.  From 
the  Government  he  entered  a  tract  of  land  on  sec- 
tion 5,  Little  Mackinaw  Township,  built  a  log  house 
and  began  the  development  of  the  wild  land, 
which  he  transformed  into  a  fine  farm.  His  death 
there  occurred  in  1864.  He  was  one  of  the  hon- 
ored pioneers  of  the  county,  taught  the  first  school 
in  Little  Mackinaw  Township,  and  the  first  sermon 
in  the  township  was  preached  by  Elder  Oatman  at 
the  Railsback  cabin.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Railsback,  A. 
B.  Davis,  Catherine  Allensworth,  Benjamin  and 
Nancy  Ilerndon  and  Elijah  and  Maria  Hall  organ- 
ized the  first  church  in  the  township.  This  was  in 
1833.  It  was  a  Christian  Church,  and  James 
Lindsey  became  its  first  minister.  The  father  of 
our  subject  for  many  years  served  as  Elder  of  the 
church.  He  was  one  of  the  Township  Commis- 
sioners, and  took  a  very  prominent  part  in  every- 


thing  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  community 
and  its  upbuilding.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in 
1801,  passed  away  in  1882. 

This  worthy  couple  were  parents  of  ten  children, 
of  whom  seven  grew  to  mature  years,  while  four 
yet  survive,  namely:  P.  G.  H.,  a  farmer  of  Little 
Mackinaw  Township;  James  E.;  Mrs.  Mary  Mitch- 
ell, of  Minier,  and  Ben  T.,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
grain  business  in  Hopedale.  Those  deceased  are, 
D.  G.  A.,  who  was  a  farmer  of  Mackinaw  Town- 
ship; Mrs.  Amanda  Briggs;  Mrs.  Sarah  Ireland; 
Eliza  J.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eleven  years,  and 
twins,  who  died  in  Tennessee. 

Mr.  Railsback  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
reared  on  the  old  homestead  and  educated  in  the 
district  schools.  On  the  3d  of  October,  1855,  he 
married  Susan  M.  Howell,  who  died  January  28, 
1861,  leaving  three  children,  John  C.,  now  a  grain 
dealer  of  Ashland,  Neb.;  Gilford  G.,  who  is  in 
partnership  with  his  brother,  and  Emma  Dell,  wife 
of  George  W.  Darst,  of  Eureka,  111.,  Cashier  of  the 
Farmers'  National  Bank  of  that  place. 

Mr.  Railsback  remained  upon  the  old  homestead 
until  his  marriage,  when  he  removed  to  a  farm  of 
his  own  on  section  2,  Little  Mackinaw  Township, 
which  his  father  had  entered  from  the  Government 
for  him.  It  was  a  tract  of  wild  prairie,  but  he  at 
once  began  to  break  and  cultivate  it,  and  made 
his  home  thereon  until  1859,  when  he  bought  an 
improved  farm  on  section  8  of  the  same  township. 
For  five  years  he  there  resided,  after  which  he  be- 
came owner  of  a  farm  on  section  4,  where  he  lived 
until  1869,  when  he  came  to  Minier.  Two  years 
previous  he  had  embarked  in  the  grain  and  lumber 
business  in  this  place,  becoming  one  of  the  first 
dealers  in  those  lines  in  the  town.  He  formed  a 
partnership  with  Rodney  J.  Mitchell,  and  for 
twenty-seven  years  this  connection  has  continued 
with  mutunLpleasure  and  profit. 

In  1864,  Mr.  Railsback  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Ann  P., daughter  of  John 
Adams,  of  Tazewell  County.  She  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  with  her  father  came  to  Illinois  in 
1833.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  locality 
and  entered  land  from  the  Government  on  section 
4,  Little  Mackinaw  Township.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Railsback  have  been  born  three  children,  Robert 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


291 


M.,  a  grain  dealer  of  Ithaca,  Neb.;  Charles  A.,  a 
commercial  traveler  and  a  graduate  of  Quincy 
Commercial  College, and  Olive.  Robert  was  a  stu- 
dent in  Eureka  College. 

In  politics.  Mr.  Rails  back  is  a  stalwart  Repub- 
lican, was  Township  Collector  for  several  years, 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Town  Board,  and  for 
many  years  has  served  on  the  Board  of  Education. 
Since  the  age  of  fifteen  he  has  held  membership 
with  the  Christian  Church,  and  he  aided  in  organiz- 
ing the  church  at  this  place.  Its  original  members 
were,  N.  P.  Williams,  J.  E.  Railsback,  J.  F.  Quigg, 
J.  M.  Edmiston  and  R.  J.  Mitchell,  and  the  first 
pastor  was  .Samuel  Lowe.  Our  subject  has  taken 
a  very  active  part  in  church  work,  was  Deacon  for 
eighteen  years,and  for  the  past  two  years  has  been 
Elder.  The  house  of  worship  was  erected  in  1874. 
Socially,  our  subject  is  connected  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  has  filled  many  of  its  offices.  In 
addition  to  his  other  business  interests,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Quigg,  Railsback  &  Co., 
owners  of  the  Minier  Bank,  and  of  Quigg,  Rails- 
back  <fe  Co.,  grain  dealers.  Probably  no  man  in 
the  community  has  taken  a  more  active  part  in  ad- 
vancing its  interests  than  our  subject,  and  his 
name  is  inseparably  connected  with  the  history  of 
this  locality.  His  well  spent  life  has  won  him  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  all,  and  this  work  would 
be  incomplete  without  his  sketch. 


OBERT  C.  IIIETT,  Principal  of  the  Doug- 
las  School  at  Pekin,  was  born  near  North 
River  Mills,  in  Hampshire  County,  W.  Va., 
une  27,  1865.  He  is  the  son  of  Jo- 
seph Hiett,  a  native  of  the  same  place  and  a  de- 
scendant of  English  ancestors,  who  were  members 
of  the  Society  of  Friends.  The  father,  who  was  a 
millwright  by  trade,  for  some  time  operated  a  mill 
in  Hampshire  County,  whence  in  1869,  accompan- 
ied by  his  family,  he  removed  to  Illinois  and  set- 
tled in  Pekin.  Since  that  time  he  has  continued 
to  make  his  home  in  this  city,  and  is  at  the  pres- 
ent time  employed  in  the  wood  department  of  the 


Acme  Harvester  Company.  At  the  age  of  sixty- 
six  years  he  still  enjoys  good  health  and  the  un- 
impaired exercise  of  his  mental  faculties.  In  his 
religious  belief  he  is  identified  with  the  Christian 
Church. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Margaret  A.  Campbell  and  was  born  in  West 
Virginia,  of  Scotch  descent.  She  is  now  (1894) 
fifty -six  years  of  age.  Her  family  numbered 
eleven  children,  ten  of  whom  attained  mature 
years  and  arc  now  living.  The  sixth  in  order  of 
birth  is  the  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch,  who 
was  brought  to  Pekin  at  the  age  of  four  years  and 
has  since  resided  in  the  city.  After  conducting 
his  studies  for  some  years  in  the  schools  of  Pekin 
he  was  graduated  from  the  high  school,  in  1885. 

His  education  completed,  Mr.  Hiett  entered  the 
profession  of  a  teacher  and  for  one  year  had 
charge  of  a  school  in  Elm  Grove  Township.  ]n 
1887  he  accepted  the  position  of  Principal  of  the 
Lincoln  School  of  Pekin,  and  one  year  later  ac- 
cepted a  similar  position  with  the  Allen  School. 
In  1889  he  became  Principal  of  the  Douglas 
School  and  has  since  filled  that  responsible  posi- 
tion in  such  a  manner  as  to  reflect  great  credit 
upon  his  own  ability  and  secure  the  warm  approval 
and  support  of  the  parents  of  the  children  placed 
under  his  charge.  This  is  one  of  the  largest 
schools  in  the  city  and  has  a  total  enrollment  of 
three  hundred  and  eleven.  In  his  work  Mr.  llictt 
has  the  assistance  of  five  teachers,  all  of  whom 
possess  superior  culture  and  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  profession. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hiett  was  solemnized  in 
this  city  in  1886,  his  bride  being  Miss  Lillian  Rob- 
inson, a  native  of  Missouri  and  a  graduate  of  the 
high  school  at  this  place.  Two  children  have 
blessed  this  union,  Harold  and  Mabel.  In  their 
religious  connections  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hiett  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  Church,  in  the  work  of  which 
they  are  active,  and  to  the  support  of  which  they 
are  generous  contributors.  While  not  active  in 
political  matters  Mr.  Hiett  is  thoroughly  informed 
regarding  the  great  issues  of  the  age  and  gives  his 
support  to  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party. 
Socially  he  is  identified  with  the  Ancient  Order 
of  United  Workmen  and  is  Master  Workman  of 


292 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Pekin  Lodge  No.  265.  He  is  a  man  of  strong 
character,  with  moral  and  mental  endowments 
that  place  him  among  the  most  intelligent  and 
honorable  citizens  of  Pekin.  For  his  profession 
he  is  admirably  qualified  both  by  natural  traits  of 
character  and  thorough  education,  and  he  ranks 
among  the  most  efficient  and  successful  teachers 
of  central  Illinois. 


yMLLIAM  FITZPATRICK,  conductor  on 
the  through  freight  running  between  Pe- 
w  „  kin  and  Strcator  on  the  Santa  Fe  Road,  is 
a  fair  illustration  of  the  advanced  position  which 
the  young  men  are  now  occupying  in  every  phase 
of  life  in  the  United  States.  In  fact,  this  might 
be  called  the  young  men's  era,  for  never  before 
has  youth  taken  so  prominent  a  position  in  affairs 
as  at  the  present  time. 

Mr.  Fitzpatrick  was  born  in  Cadez,  Ohio,  No- 
vember 16,  1866,  and  is  of  Irish  descent,  his  par- 
ents, Valentine  and  Maggie  (Kinsley)  Fitzpatrick, 
being  natives  of  County  Tipperary.  The  former 
was  quite  young  when  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  and  some  years  thereafter  was  section  boss 
on  the  railroad  at  Cadez,  Ohio.  Later  he  came  to 
Mapleton,  this  state,  whence  he  moved  back  to 
Ohio,  and  a  short  time  thereafter  located  in  Pekin, 
where  he  was  foreman  of  the  workmen  on  the  Pe- 
kin, Peoria  &  Jacksonville  Road.  After  being 
thus  employed  for  two  years  he  again  returned  to 
the  Buckeye  State  and  commenced  work  on  the 
Scioto  Valley  Road  at  Ironton.  He  is  now  living 
retired  in  Pekin.  His  good  wife,  who  bore  him 
eight  children,  died  in  this  cit3'  when  forty-eight 
years  of  age. 

Of  the  parental  family  only  five  are  living,  and 
all  the  sons  are  railroad  men.  William  received 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Pekin,  and 
in  1881  went  to  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  where  he  ob- 
tained a  position  in  the  freight  department  of  the 
Scioto  Valley  Railroad.  He  remained  there  until 
1885,  and  from  1882  until  the  time  of  leaving 
their  service  was  night  yard  clerk  and  switchman. 
A  year  later,  in  1883,  his  brother  David,  who  was 


also  employed  in  that  place,  was  run  over  by  a 
train  and  the  parents  of  our  subject  urged  him  to 
return  home. 

In  the  spring  of  1886  our  subject  came  to  Pekin 
as  brakeman  on  a  passenger  train  running  on  the 
Santa  Fe  Road  between  this  city  and  Chicago. 
Four  years  later  he  was  promoted  to  be  conductor 
on  the  freight  train  carrying  freight  through  to 
Streator.  William  Fitzpatrick  was  married  April 
27,  1889,  to  Miss  Sallie  Owens,  a  native  of  Green- 
field, Ind.  Her  father,  Thomas  Owens,  was  born  in 
Ireland,  and  after  coming  to  America  was  em-j 
ployed  as  section  boss  in  the  above  place,  where 
his  decease  occurred.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Fitz- 
patrick was  Bridget  McGoffln;  she  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  the  Emerald  Isle  and  is  now  living,  making 
her  home  in  Indiana.  The  two  children  born  to 
our  subject  and  his  wife  are  Mabel  and  William. 
Socially,  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  is  a  Knight  of  Pythias 
and  a  member  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Railroad  men 
at  Streator.  During  the  entire  time  which  he  has 
been  on  the  road  he  has  never  had  more  than 
two  or  three  wrecks,  which  occurred  in  Indiana. 
In  politics  he  is  a  strong  Democrat  and  is  a  man 
who  commands  the  respect  of  the  entire  commu- 
nity. 


J.  VEERMAN.  A  plain  statement  of  the 
IJD  facts  embraced  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Veerman, 
a  man  well  and  favorably  known  to  the 
people  of  Tazewell  County,  is  all  that  we 
profess  to  be  able  to  give  in  this  volume.  Yet 
upon  examination  of  these  facts  there  will  be 
found  the  carcerof  one  whose  entire  course  through 
life  has  been  marked  by  great  honesty  and  fidelity 
to  duty.  He  has  followed  an  active  and  indus- 
trious life,  and  is  at  present  Superintendent  of  the 
painting  and  finishing  department  of  the  T.  &  H. 
Smith  Manufacturing  Company. 

Mr.  Veerman  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany, 
October  29,  1853,  and  is  the  son  of  Jacob  Veerman, 
also  a  native  of  the  above  place,  where  he  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  Jacob  Veerman  came  to 
America  with  his  family  in  1864  and  located  in 
Peoria,  where  he  remained  until  the  fall  of  1866, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


293 


when  he  came  to  Pekin  and  found  work  in  the 
blacksmith  shop  of  T.  <fe  H.  Smith.  Later  he  worked 
in  the  painting  department  for  the  above  company, 
and  departed  this  life  in  January,  1890. 

Mrs.  Ella  (Jansen)  Veerman,  the  mother  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Germany,  where  she  met  and 
married  Jacob  Veerman.  She  was  a  Baptist  in  re- 
ligious belief,  and  died  in  1892.  The  parental 
family  included  one  other  son  besides  our  subject, 
Edwin,  who  is  engaged  in  painting  in  this  city. 

D.  J.,  of  this  sketch,  attended  evening  school 
after  coming  to  America,  and  in  1866  apprenticed 
himself  to  learn  the  painter's  trade  under  the  in- 
struction of  Phil  Weber.  After  thoroughly  mas- 
tering the  trade,  he  began  working  at  the  same  in 
this  and  surrounding  cities,  and  after  returning  to 
Pekin,  worked  for  the  T.  &  H.  Smith  Company, 
having  charge  of  the  carriage  department  until 
January.  1893,  when  he  was  appointed  Superin- 
tendent of  the  painting  and  finishing  work,  and 
has  a  force  of  about  forty  men  under  his  direction. 

Mr.  Veerman  was  married  in  this  city  in  1876  to 
Miss  Sophia,  daughter  of  John  Albertsen,  for  a 
further  history  of  whom  the  reader  is  referred  to 
the  sketch  of  L.  J.  Albertsen,  on  another  page  in 
this  volume.  Mrs.  Veerman  was  born  in  Germany, 
and  has  reared  a  family  of  four  children,  Ella,  Ly- 
dia,  Jay  1).  and  Louis. 

In  his  political  relations  our  subject  is  a  strong 
Republican,  and  takes  much  interest  in  local  mat- 
ters. His  life  has  been  an  honorable  and  upright 
one,  which  has  gained  him  the  confidence  and  re- 
spect of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in 
contact. 


we 


ENRY  UBBEN.  Probably  no  business  man 
in  the  city  of  Pekin  is  more  shrewd,  care- 
ful and  persistent  in  his  operations,  or  dis- 
plays  greater  ability  in  his  undertakings, 
than  the  above-named  gentleman,  who  withal  is 
modest  and  conscientious.  In  this  place,  where  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  has  been  passed,  he  is  known 
and  honored  as  a  capable  and  efh'cientyoung  man, 
and  the  success  which  so  early  in  life  has  crowned 


his  efforts  proves  the  possession  on  his  part  of  su- 
perior intelligence  and  ability. 

Mr.  Ubben  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  state 
of  Illinois,  and  was  born  in  Grand  Detour,  Ogle- 
County,  on  the  18th  of  April,  1858.  He  is  a  son 
of  Albert  Ubben,  and  for  particulars  in  regard  to 
the  family  history  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  bio- 
graphical sketch  of  U.  A.  Ubben,  to  be  found  on 
another  page.  From  a  long  line  of  honorable 
German  forefathers  our  subject  inherits  qualities 
of  thrift  and  energy  which  have  contributed  in  no 
small  degree  to  his  success. 

The  next  to  the  oldest  in  the  parental  family, 
Henry  was  a  mere  babe  when  the  family  removed 
to  Pekin  in  the  year  of  his  birth,  and  here  he  has 
since  resided.  In  childhood  he  was  a  student  in 
the  public  schools,  but  he  was  obliged  at  an  early 
age  to  become  self-supporting,  and  hence  the  in- 
formation he  now  possesses  has  been  gained  in 
that  best  of  all  schools,  the  school  of  experience, 
in  which  he  has  been  an  apt  pupil.  At  the  age  of 
about  eleven  years  he  began  to  learn  the  trade  of 
a  bookbinder  with  Mr.  Retter,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained for  several  years. 

In  1873,  under  John  Kitchen,  our  subject'  com- 
menced to  learn  the  trade  of  a  painter,  and  for 
four  years  was  employed  in  the  A.  J.  Hodges 
&  Company  Header  Works.  When,  on  the  1st  of 
January,  1891,  the  concern  was  purchased  by  the 
Acme  Harvester  Company,  he  was  made  foreman 
of  the  painting  department,  in  which  position  lie 
still  continues,  having  under  his  personal  super- 
vision a  force  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  men.  The 
position  is  one  of  great  responsibility,  and  only  a 
level-headed  man,  such  as  Mr.  Ubben,  could  suc- 
cessfully discharge  its  duties. 

The  public  questions  of  the  age  receive  a  due 
share  of  Mr.  Ubben's  attention,  and  having  given 
careful  study  'to  the  principles  and  platforms  of 
both  great  political  parties,  he  advocates  the  Re- 
publican, and  is  an  active  worker  in  the  ranks  of 
that  great  organization.  He  is  an  attendant  at 
the  services  of  the  German  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  the  doctrines  of  which  were  supported  by 
his  forefathers  for  several  generations.  As  a  citi- 
zen, he  advocates  all  public-spirited  measures,  sup- 
porting them  with  his  co-operation  and  active  as- 


294 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


sistance.  In  business,  he  is  uniformly  honorable 
and  upright,  and  is  a  young  man  of  steady  hab- 
its, seldom  absent  from  his  post  of  duty,  and  ever 
genial  and  accommodating. 


GUIS  LUICK.  Under  the  second  adminis- 
tration of  President  Cleveland  the  appoint- 
ment of  Government  Storekeeper  in  the 
Eighth  District  was  conferred  upon  Mr.  Luick,  of 
Pekin.  The  selection  of  this  gentleman  for  so  im- 
portant and  responsible  a  position  met  with  the 
hearty  approval  of  his  large  circle  of  friends, 
numbering  not  only  many  Democrats,  but  also  a 
large  number  of  adherents  to  the  opposite  party. 

Among  the  citizens  of  Pekin  Mr.  Luick  is  well 
known,  for  in  this  city  he  has  spent  his  entire 
life,  and  here  he  was  born  November  10,  1861. 
He  is  a  son  of  George  A.  Luick,  a  native  of  Wur- 
temberg,  Germany,  and  a  gardener  by  trade,  who 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in , 
Pekin  about  1848.  For  a  time  he  followed  his 
chosen  occupation,  but  at  present  is  engaggftv'lu'- 
the  flour  and  feed  business.  His  wife,  likewise  a 
native  of  Germany,  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt 
and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Marguerite  Hoffman. 

In  a  family  of  six  children,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth.  He  was 
reared  in  Pekin  and  received  his  education  in  the 
private  schools  of  this  place.  Early  in  life  he 
was  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  energy,  and 
at  the  age  of  fifteen  entered  upon  an  apprentice- 
ship to  the  trade  of  a  cigarmaker,  working  under 
II.  O.  Stein  for  six  years.  Afterward  he  began  to 
clerk  in  a  clothing  establishment,  where  he  re- 
mained for  three  years.  In  1888,  when  the  free 
delivery  was  started,  he  was  the  first  one  ap- 
pointed as  mail  carrier,  his  commission  bearing 
the  date  of  January  1.  This  position  he  held 
until  the  new  appointment,  when  he  resigned. 

For  two  years  Mr.  Luick  was  engaged  in  the 
clothing  business  as  clerk  for  A.  Schradzier,  and 
in  1891  he  became  agent  for  the  Columbian  Com- 
pany, of  Pekin,  filling  that  position  until  he  re- 
signed to  accept  his  present  office.  On  the  26th 
of  October,  1893,  he  was  appointed  Storekeeper 
by  L.  J.  Wilcox,  and  his  present  headquarters  are 


at  the  Crescent  Distillery.  To  the  duties  of  the 
office  he  brings  indomitable  energy,  tireless  ap- 
plication, great  care  in  attention  to  details  and 
ability  of  a  superior  order. 

In  social  connections,  Mr.  Luick  is  identified 
with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is  Master  of 
Finances  of  La  Fayette  Lodge  No.  216.  lie  is 
also  a  prominent  member  of  the  Uniformed  Rank 
No.  65,  K.  P.  Politically  the  principles  promul- 
gated by  the  Democratic  party  find  in  him  a  firm 
and  enthusiastic  champion,  and  he  is  active  in  the 
ranks  of  that  political  organization.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  he  is  serving  as  a  member  of  the  Demo- 
cratic Township  Committee.  In  his  religious  views 
he  is  a  Lutheran,  and  holds  membership  with  St. 
Paul's  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of  this  city. 


LBERT  VAN  HORNE,  D.  D.  S,  of  Pekin, 
has  a  patronage  that  is  large  and  con- 
stantly on  the  increase,  which  desirable 
„,  ,  .  ,  .State-  of  affairs  has  been  brought  about  by 
a';thor6ugh  knowledge  of  his  profession,  prompt- 
ness in  filling  his  engagements,  and  the  painstak- 
ing and  careful  manner  in  which  he  performs  all 
his  work.  He  keeps  a  full  line  of  dental  supplies, 
which  are  equal  to  the  requirements  of  that  pro- 
fession, including  all  the  most  improved  appara- 
tus and  materials,  and  all  his  dealings  are  charac- 
terized by  fair  and  honorable  methods. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Macoupin  County,  this 
state,  August  29,  1855.  and  has  been  a  resident 
of  this  city  since  1879.  His  father,  E.  R.  Van 
Home,  was  born  in  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y., 
which  was  also  the  birthplace  of  the  grandfather, 
Elijah  B.  Van  I  lorn  e,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, and  who  at  one  time  was  Sheriff  of  Sehoharie 
County.  He  was  Colonel  of  the  state  militia,  and 
on  his  removal  to  this  state  became  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Jersey  County,  where  his  death 
occurred  when  eighty-three  years  of  age.  E.  R. 
Van  Home  was  thirteen  years  of  age  when  he 
accompanied  his  parents  to  Illinois,  and  when  old 
enough  followed  farm  pursuits  in  Macoupin  Coun- 
ty. He  later  removed  to  Macon  County,  where 
he  was  also  engaged  as  an  agriculturist  for  some 
time,  but  after  locating  in  the  city  of  that  name 


UBWWY 
OFItt 
Of 


JOHN   LANCASTER. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


297 


he  followed  the  milling  business  until  1878,  when 
he  went  west  to  Larned,  Kan.,  and  was  thus  en- 
gaged until  1890,  when  he  retired  from  active 
work,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  also  born  in 
Schoharie  County,  N.Y.,  and  was  formerly  known  as 
Miss  Martha  Cornwell.  She  came  to  this  state  with 
her  parents,  where  they  died,  in  Tazewell  County. 
Of  the  four  children  which  were  born  to  her  union 
with  Mr.  Van  Home,  all  are  living,  and  Albert  is 
the  eldest  but  one.  He  remained  in  his  native 
county  until  1868,  when  he  completed  his  studies 
in  the  city  schools  of  Macon  County.  In  1873 
he  began  the  study  of  dentistry  with  Dr.  A.  S. 
Waltz,  of  Decatur,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
three  years,  after  which  he  practiced  in  different 
places  until  1879,  the  date  of  his  advent  into  this 
city.  He  has  a  fine  office  located  opposite  the 
court  house  and  is  considered  to  be  one  of  the 
popular  dental  practitioners  in  the  county. 

Dr.  A.  Van  Home  was  married  in  1881  to  Miss 
Lida  McGrew,  and  to  them  have  been  born  two 
daughters,  Stella  and  Lucile.  In  1889  the  Doctor 
was  elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket  as  Alderman 
of  the  Fourth  Ward,  and  in  social  matters  is  a 
charter  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen. 


OHN  LANCASTER,  a  farmer  residing  on 
section  33,  Little  Mackinaw  Township, 
Tazewell  County,  was  born  in  Boone  Coun- 
ty, Ky.,  March  18,  1826.  His  father,  Joseph, 
was  a  son  of  Henry  Lancaster  and  removed  from 
Boone  County  to  Illinois  in  1829.  In  his  native 
county  he  had  married  Hannah,  daughter  of  Rich- 
ard Burt,  of  Boone  County.  From  the  Govern- 
ment he  entered  land  in  Hittle  Township,  and  be- 
came one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  that  locality. 
There  he  made  his  home  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1877.  His  wife  passed  away  in  March, 
1844. 

To  them  were  born  nine  children,  as  follows: 
Richard,  a  veteran  of  the  late  war,  now  residing  in 
Kansas;  Henry,  deceased;  William,  of  McLean 
County,  111.;  James,  who  is  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead; Joseph,  who  was  also  one  of  the  boys  in 
6 


blue,  and  now  makes  his  home  in  Iowa;  Sarah,  wife 
of  G.  Haiii line,  of  Hittle  Township;  Susan,  de- 
ceased, and  Matilda,  wife  of  James  Glackiu.  After 
the  death  of  his  first  wife  Joseph  Lancaster  mar- 
ried Mary  Aldrich,  who  is  still  living.  The3'  had 
eight  children,  Thomas  and  Robert  J.,  both  of 
Hittle  Township;  Hannah,  wife  of  James  Booth,  a 
farmer  of  the  same  township;  Sarilda,  Malinda, 
Hickson  and  Mary,  all  deceased;  and  one  who 
died  in  infancy.  The  father  of  this  family  was  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Christian  Church  and  took 
an  active  part  in  its  work.  In  politics  he  was  a 
Whig. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  John  Lan- 
caster spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth, 
and  remained  with  his  parents  until  his  marriage. 
On  the  19th  of  August,  1844,  he  wedded  Elvira 
Hainline,  daughter  of  Henry  Hainline,  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  Tazewell  County  of  1827.  Mrs. 
Lancaster  was  born  in  Hittle  Township,  and  died 
in  July,  1848,  leaving  two  children,  Hannah,  wife 
of  E.  W.  Sullivan,  of  Missouri,  and  Enos.  In 
March,  1858,  Mr.  Lancaster  was  uuited  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Rebecca  Attbery,  daughter  of  Hiram 
Attbery,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Logan  County,  111.,  where  his 
daughter  was  born  and  reared.  Thirteen  children 
were  born  of  the  second  union,  viz.:  William,  of 
Little  Mackinaw  Township;  John,  a  farmer  of 
Champaign  County;  Thomas,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.; 
James,  at  home;  Elvira,  wife  of  George  Hainline, 
of  Hittle  Township;  Amanda,  wife  of  Alfred  Hain- 
line,  of  Hittle  Township;  Johanna,  wife  of  William 
Hainline,  of  the  same  township;  Eva,  wife  of  David 
Bradley,  of  Little  Mackinaw  Township;  Sallie; 
Leviua  and  Iva,  deceased;  and  two  who  died  in 
infancy. 

At  the  time  of  his  first  marriage,  Mr.  Lancaster 
located  upon  his  present  farm,  which  was  then  a 
wild  tract  of  land,  but  he  has  placed  it  under  a 
high  slate  of  cultivation  and  the  once  raw  prairie 
has  been  transformed  into  rich  and  fertile  fields. 
He  has  also  made  many  excellent  improvements 
upon  it,  which  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift 
and  enterprise.  He  here  has  two  hundred  and 
eighty  acres,  and  in  Hittle  Township  has  a  tract  of 
twenty  acres.  He  possesses  good  business  ability, 


298 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


is  enterprising  and  industrious,  and  as  the  result 
of  his  well  directed  efforts  has  become  one  of  the 
substantial  citizens  of  the  community.  In  politics 
he  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and  for  five  years 
served  as  Constable.  He  is  a  highly  respected 
citizen,  and  in  the  community  where  lie  has  so  long 
made  his  home  has  many  warm  friends. 


WILLIAM  S.  WOOD  WORTH,  the  genial 
passenger  conductor  on  the  Santa  Fe  Rail- 
road running  between  Pekin  and  Chicago, 
was  born  in  Lenox,  Mass.,  November  18,  1861. 
He  is  of  English  descent,  his  grandfather,  William 
S.  Woodworth,  having  been  born  in  that  country, 
whence  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  set- 
tling in  New  York,  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits 
until  his  death  in  the  village  of  Canaan.  At  his 
demise  he  was  succeeded  in  business  by  his  son, 
Charles  P.,  a  native  of  that  town,  who  carried  on 
the  store  for  some  time,  but  later  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.  His  present  home 
is  in  the  city  last  named.  He  is  a  man  of  consid- 
erable force  of  character  and  has  been  active  in 
political  affairs  for  many  years.  As  an  advocate 
of  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party  he  is  in- 
fluential and  popular  and  has  been  chosen  to  rep- 
resent his  fellow-citizens  in  various  local  offices. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Eva,  daughter 
of  Rufus  Hewitt,  a  wealthy  farmer  and  cattle 
drover  of  Massachusetts,  where  she  was  born.  Her 
marriage  resulted  in  the  birth  of  three  sons,  of 
whom  William  is  the  eldest.  The  others  are:  Rufus, 
a  railway  postal  clerk  running  between  Boston 
and  Albany,  and  George  B.,  who  is  fireman  on  the 
Santa  Fe  Railroad.  The  eldest  of  the  sons  was 
reared  on  his  father's  farm,  and  in  his  boyhood 
was  the  recipient  of  ordinary  educational  advan- 
tages. At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  went  to 
Pennsylvania,  but  after  a  short  sojourn  returned 
to  New  York  and  thence  proceeded  to  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  where  he  accepted  a  position  as  bookkeeper. 
Later,  going  to  Northampton,  Mass.,  he  learned 
the  trade  of  a  confectioner  and  caterer. 

In  1883  Mr.  Woodworth  came  west  to  Chicago, 
where,  however,  he  remained  but  a  short  time. 


One  of  his  cousins,  Frank  E.  Hinckley,  was  Gen- 
eral Manager  of  the  Chicago,  Pekin  &  Southwest- 
ern Railroad,  and  he  went  to  Streator  to  work  in 
the  office  of  that  company.  After  a  month  thus 
spent  he  became  brakeman  on  the  freight  train 
between  Chicago,  Pekin  and  Streator,  retaining 
that  position  for  one  year  and  nine  months.  His 
next  place  was  that  of  conductor  of  the  local 
freight  between  Chicago  and  Streator,  after  filling 
which  for  two  years  he  became  passenger  conduc- 
tor between  Pekin  and  Streator,  later  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  line  between  Chicago  and  Ft.  Madi- 
son, and  afterward  between  Chicago  and  Pekin. 

For  three  years  Mr.  Woodworth  was  conductor 
on  the  fast  mail  train  running  between  Chicago 
and  Kansas  City.  Prior  to  that  time  he  had  never 
had  an  accident  of  any  kind,  but  in  December  of 
1891,  near  Carrollton,  Mo.,  the  train  was  wrecked 
by  a  rail  turning  Cver,  and  all  the  coaches  but  the 
express  car,  baggage  car  and  engine  went  over  the 
embankment  to  a  depth  of  twenty  feet.  Mr. 
Woodworth  was  severely  injured,  his  shoulder 
blade  having  been  broken,  while  an  injury  in  the 
head  resulted  in  concussion  of  the  brain.  For  one 
month  he  was  unable  to  do  any  work,  but  fortu- 
nately recovered  after  a  time.  Of  the  passengers 
on  the  train  no  one  was  killed. 

For  six  months  after  his  recovery  Mr.  Wood- 
worth  ran  as  local  conductor  for  six  months,  but 
was  then  transferred  to  the  main  line.  When 
near  Ft.  Madison  in  1892  the  train  jumped  the 
track,  owing  to  a  broken  rail,  and  all  the  coaches 
went  off.  Soon  afterward  Mr.  Woodworth  left  the 
fast  train  and  became  conductor  on  the  road  be- 
tween Pekin  and  Chicago,  in  which  capacity  he  is 
still  serving.  The  passenger  runs  daily  except 
Sunday.  There  are  but  two  conductors  on  the 
road  who  have  been  connected  with  the  company 
longer  than  he,  and  his  record  as  a  genial,  accom- 
modating and  efficient  conductor  is  well  known 
among  all  railroad  men,  as  well  as  by  the  general 
public,  who  are  indebted  to  him  for  many  cour- 
tesies. 

In  Northampton,  Mass.,  in  1886,  Miss  Agnes 
Freeman  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Woodworth.  This 
lady  was  born  in  Orange  County,  Vt.,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Julius  and  Clara  (Smith)  Freeman, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


299 


farmers  of  the  Green  Mountain  State.  Two 
daughters,  Florence  and  Mildred,  have  blessed  this 
union.  Mr.  Wood  worth's  life  is  such  as  to  prove 
him  to  be  a  practical,  industrious  and  energetic 
man, and  as  a  citizen  he  ranks  high  in  the  opinion 
of  all  who  know  him.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  but  is  not  at  all  partisan  in  his  prefer- 
ences. Socially,  he  is  identified  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  the  Royal  Arch  chapter  at  Pekin. 


fOSIAH  M.  SAWYER,  of  Tremont,  111.,  was 
born  in  the  town  which  is  still  his  home 
,^1,  April  28,  1846,  and  is  the  younger  of  two 
^§Jll  children,  his  brother  being  A.  B.  Sawyer,  a 
leading  attorney-at-law  of  Salt  Lake  City.  The 
parents,  Josiah  and  Harriet  R.  (Bates)  Sawyer, 
were  both  natives  of  New  Hampshire.  The  former 
was  born  in  Sharon,  June  25,  1808,  and  in  early 
life  learned  the  trade  of  a  machinist  in  the  Granite 
State.  When  still  a  young  man  he  went  to  Rhode 
Island,  where  he  took  charge  of  a  machine  shop. 
After  several  years  he  returned  to  New  Hampshire 
and  again  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  Steele,  with 
whom  he  had  learned  his  trade.  In  1832,  after 
three  years  spent  with  Mr.  Steele,  he  removed  to 
Waterford,N.  Y.,  and  in  November,  1836,  he  came 
to  the  west  and  cast  his  lot  among  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Tazewell  County.  Here  he  engaged  in 
business  as  a  wheelwright,  which  he  followed  suc- 
cessfully for  several  years.  Possessing  inventive 
genius,  he  spent  some  time  in  the  attempt  to  in- 
troduce a  two-horse  corn-dropper  (which  was  af- 
terward developed  into  the  celebrated  "Brown's"), 
but  such  radical  changes  in  farming  methods  were 
in  advance  of  the  times,  though  it  has  since  been 
adopted.  He  was  the  designer  of  a  machine  for 
turning  hinges,  and  many  other  inventions  were 
the  fruit  of  his  brain.  Later  in  life  he  became  in- 
terested in  the  development  of  the  country  through 
the  railroads.  He  was  possessed  of  uncommon 
ability  in  many  directions.  He  was  the  President 
of  the  first  Agricultural  Association  of  Tazewell 
County,  and  for  over  thirteen  years  he  was  the 
chosen  leader  of  that  organization.  He  was  ever 
alive  to  the  best  interests  of  the  community  in 


which  he  lived,  and  exerted  a  lasting  influence  for 
good  in  the  state  of  his  adoption.  In  November, 
1832,  he  married  Harriet  R.  Bates,  a  native  of  Bel- 
lows Falls,  Vt.  His  death  occurred  in  Tremont 
October  3,  1883,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five,  and 
his  wife  died  in  1887,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Abiel  Sawyer, 
was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  and  his  grandfather, 
Josiah  Sawyer,  for  whom  our  subject  was  named, 
was  the  founder  of  the  family  in  America.  Emi- 
grating to  this  country,  he  first  located  in  Ando- 
ver,  Mass.  In  1770  he  removed  to  Sharon,  Mass., 
where  his  death  occurred  in  1813. 

Mr.  Sawyer  of  this  record  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  county.  At  the  age  of  six- 
teen he  went  to  the  east  on  a  visit  and  began 
learning  the  machinist's  trade.  While  there  he 
enlisted  in  Company  L,  Fourth  Massachusetts  Cav- 
alry, in  February,  1863,  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  being  mustered  out  in  October, 
1865.  He  then  returned  to  Illinois  and  entered 
the  Commercial  College  of  Peoria,  where  among 
other  studies  he  pursued  a  course  in  telegraphy. 
On  its  completion,  in  the  spring  of  1867,  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  telegraph  operator  and  agent 
in  Petersburg,  111.,  where  he  remained  until  1880. 
He  then  acted  for  several  months  as  clerk  in  the 
office  of  the  County  Sheriff,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  railroad  business  for  a  few  months. 
Subsequently  he  was  employed  as  a  bookkeeper  in 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  for  two  years,  and  in  June,  1883, 
he  came  home  to  care  for  his  parents  in  their  de- 
clining years.  He  then  took  up  the  insurance 
business,  which  he  has  since  continued,  and  is  also 
engaged  in  dealing  in  hard  coal. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Sawyer  has  always 
been  a  Democrat.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Town- 
ship Clerk  for  two  years,  and  was  Village  Clerk 
for  the  same  time.  He  is  now  serving  his  second 
term  as  Village  Treasurer,  and  proves  a  capable 
and  popular  officer.  Socially  he  is  connected  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  In  1868  he  joined  Clin- 
ton Lodge  No.  19,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Petersburg, 
and  the  same  year  became  a  member  of  De  Witt 
Chapter  No.  119,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Petersburg. 
He  took  the  Knight  Templar  Degree  in  Jackson- 
ville, 111.,  in  1870;  in  November,  1892,  took  the 


300 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Consistory  Degree  in  Peoria;  in  September,  1893, 
took  the  Council  Degree  in  the  Peoria  Council; 
and  in  October,  1893,  became  a  member  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine.  He  has  been  Junior  Warden  of 
his  lodge,  Royal  Arch  Captain  and  Captain-Gen- 
eral of  the  commandery.  He  is  also  a  charter 
member  of  Pleasant  Grove  Camp  No.  998,  M.  W. 
A.,  of  Tremont. 

On  the  7th  of  May,  1870,  Mr.  Sawyer  wedded 
Elizabeth  M.,  daughter  of  Rufus  and  Angeline 
Walker.  She  was  born  in  Fleming  County,  Ky., 
April  18,  1850.  To  them  were  born  five  chil- 
dren: C.  Harriet,  L.  Alice  and  Hubert  N.,  who 
are  at  home;  and  Angeline  and  Josiah  W.,  who 
died  in  childhood.  The  parents  are  well  known 
and  prominent  people  of  this  community,  and  Mr. 
Sawyer  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens of  the  county — a  man  who  has  the  courage 
of  his  convictions,  and  who  is  always  heartily  in- 
terested in  what  pertains  to  the  upbuilding  of  his 
native  town  and  state. 


P.  SCHEIDEL.  After  years  of  well 
directed  effort  as  one  of  the  business  men 
of  Pekin,  this  gentleman  has  retired  in 
affluence  to  the  enjoyment  of  an  elegant 
home  and  the  society  of  a  charming  family.  The 
record  of  his  business  life  is  creditable  alike  to  his 
financial  ability  and  manly  spirit,  while  his  per- 
sonal character  commands  the  respect  of  his  friends. 
As  an  able  financier,  a  successful  public  official 
and  a  progressive  citizen,  he  has  deserved  and  won 
the  confidence  of  his  fellow-men  for  his  upright- 
ness and  ability. 

Among  the  many  Germans  who  have  built  up 
fortunes  in  the  United  States,  we  mention  the 
name  of  Mr.  Scheidel.  He  was  born  in  Baden, 
Steinsford,  Germany,  June  29,  1842,  and  is  a  son 
of  Joseph  Scheidel,  likewise  a  native  of  Baden, 
and  by  trade  a  stone  and  brick  mason.  About 
1845,  the  father,  accompanied  by  his  family,  left 
Germany  on  a  sailing-vessel  for  Liverpool,  where 
they  took  a  ship  for  America.  After  a  tedious 
voyage  of  ninety-five  days  they  reached  New  York 
City,  whence  they  proceeded  to  Rome,  N.  Y.,  and 


one  year  later  journeyed  by  canal  to  Buffalo,  from 
there  by  steamer  to  Chicago,  settling  in  that  city. 
There'he  worked  at  his  trade  until  1852. 

During  that  year  Joseph  Scheidel  came  to  Pekin, 
where  he  continued  to  work  at  his  trade  for  a 
numtter  of  years.  His  declining  days  were  spent 
in  retirement  from  manual  labor,  and  at  a  good 
old  age  he  passed  away,  in  1881.  Two  years  later 
his  wife  followed  him  to  the  grave.  She  was 
known  in  maidenhood  as  Mary  Fischer,  and  was 
born  in  Baden,  Germany.  Both  parents  were  de- 
vout members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  They  had 
three  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  John  P. 
is  the  youngest.  At  present  one  son  and  two 
daughters  are  living. 

When  a  lad  of  ten  years,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  came  to  Pekin,  during  the  pioneer  days  of 
that  now  flourishing  city.  During  the  forty  years 
and  more  covering  the  period  of  his  residence 
here,  he  has  been  a  witness  of  its  wonderful  im- 
provement and  has  himself  materially  enhanced 
its  prosperity.  In  the  public  schools  he  gained  a 
practical  knowledge  of  the  three  R's,  but  his  school 
days  were  brief,  and  at  an  early  age  he  began  to 
learn  his  father's  trade  under  the  instruction  of 
that  parent.  At  an  early  age  he  had  mastered  the 
trade  and  was  a  practical  brick  mason.  His  brother 
Jacob  being  a  butcher,  our  subject  also  learned 
that  trade  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and  two  years 
later  he  began  in  business  for  himself,  purchasing 
a  shop  adjoining  the  present  site  of  the  postotfice. 
Five  years  later  he  built  a  brick  store  building  at 
No.  408  Court  Street,  where  he  had  a  large  meat- 
market.  His  slaughter  houses  were  situated  upon 
a  tract  of  eight  acres  on  East  Court,  and  he  always 
purchased  the  stock  himself,  thus  securing  first- 
class  meat. 

On  account  of  ill  health,  Mr.  Scheidel  concluded 
to  retire  from  business,  and  accordingly  sold  out 
April  17,  1893,  since  which  time  he  has  rented  the 
store.  In  addition  to  that  building,  he  owns  sev- 
eral dwellings  in  Pekin,  including  his  residence  at 
the  corner  of  State  and  Fifth  Streets.  His  mar- 
riage occurred  in  the  city  April  22,  1862,  uniting 
him  with  Miss  Maggie  Saal,  a  native  of  Overklin- 
gen,  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany.  Three  children 
have  blessed  this  union:  Lizzie,  the  wife  of  Fred 


POETKAIT  AND  BIOGEAPHICAL  RECORD. 


301 


Johannes,  a  grocer  of  Pekin;  Maggie  and  Carrie, 
who  reside  with  their  parents. 

As  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party,  Mr.  Schei- 
del  has  for  years  been  a  prominent  figure  in  the 
public  life  of  the  city  and  county.  Frequently  he 
has  served  on  the  City  and  County  Central  Com- 
mittees, and  for  three  terms  he  served  as  Alderman 
from  the  Third  Ward.  While  in  the  City  Council 
he  was  appointed  a  member  of  different  commit- 
tees, and  also  served  as  Chairman  of  the  Commit- 
tee on  Streets  and  Alleys.  For  two  years,  from 
1883  to  1885,  he  was  City  Treasurer  of  Pekin.  So- 
cially he  is  identified  with  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
belonging  to  the  Royal  Arch  chapter  at  this  place, 
also  the  Druids  and  the  Mystic  Circle. 


L.  M1NIER,  who  is  general  agent  for  the 
Union  Central  Life  Insurance  Company  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  makes  his  home  in  the 
town  of  Minier,  Tazewell  County,  which  bears  the 
family  name.  He  was  born  in  Magnolia.  Putnam 
County,  111.,  May  18,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Rev. 
George  W.  and  Sarah  (Ireland)  Minier,  honored 
and  prominent  people  of  this  community,  who  are 
represented  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  lived  in 
his  native  county  and  in  Bloomington  until  eight 
years  of  age,  and  then  came  to  Tazewell  County, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood.  He  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools,  in  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  Uni- 
versity of  Bloomington,  and  in  Bryant  and  Strat- 
ton's  Business  College  of  Chicago,  from  which  he 
was  graduated. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Minier  was  found  among 
the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  I,  Ninety-fourth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  in  which  he  served  as  Sergeant  for 
a  time.  In  1864  he  was  commissioned  Second 
Lieutenant.  He  did  service  in  Missouri  and  Ar- 
kansas, taking  part  in  the  battle  of  Prairie  Grove, 
December  7,  1862,  and  the  following  spring  he 
went  by  way  of  St.  Louis  to  Vicksburg,  partici- 
pating in  the  siege  of  that  city.  After  its  sur- 
render he  went  to  Yazoo  City,  thence  to  Black 
River  and  served  as  patrol  along  the  river  for  sev- 
eral weeks.  In  August  of  that  year  his  command 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Atcliafalaya,  and  in  Oc- 


tober were  taken  across  the  Gulf  to  Brownsville, 
Tex.,  where  they  remained  in  camp  for  ten  months. 
They  then  went  across  the  Gulf  to  Ft.  Morgan, 
Ala.,  participated  in  the  capture  of  Spanish  Fort, 
and  were  camped  on  the  shell  road  below  Mobile 
at  the  time  of  the  terrible  explosion  in  that  cit}'. 
Mr.  Minier's  company  was  then  sent  with  prison- 
ers to  Ship  Island,  and  during  his  service  crossed 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  eight  times.  From  Mobile  he 
was  sent  to  Galveston,  Tex.,  where  in  August, 
1865,  he  was  mustered  out. 

For  a  short  time  after  his  return  north,  Mr. 
Minier  engaged  in  teaching  in  McLean  and  Taze- 
well Counties,  and  in  the  spring  of  1866  he  was 
appointed  state  agent  under  John  P.  Reynolds  to 
make  the  Illinois  collections  for  the  Paris  Exposi- 
tion. On  completing  that  task,  he  was  appointed 
under  James  H.  Bowen,  of  Chicago,  for  the  same 
work  in  the  northwest,  and  on  completing  the  col- 
lection he  went  to  New  York  City,  where  he  aided 
United  States  Commissioner  J.  C.  Derby  in  the 
same  work  in  the  metropolis  of  the  east.  The  Illi- 
nois collection  took  the  first  premium  at  the  ex- 
position of  1867,  Mr.  Minier  having  visited  every 
county  in  the  state. 

For  twelve  years  our  subject  was  employed  in 
the  civil  engineering  department  of  the  Chicago  <fe 
Alton  Railroad,  and  then  bought  a  half-interest  in 
the  Girard  Mills,  of  Girard,  111.  While  operating 
the  same  he  engaged  in  grain  dealing,  and  was 
thus  employed  from  1878  until  1881,  when  he  em- 
barked in  milling  with  Ellis  Briggs,  at  Roodhouse, 
HI.  That  connection  continued  from  1882  until 
March,  1893.  In  addition  to  his  property  in 
Tazewell  County,  Mr.  Minier  owns  real  estate  in 
Nebraska,  in  Chicago  and  Roodhouse,  111.,  and  in 
Wichita,  Kan.  He  is  now  serving  as  general  agent 
for  the  Union  Central  Life  Insurance  Company 
of  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

On  the  3d  of  August,  1870,  Mr.  Minier  married 
Miss  Ellen  Armington,  of  Atlanta,  111.,  daughter 
of  H.  Armington,  an  early  settler  of  Tazewell 
County.  Four  children  grace  this  union:  Minnie 
F.,  Clara  A.,  Clifford  L.  and  George  A.  For  many 
years  Mr.  Minier  affiliated  with  the  Republican 
party,  but  is  now  a  supporter  of  the  Prohibition 
party.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Grand 


302 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Army  of  the  Republic.  Since  the  age  of  sixteen 
he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church, 
and  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  church 
and  Sunday-school  work,  having  often  served  as 
teacher  and  Superintendent.  His  life  has  been 
well  spent,  and  the  same  fidelity  to  duty  which  he 
made  manifest  on  southern  battlefields  has  charac- 
terized his  private  life.  His  excellencies  of  char- 
acter have  won  him  high  regard,  and  with  pleasure 
we  present  this  sketch  to  our  readers. 


Pekin, 

1850. 


^ILLTAM  E.  PARKER,  one  of  the  efficient 
engineers  on  the  Peoria,  Decatur  &  Evans- 
ville  Railroad,  and  an  honored  citizen  of 
was  born  in  Pepperell,  Mass.,  March  21, 
He  is  a  member  of  an  old  and  distinguished 
family,  and  is  a  great-nephew,  on  his  mother's 
side,  of  ex-President  Franklin  Pierce.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Edmond  Parker,  was  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  where  for  many  years  he  was  one  of 
the  most  prominent  and  successful  attorneys  of 
Nashua,  and  in  that  place  he  continued  to  reside 
until  death. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Dr.  C.  E.  Parker,  was 
born  in  Concord,  N.  H.,  and  was  a  man  of  superior 
ability  and  education,  being  a  graduate  of  Dart- 
mouth College,  as  well  as  a  graduate  of  the  medi- 
cal department  at  Yale  College.  Upon  him  were 
conferred  the  degrees  of  A.  B.,  A.  M.  and  M.  D. 
Opening  an  office  at  Pepperell,  Mass.,  he  conducted 
a  large  practice  there  until  1855,  when,  deciding 
that  the  west  offered  splendid  opportunities  for  a 
skillful  physician  and  surgeon,  he  came  to  Illinois. 
Settling  in  Beardstown,  he  continued  there  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  July,  1882. 

In  all  his  undertakings  Dr.  Parker  received  the 
assistance  and  practical  aid  of  his  estimable  wife, 
who  is  now  a  resident  of  Pekin.  In  maidenhood 
she  was  known  as  Anna  K.  Pierce.  She  was  born 
in  Michigan,  of  which  state  her  father  was  long  a 
resident.  He  was  an  own  brother  of  Franklin 
Pierce.  Our  subject  is  the  only  survivor  of  two 
children.  In  the  public  schools  of  Beardstown  he 
received  a  practical  education,  remaining  at  home 


with  his  parents  until  1867.  He  then  went  to 
Springfield,  where  for  several  years  he  was  clerk 
in  a  mercantile  establishment.  About  the  time  of 
the  great  fire  he  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  bookkeeper  with  Conger 
Brothers,  who  ran  a  commission  house. 

In  1877  Mr.  Parker  came  to  Pekin,  and  in  the 
shops  of  the  Peoria,  Decatur  &  Evansville  Rail- 
road he  secured  employment  as  fireman.  Two 
years  later  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of 
engineer  on  the  road.  In  February,  1882,  he 
removed  to  Evansville,  and  from  that  city  ran 
an  engine  for  about  five  years,  also  serving  as 
foreman  of  the  round  house  for  six  months.  Dur- 
ing 1887  he  returned  to  Pekin,  but  continued  to 
act  as  engineer  on  the  road.  In  point  of  service, 
he  is  the  oldest  employe  in  the  machinery  depart- 
ment, and  is  by  far  the  oldest  engineer  with  the 
company.  During  the  summer  he  runs  between 
Pekin  and  Mackinaw  Falls,  having  charge  of  excur- 
sions and  picnic  parties  to  the  latter  place. 

At  Chicago,  October  20,  1872,  Mr.  Parker  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eliza  Sanders,  who 
was  born  near  Lexington,  in  Bourbon  County,  Ky. 
She  is  one  of  seven  children  born  to  the  union  of 
Frank  and  Nancy  (Willby)  Sanders,  natives  re- 
spectively of  Virginia  and  Tennessee.  Her  father, 
who  was  a  large  land  owner  and  a  successful  mer- 
chant, died  in  Indiana,  while  her  mother  passed 
away  in  Kentucky.  Mrs.  Parker  is  a  devoted 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Politically,  Mr. 
Parker  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  always  loyal  to  party 
principles.  Socially  he  belongs  to  the  Order  of 
Firemen  and  Empire  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 


LEMM.  Well  known  among  the 
•i  business  men  of  Pekin  is  the  gentleman 
whose  name  introduces  this  biographical 
notice,  and  who  is  a  wholesale  dealer  in 
fish,  and  also  deals  in  hides  and  tallow,  wool  and 
furs.  He  is  scarcely  yet  in  the  prime  of  life,  hav- 
ing been  born  March  3,  1865,  and  his  success  is 
therefore  worthy  of  special  commendation.  A  na- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


303 


tive  of  Germany,  his  birth  occurred  in  the  city  of 
Stolp,  province  of  Pomerania. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Herman  Lemm,  was 
born  in  Germany,  where  he  grew  to  manhood,  and 
for  some  time  engaged  in  the  meat  business.  In 
1872  lie  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  pro- 
ceeding direct  to  Pekin,  embarked  in  the  hide  and 
wool  business,  continuing  thus  engaged  until  his 
death,  in  1884.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Augusta  Lentz,  and  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, died  in  1872.  Five  children  had  been  born 
of  the  union,  of  whom  Henry  is  the  next  to  the 
eldest.  In  the  city  of  Buetow  he  was  reared  in 
the  family  of  an  uncle,  who  was  an  extensive 
farmer  and  who  also  carried  on  an  hotel. 

In  childhood  Henry  Lemm  was  a  student  in  a 
gymnasium,  where  he  studied  the  German,  French, 
Latin  and  Greek  languages.  When  within  one 
year  of  graduation  he  left  the  institution,  and  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  became  an  apprentice  to  the 
trade  of  a  baker  and  confectioner,  remaining  in  a 
shop  at  Coeslin  for  three  years.  Having  resolved 
to  join  his  father  in  the  United  States,  he  crossed 
the  ocean,  and  lauding  in  New  York,  came  direct 
to  Pekin.  Until  the  demise  of  his  father  he  aided 
him  in  the  business  and  afterward  assisted  his 
brother  Max,  successor  to  his  father.  In  1885  he 
purchased  the  concern  and  has  since  conducted  a 
large  trade  in  that  line.  In  the  spring  of  1891  he 
opened  a  wholesale  and  retail  fish  market,  and 
now  has  the  largest  business  in  that  line  at  Pekin. 
During  the  season  he  employs  eight  or  ten  men 
to  fish  for  him,  and  from  his  market  he  ships  to 
local  points.  His  establishment  is  the  only  one  in 
the  city  that  handles  hides,  tallow  and  wool,  and 
these  he  ships  to  the  eastern  markets.  From  Oc- 
tober to  April,  he  travels  extensively  in  order  to 
secure  a  good  grade  of  furs,  his  route  lying  along 
the  Sangamon,  Spoon  and  other  rivers. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Lemm  occurred  at  Pekin 
September  21,  1888,  and  united  him  with  Miss 
Annie  Link,  a  native  of  Peoria  County.  Three 
children  blessed  their  union,  Herman,  Augusta  and 
Jacob  H.  The  family  worships  at  St.  John's  Ger- 
man Lutheran  Church,  to  the  support  of  which 
Mr.  Lemm  is  a  generous  contributor.  In  his  po- 
litical views  he  is  a  Democrat,  though  his  business 


occupies  his  attention  to  the  exclusion  of  public 
affairs.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Turner's  society. 
While  retaining  a  natural  partiality  for  the  land 
of  his  birth,  he  is  an  ardent  admirer  and  loyal  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  form  of  Government,  and 
may  well  congratulate  himself  upon  having  sought 
a  home  in  this  country,  since  here  he  has  found 
prosperity  and  warm  friends. 


J~|  OHN  F.  QUIGG,  the  efficient  and  popular 
Cashier  of  the  Minier  Bank,  of  Minier,  111., 
i  and  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Quigg,  Tanner 
&  Co.,  proprietors  of  a  grain  elevator,  and 
of  the  firm  of  Quigg,  Railsback  &  Co.,  grain  deal- 
ers and  bankers  of  Minier,  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Mackinaw  Township,  Tazewell  County,  December 
13,  1841.  His  father,  Jacob  F.  Quigg,  came  to  this 
county  in  1836  from  Ohio.  He  was  a  native  of 
western  Pennsylvania,  and  thence  removed  to 
Richland  County,  Ohio.  On  coming  to  Illinois, 
he  purchased  a  tract  of  wild  land,  on  which  not  a 
furrow  had  been  turned  or  an  improvement  made, 
and  began  its  development.  In  Tazewell  County, 
111.,  he  married  Elizabeth  Lance,  a  native  of  Rich- 
land  County,  Ohio,  and  upon  the  farm  they  began 
their  domestic  life.  Six  children  blessed  their 
union:  James,  who  is  President  of  the  Minier 
Bank;  Mrs.  Kate  Williams,  of  Minier;  John  F.; 
Mrs.  Mary  Ward,  of  Logan  County,  111.;  Mrs.  Rose 
Jarred,  of  Mackinaw;  and  Margaret,now  deceased. 
The  father  of  this  family  was  called  to  his  final 
rest  in  1860,  and  the  mother  passed  away  in  1884. 
In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  John  F. 
Quigg  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth, 
attending  the  public  schools  through  the  winter 
season,  while  in  the  summer  months  he  aided  in 
the  labors  of  the  farm.  In  1869,  he  came  to  Min- 
ier, where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  stock  and 
grain  dealing.  In  1875  the  firm  of  Williams,  Rails- 
back  &  Co.  was  organized,  our  subject  being  the 
silent  partner,  and  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Williams, 
in  1884,  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Quigg, 
Railsback  &  Co.,  and  is  now  at  the  head  of  the 
banking  business.  The  firm  of  Quigg,  Tanner  <t 
Co.  was  organized  in  1890.  The  bank  was  estab- 


304 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


lished  in  1875  by  the  firm  of  Williams,  Railsback 
&  Co.  Its  present  officers  are:  James  F.  Quigg, 
President;  J.  E.  Railsback,  Vice-President;  John 
F.  Quigg,  Cashier;  and  R.  J.  Mitchell,  Assistant 
Cashier. 

In  1871  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Hattie,  daughter  of  Adam  Sheets.  She  was 
born  in  Virginia,  and  in  early  life  went  to  De  Witt 
County,  111.,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood.  Five 
children  grace  this  union:  J.  J.,  a  stock  dealer; 
Beauford,  a  dealer  in  agricultural  implements; 
Ivy,  a  student  in  Normal,  111.;  and  Etta  and  John, 
at  home. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Quigg  has  always  been 
identified  with  the  Democracy.  He  is  Chairman 
of  the  Democratic  Central  Committee,  has  been 
President  of  the  Town  Board,  and  for  fourteen 
years  has  been  President  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion. Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity.  In  the  building  up  of  Minier  he  has 
taken  a  prominent  and  active  part,  and  is  one  • 
of  its  most  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizens. 
His  extensive  business  interests  have  done.,nj,i,^cit; 
toward  making  it  a  thriving  place.  The  two  grain 
firms  with  which  he  is  connected  also  have  eleva- 
tors in  Hopedale,  Bradley  and  Atlanta,  and  are  en- 
joying an  immense  trade.  Mr.  Quigg  is  also  quite 
extensively  interested  in  western  lands.  His  ac- 
curate and  careful  business  methods,  his  sagacity 
and  foresight,  and  his  enterprise  are  the  factors 
which  have  brought  him  his  well  deserved  success. 


N.  EWING,  who  is  engaged  in  business 
as  a  druggist  of  Minier,  claims  Kentucky 
as  the  state  of  his  nativity,  for  he  was 
born  in  Butler  County,  the  date  being  De- 
cember 4,  1849.  His  parents,  Nathaniel  and  Nancy 
E.  (Young)  Ewing,  were  also  natives  of  Kentucky. 
The  father  was  a  farmer,  tanner  and  shoemaker, 
and  engaged  in  business  along  these  lines  in  But- 
ler County  until  1853,  when  he  emigrated  to 
McLean  County,  111.,  where  he  purchased  land 
obtained  on  a  Mexican  land  warrant.  It  was  a 
wild  tract,  but  he  at  once  began  its  development 
and  transformed  it  into  rich  and  fertile  fields. 


There  he  lived  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1876.  In  politics  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  after- 
ward a  Republican. 

During  the  Mexican  War  Mr.  Ewing  enlisted 
in  the  army,  but  peace  was  declared  ere  he  started 
for  the  scene  of  the  conflict.  Mrs.  Ewing  is  yet 
living  in  Chicago.  In  their  family  were  nine 
children,  of  whom  five  still  survive.  John  H. 
died  during  the  Civil  War  while  serving  in  the 
Union  army;  W.  W.,  who  was  one  of  the  boys  in 
blue,  now  lives  in  Mt.  Hope  Township,  McLean 
County;  S.  Y.  is  deceased;  Mrs.  Sarah  Jane  Palmer 
is  living  in  McLean  County;  Mary  F.  is  the  wife 
of  W.  C.  Trott,  a  real-estate  dealer  of  Chicago; 
and  Nancy  E.  is  the  wife  of  C.  W.  Crane,  a  farmer 
of  Saline  County,  Neb. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on  the  old 
homestead  in  McLean  County,  and  his  early  edu- 
cation, acquired  in  the  common  schools,  was  sup- 
plemented by  one  year's  attendance  at  the  Wes- 
leyaij  University  at  Bloomington,  after  which  he 
;  resumed  farming  at  the  old  home. 
:;-,  ©n-.Xhte'lJ'th  of  December,  1869,  Mr.  Ewing  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Alvira  Darnall,  daughter 
of  Nicholas  Darnall.  She  was  born  and  reared  in 
Mt.  Hope  Township,  McLean  County,  where  her 
father  located  in  an  early  day.  In  the  spring  of 
1870  the  young  couple  removed  to  Hittle  Town- 
ship, where  Mr.  Ewing  bought  land  and  followed 
farming  for  four  years.  In  1874  he  came  to 
Minier  and  embarked  in  the  drug  business  with 
G.  O.  Bailey.  A  year  later  Mr.  Bailey  sold  out  to 
William  Arnold,  who  continued  a  member  of  the 
firm  for  two  years,  when  he  disposed  of  his  inter- 
est to  Silas  J.  Nicolay.  Mr.  Ewing  and  that  gen- 
tleman were  then  in  business  for  three  years,  when 
our  subject  bought  out  his  partner's  interest,  and 
has  since  been  sole  proprietor  of  the  drug  store. 
He  has  a  well  equipped  store,  complete  in  all  its 
appointments,  and  is  now  enjoying  a  good  business. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ewing  were  born  four  children: 
Iruogene,  Alma,  Howard  and  Roy,  the  latter  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.  In  politics  our  subject  has 
always  been  identified  with  the  Republican  part}', 
and  is  now  serving  as  Supervisor  of  his  township. 
He  was  elected  to  that  office  in  1884,  filled  the  posi- 
tion for  three  years,  and  was  again  elected  in  the 


LIBRAJtt 

of  rm 

Of 


SAMUEL   R.  MOOBERRY. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


307 


spring  of  1894.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Village  Board  and  is  a  member  of  the  Republican 
Central  Committee.  On  the  25th  of  February, 
1874,  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Minier, 
filling  the  office  until  November  25,  1885.  When 
the  country  was  again  under  Republican  adminis- 
tration, he  was  given  that  position,  and  served 
from  July  1,  1889,  until  July  1,  1893.  Socially, 
lie  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the 
Odd  Fellows'  societjr.  Mr.  Ewing  is  alike  true  to 
every  public  and  private  trust,  and  in  business, 
social  and  official  relations  he  is  always  the  same, 
a  pleasant,  courteous  and  honorable  gentleman. 


AMUEL  R.  MOOBERRY.  Probably  no 
section  of  country  has  advanced  more 
rapidly  than  that  of  central  Illinois,  and 
this  has  been  due  almost  wholly  to  the 
character  of  its  pioneers.  They  encountered  many 
difficulties  during  the  first  years  of  their  sojourn 
in  the  Prairie  State,  but  they  possessed  the  energy 
and  perseverance  necessary  to  success,  and  conse- 
quently merited  the  prosperity  which  they  at- 
tained. After  having  battled  with  the  elements  of 
a  new  soil,  the  inconveniences  of  rude  farming 
implements  and  imperfect  transportation  of  their 
produce,  many  of  them  have  lived  to  see  pros- 
perity smiling  upon  their  labors. 

Some,  however,  have  been  called  from  earth 
and  now  rest  from  their  labors.  Among  this  num- 
ber is  the  subject  of  this  brief  biographical  notice, 
formerly  one  of  the  well  known  agriculturists  of 
Groveland  Township,  Tazewell  County.  In  1832, 
when  a  mere  child,  he  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Illinois  and  settled  upon  the  place  where  his  widow 
now  resides.  Here,  as  the  years  passed  by,  he  be- 
came the  possessor  of  a  valuable  estate  and  the 
proprietor  of  a  fine  farm.  His  landed  possessions 
aggregated  many  hundreds  of  acres,  but  better 
than  the  material  prosperity  that  crowned  his 
labors  was  the  high  place  he  won  among  his  fellow- 
citizens,  who  honored  him  as  a  man  of  uprightness 
and  nobility  of  character. 

In  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  Samuel  R.,  the  son 
of  David  and  Margaret  (Stumbaugh)  Mooberry, 


was  born  January  18,  1824.  He  was  reared  upon 
a  farm  in  Ohio  until  eight  years  of  age,  when  he 
accompanied  his  parents  to  Illinois.  His  education 
was  limited,  but  he  was  a  well  informed  man,  ow- 
ing to  the  fact  that  he  kept  himself  posted  upon 
topics  of  current  local  and  national  importance. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  married  and  settled 
three  miles  north  of  the  old  homestead,  where  he 
purchased  eighty  acres.  To  this  he  added  until  he 
owned  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  he  also 
bought  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  timbered 
land  from  his  father.  In  addition  to  this,  he  was 
the  owner  of  several  hundred  acres  in  Cedar  Coun- 
ty, Neb. 

A  very  important  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Moo- 
berry  was  his  marriage,  which  occurred  October 
16,  1845.  He  was  then  united  with  Miss  Louisa 
C.  Hughes,  who  was  born  in  Franklin  County, 
Ohio,  November  10,  1821.  Her  parents,  Richard 
and  Barbara  (Ruffner)  Hughes,  were  born  and 
reared  in  Virginia,  removing  thence  to  Ohio  in 
1810.  Mr.  Hughes,  although  a  saddler  by  trade, 
was  engaged  in  farming  while  a  resident  of  the 
Buckeye  State,  and  also  followed  that  occupation 
in  Illinois,  to  which  he  removed  in  1837,  settling 
in  Groveland  Township,  Tazewell  County.  In 
politics  he  was  a  Whig,  but  was  not  active  in  party 
affairs.  His  religious  belief  was  similar  to  "that  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  with  which  he  was  identified. 
His  death  occurred  in  Groveland  Township,  De- 
cember 19,  1855,  while  his  wife  passed  away  July 
4,  1860,  aged  seventy-two  years.  They  had  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  married,  while  one  son  and 
one  daughter  are  single.  Grandfather  William 
Hughes,  who  was  of  English  descent,  married 
Elizabeth  Robinson,  and  they  reared  one  son  and 
three  daughters. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mooberry  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  eleven  children,  nine  of  whom 
reached  mature  years.  David  R.  died  in  Arkan- 
sas and  his  remains  were  brought  to  Tazewell 
County  and  here  interred;  he  was  a  prominent 
Mason  and  belonged  to  the  Brotherhood  of  Loco- 
motive Engineers.  George  E.,  who  during  the  late 
war  served  as  a  soldier  in  Company  A,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fiftieth  Illinois  Infantry,  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Oregon;  Luther  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 


808 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


eight;  Evaline  is  at  home;  Elvira  married  George 
Pinkham  and  resides  in  Woodford  County;  Milton 
lives  in  Groveland  Township;  Dorcas  married  Alva 
P.  O'Brien  and  lives  in  Groveland  Township;  Net- 
tie (the  wife  of  William  L.  Van  Dyke)  and  Delia 
died  at  the  ages  of  twenty-eight  and  thirteen  re- 
spectively. Floyd  and  Walter  died  aged  two  and 
a-half  and  three  and  a-half  years  respectively.  The 
children  were  trained,  under  the  careful  supervision 
of  their  parents,  for  responsible  and  honorable 
positions  in  life,  and  those  who  still  survive  are 
highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  them. 

Iii  the  local  councils  of  the  Democracy  Mr.  Moo- 
berry  exercised  a  'large  influence,  and  he  served 
for  many  years  as  Supervisor  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  filling  these  positions  with  credit  to  himself 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people.  However, 
he  was  never  an  office  seeker,  but  preferred  to  de- 
vote his  attention  to  his  farm  and  his  family,  and 
as  a  peaceable  and  law-abiding  citizen  was  highly 
regarded  by  all  who  knew  him.  It  was  felt 
throughout  the  township  that  one  of  the  best  citi- 
zens had  been  lost  when,  July  24,  1882,  he  de- 
parted this  life.  His  widow,  an  excellent  lady, 
still  resides  upon  the  old  homestead,  upon  which 
she  recently  erected  an  elegant  residence.  She  is 
a  lady  of  superior  business  qualifications  and 
superintends  the  farm  with  excellent  judgment  and 
flattering  success. 


WILLIAM  E.  SCHENCK,  M.  D.,  is  numbered 
among  the  leading  physicians  of  Pekin, 
where  he  has  resided  for  so  many  years, 
and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  been  Examining 
Surgeon  for  Pensions  in  Tazewell  County.  It 
seems  almost  wonderful  that  so  many  physicians 
of  repute  should  be  residents  of  this  one  city,  yet 
it  is  a  fact  that  the  medical  profession  is  better 
represented  in  this  place  than  many  others,  and 
among  them  stands  pre-eminently  the  subject  of 
this  brief  sketch. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Millstone,  N.  J.,  May 
20,  1840,  and  is  the  son  of  Ernestus  Schenck,  who 
was  likewise  a  native  of  that  place,  where  he 
was  a  prominent  merchant  and  grain  dealer,  own- 


ing the  boats  which  conveyed  the  grain  to  larger 
cities.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  William 
Schenck,  was  born  in  Ringoes,  N.  J.,  and  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  The  first  of  the  family  in 
this  country  came  from  Holland  and  located  in 
New  Amsterdam. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mrs.  Ann  (Skillman) 
Schenck,  was  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Skillman, 
and  was  born  in  Ringoes.  Her  parents  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church,  and  the 
mother,  who  reared  a  family  of  eight  children,  died 
in  New  York  City  when  eighty-five  years  of  age. 
W.  E.  Schenck,  of  this  sketch,  received  a  high-school 
education  in  Lawrenceville,  N.  J.,  and  later  en- 
tered the  Trenton  Academy,  where  he  pursued  his 
studies  for  some  time.  When  nineteen  years  of 
age  he  began  reading  medicine  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  Dr.  McKissack,  of  Millstone,  and  in  1859 
entered  Belle vue  (New  York)  Medical  College, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine  in  1864. 

After  receiving  his  diploma  Dr.  Schenck  came 
to  Pekin  on  a  visit,  and  was  so  favorably  impressed 
with  the  country  that  he  determined  to  make  it 
his  future  home,  and  in  May  of  that  year  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  here.  He  is  now  one 
of  the  oldest  physicians  in  this  county,  and  from 
his  practice  enjoys  a  large  and  lucrative  income. 
The  country  being  very  sparsely  settled  when  he 
located  here,  he  has  often  ridden  fifty  miles  a  day 
in  order  to  visit  his  patients. 

Dr.  Schenck  is  the  proprietor  of  a  valuable  farm, 
including  fourteen  hundred  acres  of  land  located 
in  this  and  Mason  Counties.  The  entire  tract  is 
in  a  high  state  of  improvement,  and  the  Doctor 
erected  thereon  a  beautiful  residence,  which  is  fin- 
ished and  furnished  in  modern  style. 

Since  1869  our  subject  has  been  Pension  Exam- 
iner of  this  county,  which  fact  in  itself  is  sufficient 
evidence  of  his  high  standing  as  a  physician.  In 
October,  1866,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Emma, 
daughter  of  the  Hon.  Benjamin  S.  Prettyman,  who 
received  her  education  in  the  Female  College  at 
Jacksonville.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  three  children.  Fannie,  now  Mrs.  Frank 
Payton,  of  this  city,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Morgan 
Park  Female  College;  Benjamin  is  bookkeeper  in 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


309 


the  German-American  Bank,  and  Virginia  is  at- 
tending an  art  school  in  Chicago.  Our  subject  is 
local  surgeon  for  the  Santa  Fe,  Jacksonville  & 
South-eastern,  and  Peoria,  Decatur  &  Evansville 
Railroads.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  is 
very  popular  in  the  ranks  of  his  party. 


J|  OSEPII  REED,  a  real-estate  and  loan  dealer 
and  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Minier,  is  recog- 
I    nized  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens 
of    that  place.     He  was  born  February  4, 

1824,  in  Kentucky.  His  grandfather  was  a  native 
of  Virginia  and  an  early  settler  of  Kentucky.  His 
father,  John  Reed,  was  born  and  reared  in  the  lat- 
ter state,  and  there  married  Catherine,  daughter  of 
John  Landis,  also  a  native  of  Kentucky.  He  en- 
gaged in  building  ttatboats  and  conveying  produce 
and  stock  down  the  rivers  to  New  Orleans,  until 
his  removal  to  what  was  then  Sangamon  County, 
but  is  now  a  part  of  Logan  County,  111.  He  set- 
tled among  the  Indians,  pre-empted  land  from  the 
Government  five  miles  north  of  the  present  site  of 
Lincoln,  and  began  the  development  of  a  home- 
stead, upon  which  lie  resided  until  1856.  From 
that  time  he  lived  a  retired  life.  He  passed 
away  October  30,  1892,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety-six  years,  four  months  and  twenty  days, 
and  his  wife  died  June  16,  1858.  Their  family 
numbered  eight  children,  six  of  whom  reached  ma- 
ture years,  while  live  are  yet  living:  Samuel,  a  re- 
tired farmer  of  Algona,  Iowa;  Joseph;  Henry,  a 
farmer  of  Marshalltown,  Iowa;  Susan,  wife  of  A. 
K.  Lucas,  foreman  in  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad  shops  of  Omaha,  Neb.;  and  Mrs. 
Catherine  Stewart,  of  Vermilion  County,  111.  One 
son,  William,  was  a  soldier  of  the  late  war.  The 
father  of  this  family  supported  the  Whig  party  in 
early  life,  but  afterward  became  a  Republican.  In 
religious  belief  he  was  a  Dunkard. 

Joseph  Reed  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead 
farm  in  Logan  County,  and  was  educated  in  a  log 
schoolhouse.  He  went  through  the  experiences  of 
pioneer  life  and  aided  in  the  task  of  developing  a 
farm.  He  was  married  January  12,  1846,  to  Mary 
J.,  daughter  of  James  Williams,  who  was  a  native 


of  Kentucky,  and  became  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  Woodford  County,  111.,  making  his  home  near 
Eureka.  Mrs.  Reed  was  born  in  Madison  Count}', 
Ky.,  February.  22,  1825,  and  was  a  maiden  of 
eleven  summers  when  with  her  parents  she  came 
to  the  west.  The  young  couple  began  their  domes- 
tic life  upon  Delavan  Prairie,  Logan  County, 
where  Mr.  Reed  entered  land  from  the  Govern- 
ment and  cultivated  a  farm.  There  he  engaged 
quite  extensively  in  buying  cattle  and  hogs,  which 
he  shipped  to  market.  In  1849  he  sold  his  farm 
and  removed  to  the  town  of  Lincoln,  then  called 
Postville,  where  he  purchased  property,  and  con- 
tinued to  deal  in  stock  for  six  jears.  He  built  the 
third  dwelling  house  in  that  place,  and  helped  to 
carry  the  chain  used  in  laying  out  the  town.  Sub- 
sequently he  embarked  in  the  real-estate  business, 
and  continued  to  make  his  home  in  Lincoln  until 
1873. 

In  that  year  Mr.  Reed  removed  to  Lucas  Coun- 
ty, Iowa,  where  he  bought  land  and  engaged  in 
farming  for  fourteen  months.  During  the  two 
succeeding  years  he  resided  in  Peoria,  and  in  1876 
came  to  Minier,  where  he  engaged  in  stock  deal- 
ing for  a  time.  He  now  devotes  his  energies  to 
the  real-estate  and  loan  business,  which  he  profit- 
ably follows.  He  has  about  twelve  residences  in 
this  place,  together  with  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land  in  Lucas  County,  Iowa,  and  twelve 
hundred  acres  in  Oregon  and  Reynolds  Counties, 
Mo. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reed  lost  their  only  child,  John  J., 
who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years  while 
farming  in  Iowa.  In  politics,  our  subject  was  a 
Whig.  In  1856,  he  established  the  Lincoln  Herald, 
the  first  newspaper  of  Lincoln,  111.  It  is  still  in  ex- 
istence. He  began  it  as  an  independent  paper,  but 
after  three  issues  it  became  a  supporter  of  Fremont, 
for  whom  Mr.  Reed  voted  on  the  organization  of 
the  Republican  party.  He  was  a  warm  friend  of 
Abraham  Lincoln,  whom  he  knew  well.  For  more 
than  thirty-five  years  he  has  served  as  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  filling  the  office  for  fourteen  consecu- 
tive years,  and  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  Vil- 
lage Board. 

Speaking  of  pioneer  days,  Mr.  Reed  said  that 
nearly  every  one  in  the  early  days  raised  every- 


310 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


thing  used,  so  that  the  trade  of  merchants  was  not 
very  flourishing.  Coffee  and  tea  were  luxuries 
used  only  on  rare  occasions.  The  sheep  furnished 
wool  for  the  winter  clothing,  and  the  cotton  and 
flax  which  the  farmer  raised  supplied  summer 
clothing,  the  goods  being  spun  and  woven  by  the 
wives  and  daughters,  who  colored  them  with  cop- 
peras and  indigo.  The  fur  of  the  raccoon  was 
used  in  making  hats  and  caps,  and  the  skins  of 
cattle  and  deer,  dressed  in  a  neighboring  tan  yard, 
made  the  shoes  and  moccasins  worn.  The  people 
lived  in  log  cabins,  and  were  quick  to  supply  by 
ingenious  devices  the  articles  which  they  would 
have  bought  had  they  lived  in  the  east.  The  fur- 
niture was  largely  home-made,  also  the  carts  and 
wagons,  and  even  the  farm  machinery.  This  is  a 
picture  of  pioneer  life  experienced  by  many  of  the 
early  settlers  who  braved  the  trials  and  hardships 
of  the  frontier  to  make  homes  for  themselves  and 
families. 


ON.  WESLEY  B.  HARVEY,  known  and 
I)  honored  throughout  this  section  of  the 
state  as  one  of  Washington's  most  influ- 
ential citizens,  was  born  in  Licking  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  near  the  cit}-  of  Newark,  December  15, 
1824.  He  is  the  son  of  James  Harvey,  a  native  of 
Maryland,  who  in  1792  removed  thence  to  Vir- 
ginia, and  from  there  went  west  to  Ohio  prior  to 
the  conflict  of  1812.  In  that  war  he  and  three  of 
his  brothers  rendered  valiant  service  to  our  cause, 
and  he  was  also  a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  War. 
He  was  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  eleven  chil- 
dren. 

Coming  to  Illinois  as  early  as  1828,  James  Har- 
vey settled  in  Tazewell  County,  and  his  was  one 
of  the  first  seven  families  that  located  in  the 
township.  The  property  purchased  by  him  was 
situated  within  a  mile  and  a-half  of  the  present 
site  of  Washington,  and  through  his  efforts  was 
placed  under  first-class  improvements.  He  re- 
sided upon  that  place  until  1834,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Deer  Creek  Township,  where  he  spent 
twenty  years.  He  later  spent  three  years  in 
Peoria,  and  then  returned  to  this  county,  where 
his  death  occurred  in  Groveland  Township  in 


1859.  Upon  coming  to  this  county  his  means 
were  limited,  but  such  was  his  industry  and  judg- 
ment that  he  accumulated  a  valuable  property, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  demise  was  well-to-do. 

Tracing  the  lineage  still  farther  back,  we  find 
that  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
William  Harvey,  was  born  on  a  sailing-vessel  on 
the  Atlantic  Ocean,  when  his  parents  were  com- 
ing to  this  country  from  Scotland.  They  settled 
in  Maryland,  where  we  find  the  first  trace  of  the 
family  in  the  United  States..  The  mother  of  our 
subject,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Ann 
Biningsley,  was  a  native  of  Maryland  and  was 
descended  from  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of 
Ohio.  She  died  in  1873,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years. 

Wesley  B.  Harvey  is  the  next  to  the  eldest  of 
eleven  children,  three  sons  and  eight  daughters, 
of  whom  all  but  one  lived  to  mature  years.  One 
sister  was  drowned  at  the  age  of  five  years.  Eight 
of  the  family  are  now  living.  William  A.,  who 
became  a  prominent  farmer  in  Ringgold  County, 
Iowa,  also  served  as  Postmaster  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  is  now  living  retired.  John,  who  was 
a  Captain  in  the  Civil  War,  is  now  engaged  in 
farming  at  Atlantic,  Iowa.  Martha  J.  became  the 
wife  of  J.  B.  Burrell,  a  successful  stockman  of  Mis- 
souri. Drucilla  married  A.  J.  Phillips,  a  Captain 
in  the  Confederate  army,  but  now  a  railroad  con- 
ductor. Hattie  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  Hibbard 
and  resides  near  Sedan,  Kan. 

Brought  to  Tazewell  County  at  the  age  of  four 
years,  our  subject  has  little  recollection  of  any 
home  save  this.  His  boyhood  years  were  spent 
on  the  frontier  farm,  and  he  received  only  such 
limited  schooling  as  fell  to  the  lot  of  pioneer  boys. 
For  some  years  he  engaged  in  farming,  but  re- 
tired from  that  occupation  on  account  of  poor 
health,  and  has  since  engaged  largely  in  buying 
notes,  as  well  as  in  trading.  A  Republican  in  pol- 
itics, he  has  been  very  intimately  connected  with 
public  affairs  of  the  city  and  county,  and  has  oc- 
cupied many  positions  of  honor.  For  ten  years 
he  served  as  Supervisor  of  his  township,  for 
twenty  years  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  for  two  terms  was  Mayor  of  Washing- 
ton. In  1880  he  was  elected  to  represent  his  dis- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


'  311 


trict  in  the  State  Legislature  and  was  one  of  the 
most  active  members  of  the  House,  serving  on 
several  important  committees. 

In  December,  1849,  Hon.  W.  B.  Harvey  married 
Miss  Eliza  Barrett,  who  was  born  in  Illinois  and 
died  at  Washington  in  1891,  leaving  no  children. 
The  second  marriage  of  our  subject  occurred  in 
July,  1892,  and  united  him  with  Mrs.  Nancy 
(Forbes)  Sheppard,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  who 
came  to  this  state  in  childhood.  She  was  first 
married  to  Dr.  Sheppard,  who  died  in  1875.  In 
religious  connections  Mr.  Harvey  is  a  Methodist, 
while  his  wife  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
Socially,  he  affiliates  with  the  Royal  Arch  Masons. 
Through  good  management  and  unceasing  indus- 
try he  has  accumulated  valuable  possessions,  and 
is  now  the  owner  of  several  fine  farms,  as  well  as 
other  property. 


eHARLES  H.  DUISDIEKER  is   one   of  the 
most  enterprising  and  progressive  citizens 
of  Pekin,  the  thriving  county  seat  of  Taze- 
well    County.     He  is  now  sole  proprietor  of  the 
Duisdieker  Foundry  and  Machine  Works,  one  of 
the   leading   industries  of  the  city.     A    man    of 
resolute  will  and  excellent  business  ability,  he  suc- 
cessfully manages  his  affairs  and  thereby  adds  to 
the  prosperity  of  the  locality  in  which  he  makes 
his  home. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Bunde,  Westphalia, 
Prussia,  July  20,  1851.  His  father,  Henry  Duis- 
dieker, was  a  native  of  the  same  locality  and  was 
a  jeweler  and  watchmaker'.  He  served  in  the  Rev- 
olution of  1848,  and  in  1858  he  removed  from 
Bunde  to  Paderborn,  where  his  death  occurred  in 
1876.  His  wife,  Sophia,  was  born  in  Iserlohn, 
Westphalia,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Krauskopf 
Dumpleman,  who  kept  a  hotel  in  Iserlohn.  She 
died  within  two  months  of  her  husband.  Both 
were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  in 
their  family  were  twelve  children,  of  whom  nine 
are  yet  living. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch 
was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  At  the  age  of 
seven,  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Paderborn, 
and  was  educated  in  its  gymnasium.  At  the  age 
of  sixteen  he  became  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  store,  and 


at  the  age  of  nineteen  entered  the  Franco-Prus- 
sian War  as  one  of  the  Cavalry  Hussars.  He  served 
for  two  years,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Mc-tz. 
It  was  in  1874  that  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
America.  Boarding  a  steamer  at  Bremen,  four- 
teen days  later  he  landed  in  New  York,  and  eigh- 
teen days  after  leaving  home  we  find  him  in 
Pekin,  where  he  secured  employment  in  a  grocery 
store.  Two  years  later  he  became  bookkeeper  for 
John  Stoltz,  proprietor  of  a  flour  mill,  and  served 
as  its  manager  for  ten  years.  During  this  time, 
he  placed  the  business  on  a  successful  financial 
basis,  largely  increasing  the  output  of  the  mill  and 
its  sales. 

Mr.  Duisdieker  was  married  in  1876  to  Martha 
Voll,  who  was  born  in  West  Prussia,  and  who  when 
a  babe  of  six  months  was  brought  by  her  parents 
to  Pekin,  111.  Her  father,  August  Voll,  was  a 
farmer  of  Groveland  Township,  Tazewell  County. 
They  have  two  children,  Charles  and  Norma. 

In  1886,  Mr.  Duisdieker  became  interested  in 
the  foundry  and  manufacturing  company.  The 
business  was  established  in  1866  by  Voth  &  Sack- 
eureuther.  With  Mr.  Voth  our  subject  was  in 
partnership  until  1889,  when  the  senior  member 
sold  out  to  H.  F.  Smith,  and  the  business  was  car- 
ried on  under  the  firm  name  of  Duisdieker  <fe  Smith 
until  1891,  when  our  subject  became  sole  proprie- 
tor. The  capacity  of  the  foundry  has  been  several 
times  enlarged.  The  foundry  room  is  75x95  feet, 
and  the  plant  covers  a  space  200x200  feet.  It 
is  fitted  up  with  all  the  improvements  and  ac- 
cessories connected  with  the  business,  and  turns 
out  as  fine  iron  work  as  is  done  in  the  country. 
During  the  financial  depression  of  1893,  he  did 
not  suspend  business,  but  in  the  spring  of  that 
year  built  his  present  large  factory  and  continued 
operations  throughout  the  summer.  Employment 
is  furnished  to  from  forty  to  fifty  men,  and  they 
manufacture  the  J.  C.  Sharp  Stump  and  Grub  Ex- 
tractor, the  Western  Steam  Generator  Feed  Mills, 
Cyclone  Emery  Grinders,  and  iron  and  brass  cast- 
ings. Mr.  Duisdieker  owns  the  patents  of  all  these 
except  the  first-named. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Turner  Opera  House  Company,  which  erected  the 
fine  opera  house  in  1890,  and  from  1892  until  May, 


312 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1894,  he  has  been  lessee  and  manager.  In  1890 
he  laid  out  the  northwest  division  of  Pekin,  com- 
prising thirty-eight  lots,  and  has  always  been 
identified  with  interests  calculated  to  upbuild  and 
improve  the  city.  In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart 
Democrat;  for  five  years  he  was  Chairman  of  the 
Township  Democratic  Committee,  and  for  four 
years  was  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  County 
Democratic  Committee.  In  1884,  he  was  elected 
Alderman  from  the  Third  Ward  for  two  years;  in 
1889  was  elected  City  Treasurer  for  two  years, 
and  in  1891  was  elected  Alderman  from  the  Fourth 
Ward,  since  which  time  he  has  filled  that  office. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  finance  and  of  the  fire  and 
water  committees.  Socially,  he  is  a  Royal  Arch 
Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America. 


ON.  JOHN  H.  ANTHONY,  Mayor  of  Wash- 
ingtou,  is  a  native  of  Vermont,  having 
been  born  in  Rutland  County,  December 
14,  1820.  He  is  the  son  of  Capt.  Albro 
Anthony,  a  native  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  for  many 
3'ears  a  sea  captain,  owning  and  navigating  a  mer- 
chant vessel  sailing  between  the  ports  of  Newport 
and  Liverpool  and  the  West  Indies.  After  retir- 
ing from  the  sea  he  went  to  the  Green  Mountain 
State,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  He  became 
a  man  of  great  influence  among  his  fellow-citizens, 
whom  for  many  years  he  represented  in  the  State 
Legislature.  For  some  time  he  served  as  Magis- 
trate and  Town  Clerk,  and  filled  other  local  posi- 
tions of  trust.  His  death  occurred  in  Vermont  in 
1833,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two,  he  having  been 
born  in  1761. 

The  ancestry  of  the  Anthony  family  originated 
in  England.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject was  a  sea-faring  man,  as  was  also  Church  An- 
thony, a  brother  of  our  subject's  father.  The  latter, 
after  many  years  spent  upon  the  high  seas,  settled 
in  Charleston,  S.  C.,  where  he  became  a  wealthy 
and  influential  citizen.  Of  the  three  brothers  of 
John  H.,  we  note  the  following:  Dr.  William  C. 
Anthony,  a  prominent  physician  of  Princeton,  111., 
died  in  that  city  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  more  than 
four  score  years;  Charles  S.  N.,  who  came  to  Wash- 


ington in  1840,  was  an  extensive  merchant  and 
successful  agriculturist,  also  served  as  Magistrate 
for  years,  dying  here  in  1857;  Edward  N.  came  to 
Washington  in  1837,  and  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  until  his  death,  in  1848. 

The  mother  of  John  H.  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Salome  Wood,  and  was  born  in  Hartland,  Vt., 
being  a  descendant  of  Puritan  ancestors.  Her  fa- 
ther, Josiah  Wood,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  In  1837  she  came  west  with  three 
sons  and  one  daughter,  and  made  her  home  with 
our  subject  until  her  death.  John  H.,  of  this 
sketch,  received  in  boyhood  a  fair  education,  and 
was  a  youth  of  seventeen  years  when  he  came  to  I 
Washington.  Here,  in  1843,  he  purchased  an 
eight3'-acre  tract  of  land.  In  1846  he  became  a 
traveling  salesman,  in  which  capacity  he  visited 
the  majority  of  the  western  and  southern  states, 
and  continued  thus  engaged  until  1852.  However, 
his  final  retirement  from  the  road  did  not  occur 
until  five  years  later,  though  much  of  his  time  dur- 
ing the  intervening  period  was  devoted  to  the 
mercantile  business,  in  which  he  was  engaged  with 
his  brother  at  Washington. 

Settling  upon  his  farm  in  1858,  from  that  time 
until  1890  Mr.  Anthony  was  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock-raising,  and  since  then  has  been 
a  resident  of  Washington,  though  he  may  be  seen 
every  day  driving  to  his  estate  in  the  country.  In 
the  early  days  of  the  history  of  Tazewell  County, 
he  was  one  of  its  most  extensive  stockmen,  and 
often  drove  large  herds  of  cattle  to  Wisconsin  and 
other  states.  At  the  time  of  retiring,  in  1890,  he 
sold  his  large  farm,  but  still  owns  two  hundred 
acres,  a  portion  of  which  is  situated  within  the 
corporate  limits  of  the  city  of  Washington. 

As  a  member  of  the  Republican  party,  Mr.  An- 
thony has  long  been  intimately  associated  with  the 
history  of  the  city  and  county.  In  1857  he  was 
elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  in  1871  became 
Township  Supervisor,  holding  that  position  for 
twenty  years.  In  1876  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  State  Board  of  Equalization,  which  position 
he  filled  for  four  years.  In  November  of  1890  he 
was  chosen  to  represent  his  district  in  the  State 
Legislature,  and  in  that  responsible  position  dis- 
played the  possession  of  ability  of  a  superior  or- 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


313 


der.  After  two  years  of  faithful  service,  he  was  a 
candidate  for  re-nomination  for  the  office,  but 
after  the  convention  had  balloted  two  hundred  and 
thirty-one  times  he  was  defeated  by  but  one  vote. 
In  the  fall  of  1893  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  Wash- 
ington, and  as  the  incumbent  of  that  office  has  in- 
stituted many  worthy  reforms  and  needed  im- 
provements. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Anthony,  occurring  in 
1858,  united  him  with  Miss  Catherine  C.  Kyes,  a 
native  of  Michigan  and  the  daughter  of  Laban 
Kyes,  who  from  his  native  state,  New  Hampshire, 
enlisted  for  service  in  the.  War  of  1812,  and  aided 
in  the  defense  of  our  country  against  the  encroach- 
ment of  the  British.  Later  he  was  a  pioneer  of 
Washington,  to  which  place  he  came  in  1837.  Mrs. 
Catherine  Anthony  died  in  January,  1890,  after 
having  become  the  mother  of  three  sons  and  one 
daughter.  John  A.,  a  graduate  of  Rush  Medical 
College,  Chicago,  is  a  prominent  physician  of 
Peoria,  111.;  Charles  H.,  who  was  graduated  from 
the  veterinary  college  of  Chicago,  is  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  that  profession  in  Washington; 
Mark,  a  graduate  of  the  Washington  High  School, 
is  now  connected  with  the  Hicks  Lumber  Com- 
pany, at  Streator,  111.;  Kate  is  the  wife  of  W.  T. 
Cornelison,  who  for  several  years  has  been  con- 
nected witli  the  Chicago,  Burlington  <fe  Quincy 
Elevator  Company,  of  Peoria,  he  being  General 
Superintendent.  His  father,  Rev.  I.  A.  Cornelison, 
was  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Wash- 
ington for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 


BECKER.  Among  the  shrewd, 
successful  and  far-seeing  young  business 
men  of  Pekin  is  Herman  Becker,  whose 
life  of  industry  and  usefulness  and  whose 
record  for  honesty  and  uprightness  have  given  him 
a  hold  upon  the  community  which  all  might  well 
desire  to  share.  He  is  the  proprietor  of  a  fine 
grocery,  located  on  No.  422  Court  Street,  and  ranks 
among  the  prominent  business  men  of  the  place. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  this  city,  where  his 
birth  occurred  January  4,  1860.  He  is  the  son  of 
John  Becker,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to 


America  when  a  young  man  and  first  located  in 
Peoria,  where  his  marriage  occurred.  Later  he 
came  to  Pekin,  and  for  some  time  carried  on  the 
grocery  business  with  Ibe  Look,  they  forming 
one  of  the  well-to-do  firms  of  the  city.  After  dis- 
posing of  his  interest  in  the  store,  he  purchased  a 
farm  two  and  one-half  miles  north  of  the  city,  on 
which  he  was  residing  at  the  time  of  his  decease,  in 
1872,  when  forty-eight  years  of  age.  His  good 
wife  was  also  a  native  of  the  Fatherland  and  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Maggie  Krie.  She  came  to 
America  with  the  Look  family  when  fourteen  years 
of  age,  and  is  at  present  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  this  county.  • 

Herman  Becker  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth 
of  a  family  of  nine  children  born  to  his  parents, 
of  whom  the  eldest,  John  H.,  accidentally  shot 
himself  when  twenty-three  years  of  age;  George 
H.  is  residing  in  Bloomington,  this  state;  Lydia 
married  William  Gay,  of  this  city;  Theodore  lives 
on  the  old  farm,  and  the  remainder  of  the  children 
are  all  deceased.  Our  subject  was  reared  to  farm 
pursuits  and  received  his  education  in  the  district 
schools  near  his  home.  In  1887  he  removed  into 
the  city,  and  in  company  witli  Bonnie  Look  es- 
tablished a  grocery  store  under  the  style  of  Look 
&  Becker.  This  connection  lasted,  however,  but 
twelve  months,  when  Mr.  Becker  became  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  entire  grocery,  and  has  since  con- 
ducted his  business  affairs  afone,  having  a  fine 
establishment  located  at  No.  422  Court  Street.  It 
is  22x95  feet  in  dimensions  and  is  well  stocked 
with  every  variety  of  staple  and  fancy  groceries, 
and  includes  a  large  and  varied  assortment  of 
crockery. 

In  1887  Herman  Becker  was  married  in  this  city 
to  Miss  Lena  Ubben,  who  was  also  a  native  of  this 
place.  The  three  children  who  have  come  to  bless 
their  home  are  Walter  J.,  Henry  G.  and  Ernest  A. 
Mr.  Becker  has  been  a  faithful  incumbent  of  several 
offices  within  the  gift  of  the  people,  and  in  1889 
was  elected  City  Supervisor.  The  following  year 
he  was  elected  Tax  Collector  of  Pekin  Township 
and  city,  and  at  the  present  time  is  serving  as  a 
member  of  the  School  Board.  Socially  he  is  a 
Knight  of  Pythias,  being  a  charter  member  of  La- 
Fayette  Lodge  No.  216,  in  which  he  has  occupied 


314 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


all  the  chairs.  He  is  likewise  a  charter  member  and 
Captain  of  the  Uniformed  Rank,  Division  No.  65, 
and  attended  the  conclave  held  at  Kansas  City, 
Mo.,  in  1892.  For  five  years  he  was  a  member  of 
Company  I,  Seventh  Regiment  Illinois  National 
Guards,  and  has  occupied  all  the  offices  in  Black 
Tribe  No.  11  of  the  Order  of  Redmen.  He  is  like- 
wise a  Modern  Woodman  and  belongs  to  Celestial 
Ruling  No.  254  of  the  Mystic  Circle.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Democrat.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was 
Treasurer  and  Director  of  the  Pekin  Gun  Club. 


eHRISTIAN  MAY.  In  reviewing  the  lives 
of  the  citizens  of  Morton,  we  find  few,  if 
any,  more  deserving  of  mention  than  the 
gentleman  with  whose  name  we  introduce  this 
sketch.  As  an  official  he  has  been  long  and  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  history  of  this  commu- 
nity; as  a  citizen  he  has  ever  been  progressive  and 
public-spirited;  while  in  his  relations  as  a  frien'd- 
and  neighbor  he  has  been  kind,  generous  and  con* 
siderate.  In  a  volume  dedicated  to  the  pr6mi;ne"nt 
men  of  Tazewell  County,  it  is  therefore  appropri- 
ate that  mention  be  made  of  Christian  May. 

Born  in  Nassau,  Germany,  in  1834,  our  subject 
grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  land.  Thence  on 
the  4th  of  October,  1855,  he  took  passage  on  a 
vessel  bound  for  the  United  States,  and  after  a 
tedious  voyage  he  landed  in  New  Orleans,  January 
11,  1856.  About  April  1  of  the  same  year,  he 
joined  his  uncle,  J.  C.  May,  in  Morton  and  has 
since  made  this  village  his  home.  Since  coming 
here  he  has  witnessed  the  growth  of  the  place  from 
a  small  and  unimportant  hamlet  to  a  thriving  bus- 
iness town,  which  is  now  incorporated  under  the 
laws  of  the  state  of  Illinois.  Many  of  his  neighbors 
who  best  know  Mr.  May  will  bear  us  out  in  our 
assertion  when  we  say  that  much  of  the  improve- 
ment, thrift  and  business-like  appearance  of  the 
place  is  due  to  the  energy  and  keen  business  qual- 
ifications of  our  subject. 

After  his  arrival  in  Morton  Mr.  May  devoted 
his  attention  to  agriculture  until  1862,  when,  the 
Rebellion  being  in  progress,  he  enlisted  on  the 
15th  of  August  as  a  member  of  Company  E, 


Eighty-second  Regiment,  Illinois  Infantry.  The 
regiment  was  organized  at  Camp  Butler,  Spring- 
field, and  remained  in  that  city^until  October, 
when  it  was  ordered  east  to  join  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  On  the  3d  of  May,  1863,  in  the  battle 
of  Chancellorsville  he  was  wounded  in  the  left  el- 
bow by  a  gunshot,  and  was  taken  to  Fin  ley  Hospi- 
tal, Washington,  D.  C.,  where  his  arm  was  ampu- 
tated on  the  31st  of  the  same  month.  He  re- 
mained in  the  hospital  until  September  8,  1863, 
when  he  was  honorably  discharged  from  the  army. 

Returning  to  Tazewell  County,  and  realizing 
the  great  need  of  a  better  education,  Mr.  May  en- 
tered school  at  Groveland,  where  he  remained  for 
four  months,  and  later  prosecuted  his  studies  for 
ten  months  at  Tremont.  Leaving  school,  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Marble  Works  of  John 
Merkle,  at  Peoria,  111.,  and  traveled  for  that  con- 
cern until  January,  1870.  At  the  time  of  his 
marriage  he  settled  permanently  in  Morton,  where 
he  has  since  held  official  positions  almost  continu- 
ously. In  April,  1870,  he  was  appointed  Post- 
nya$te.r.,,.and  in  the  spring  of  the  same  year  was 
elected  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  has  been  Asses- 
sor at  least  sixteen  different  times,  and  since  1872 
has  served  as  Treasurer  of  the  School  Board.  For 
four  years  he  has  been  Village  Clerk  and  at  one 
time  served  as  Township  Collector.  In  connection 
with  the  insurance  business  he  was  a  Notary  Pub- 
lic and  devoted  his  attention  to  the  duties  of  that 
office  for  twenty-three  years.  Through  energy  and 
the  exercise  of  good  judgment,  he  has  accumulated 
some  village  property  and  is  also  the  owner  of 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Cass  County, 
Neb. 

Mr.  May  and  Miss  Mary  A.  Hay  were  united  in 
marriage  October  28,  1869.  Mrs.  May  is  a  native 
of  Lyons,  N.  Y.,  and  in  her  childhood  accompanied 
her  parents,  Valentine  and  Salome  Hay,  to  Illinois, 
where  she  has  since  resided.  Their  marriage  re- 
sulted in  the  birth  of  two  children.  The  daugh- 
ter, Dora  A.,  who  received  an  excellent  education 
in  the  schools  of  Morton  and  Galesburg,  is  the 
wife  of  J.  E.  Hooton,  Principal  of  the  high  school 
at  Mendon,  Adams  County,  111.  The  son,  Charles 
H.,  who  has  completed  the  course  of  study  in  the 
Morton  schools,  is  now  a  student  in  Knox  College, 


ubk/uw 

Of  !Ht 

UWVEKSHY  Of   ILLINOIS 


JAMES   M.  CAMPBELL. 
[DECEASED.] 


MARY   E.  CAMPBELL 


LIBRARY 
OFtHt 

umvfltsii  t  g>  ILLINOIS 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


319 


Galesburg.  Politically  Mr.  May  is  a  Republican 
in  his  views  and  always  gives  his  support  to  the 
candidates  and  principles  of  his  chosen  party. 
Socially  he  affiliates  with  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  belonging  to  Bryner  Post  at  Peoria.  He 
and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church  at  Morton  and  he  is  at  present  Chairman 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 


I 


AMES  M.  CAMPBELL,  deceased,  was  born 


in  Brown  County,  Ohio,  near  Riplcy, 
September  30,  1810,  and  was  a  son  of 
Charles  and  Elizabeth  (Tweed)  Campbell. 
His  father  was  probably  a  native  of  Virginia,  and 
at  an  early  day  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  fol- 
lowed farming  until  1834.  With  an  elder  brother, 
\V.  W.  Campbell,  he  then  came  to  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty, 111.,  and  entered  from  the  Government  t!ie  land, 
upon  which  Morton  now  stands.  •,....,.,„  Y, 

When  our  subject  was  five  years  of  age  his  par- 
ents removed  to  a  farm  near  Georgetown,  Ohio, 
and  he  was  there  reared  to  manhood.  When 
eleven  years  of  age,  through  the  ignorance  of  a 
physician,  he  lost  his  right  legend  as  this  unfitted 
him  for  farm  work  he  learned  t.ie  tailor's  trade, 
which  he  followed  for  many  years  in  Ohio.  In 
November,  1834,  he  came  to  Tazewell  County, and 
in  May  following  located  at  the  new  home  on  the 
present  site  of  Morton.  Mrs.  Campbell  still  has  in 
her  possession  the  patent  which  her  husband  se- 
cured from  the  Government. 

In  1850  Mr.  Campbell  laid  out  the  town,  and 
afterward  platted  several  additions  to  it.  He  made 
his  home  with  his  aged  parents,  and  cared  for 
them  until  after  the  death  of  his  mother,  in  1870. 
In  March,  1871,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  E.  Saul,  daughter  of  George  and  Nancy 
(White)  Saul.  Mrs.  Campbell  is  a  native  of  Frank 
lin  County,  Ohio,  and  her  mother  was  there  born, 
but  her  father  was  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State, 
and  was  born  June  19,  1805.  They  came  to  Taze- 
well County  in  1836,  when  their  daughter  was  a 
child  of  two  years,  and  the  father  followed  farm- 
ing. He  was  an  active  business  man  until  his 
7 


death,  November  19,  1885,  when  past  the  age  of 
eighty.  His  widow,  who  still  survives  him,  is 
now  living  in  Harvey  County,  Kan.,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two,  and  her  years  rest  lightly  upon  her. 
In  their  family  were  four  children:  Jefferson,  now 
of  Butler  County,  Kan.;  Mary  E.;  Caroline,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  ten  years;  and  Julia  A. 

Mr.  Campbell  was  a  prominent  and  influential 
citizen,  and  on  the  incorporation  of  Morton  he 
was  elected  Village  Councilman,  but  resigned  the 
position  to  lead  a  quiet  life.  In  business  he  was 
successful,  for  he  was  an  untiring  worker,  and  his 
enterprise,  industry  and  good  management  won 
him  a  handsome  competence.  He  was  a  man  of 
positive  convictions,  fearless  in  support  of  what 
he  believed  to  be  right,  and  was  charitable  and 
benevolent,  giving  freely  of  his  means  to  the  poor 
and  needy.  He  exercised  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Democratic  party.  All  who  knew 
him  respected  him  for  his  sterling  worth  and  strict 
integrity,  and  his  friends  in  the  community  were 
v«.ajjyt;  lie  died  from  an  attack  of  la  grippe  March 
22,1891.  Mrs.  Campbell,  a  most  estimable  lady, 
still  makes  her  home  in  Morton. 


w 


ILLIAM  BENNET,  who  follows  farming 
on  section  19,  Little  Mackinaw  Township, 
is  one  of  the  native  sons  of  Tazewell 
County.  He  was  born  in  Elm  Grove  Township, 
May  5,  1829,  and  is  a  representative  of  an  honored 
pioneer  family.  His  grandfather,  Timothy  Ben- 
net,  was  a  native  of  England,  and  emigrating  to 
America,  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  When 
his  son  Nathaniel,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  was  five 
years  old,  he  removed  to  Clinton  County,  Ohio. 
This  was  in  1804.  He  took  up  land  from  the  Gov- 
ernment, cleared  and  developed  a  farm,  and  there 
spent  his  remaining  days.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Iloblitt,  was  of  German 
descent. 

Nathaniel  Bennet  was  born  February  28,  1799, 
and  was  reared  in  Clinton  County,  Ohio.  He  mar- 
ried Elizabeth,  daughter  of  William  Manker,  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  and  lived  upon  a  farm  in  Clin- 


320 


PORTRAfT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ton  County  until  1828,  when  he  started  with  his 
wife  and  three  children  in  a  '-prairie  schooner"  to 
Illinois,  locating  in  what  is  now  Elm  Grove  Town- 
ship, Tazewell  County.  Later  he  entered  eighty 
acres  of  timber  land  and  eighty  acres  of  prairie 
land  in  Hopedale  Township,  and  lived  in  a  tent 
until  a  log  cabin  could  be  built.  The  Indians 
were  more  numerous  in  the  neighborhood  than 
the  white  settlers,  and  deer  and  other  wild  game 
abounded.  Mr.  Bennet  was  an  expert  hunter, 
so  his  table  was  usually  supplied  with  meat. 
He  did  his  hunting  with  an  old  flintlock  rifle 
which  his  father  used  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 
His  death  occurred  on  the  old  homestead  May  28, 
1870,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1864.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  County  Commissioners  of  Taze- 
well County,  and  was  a  prominent  and  influential 
citizen.  In  politics  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  after- 
ward a  Democrat.  At  his  death  he  owned  about 
three  hundred  acres  of  land  which  he  had  himself 
improved. 

In  the  Bennet  family  were  nine  children,  six 
yet  living:  John,  a  farmer  of  Elm  Grove  Town- 
ship; William;  Mrs.  Eliza  J.  Mount,  of  Dillon 
Township;  Mrs.  Mary  Emily  McMullen,  of  Tre- 
mont;  Mrs.  Melinda  Ellen  Farward,  of  Hopedale; 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Amanda  McMullen,  who  is  living 
on  a  farm  two  miles  from  Hopedale;  Timothy,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three;  Margaret,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  nineteen;  and  Sarah  Ann,  who 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years. 

William  Bennet  was  reared  on  the  old  home- 
stead, and  was  educated  in  an  old  log  schoolhouse 
with  slab  seats,  greased  paper  windows  and  punch- 
eon floor.  He  bore  all  the  hardships  and  experi- 
ences of  frontier  life,  and  also  shared  in  the  old- 
time  pleasures.  He  became  an  expert  marksman, 
and  is  yet  quite  skillful  with  the  rifle.  As  a  com- 
panion and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose 
Angelina  Kitnler,  and  they  were  married  Septem- 
ber 3,  1854.  Her  father,  Evan  Kimler,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  removed  to  Montgomery  Coun- 
ty, Ind.,  and  subsequently  became  a  resident  of 
Knox  County,  111. 

In  1853,  Mr.  Bennet  purchased  a  part  of  his 
present  farm,  and  since  his  marriage  it  has  been 
his  home.  He  now  has  here  one  hundred  and 


fifty-seven  and  a-half  acres  of  valuable  land. 
Twelve  children  came  to  bless  the  home.  Emer- 
son" Luther  and  Emma  Jane  were  twins.  The 
former  married  Mary  Gillen,  and  is  engaged  in  the 
machine  business  in  Lone  Tree,  Iowa.  The  latter 
is  the  wife  of  U.  S.  Gunter,  a  farmer  of  Green  Val- 
ley, 111.  James  Sanford  is  at  home.  Maggie  is 
the  wife  of  William  R.  Tanner,  a  farmer.  Mary  is 
the  wife  of  John  Hodson,  an  agriculturist  of  Little 
Mackinaw  Township.  Bertha  is  the  wife  of  Fred 
Waltmier,  who  also  follows  agricultural  pursuits. 
Guy  C.  resides  at  Hopedale.  The  others  died  in  A 
infancy. 

His  fellow-citizens,  appreciating  his  worth  and 
ability,  have  frequently  called  on  Mr.  Bennet  to  * 
serve  in  positions  of  public  trust.     He  was  Town_ 
Supervisor  for  four  years,  Highway  Commissioner  . 
six  years,  School  Trustee  three  y ears,  Justice  of  the 
Peace  nine  years,  was  Assessor  three  years,  and  is 
now  filling  that  office.    He  has  ever  proved  a  faith- 
ful and  capable  official,  true  to  the  trust   reposed 
in  him.     He  belongs  to  Hopedale  Lodge  No.  622, 
A.   F.  &  A.  M.,  and   votes  with  the    Democratic 
party.     For  sixty-five  years  he  has  lived  in  Taze- 
well County,  has  therefore  witnessed  almost  its  en-  1 
tire  growth  and  development,  has  ever  borne   his  . 
part  in  the  work  of    public  advancement,  and  is 
numbered  among  the  most  honored  pioneers. 


YMAN  PORTER  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Quechee,  Vt.,  in  1805,  and  in  that  place  was 
reared  to  manhood.  At  an  early  age  he 
embarked  in  merchandising  and  met  with  good 
success,  his  trade  constantly  increasing.  He  trav- 
eled in  the  interest  of  his  own  business  through 
many  of  the  southern  states  and  became  a  very 
prosperous  merchant.  In  the  autumn  of  1830  he 
removed  to  McLean  County,  111.,  where  through 
the  following  winter  he  taught  a  district  school. 
That  was  the  winter  of  the  deep  snow,  well  remem- 
bered by  the  pioneers.  The  snow  was  of  such  a 
depth  that  the  children  could  not  reach  school,  and 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


321 


for  a  time  he  had  only  four  scholars.  Though  his 
own  school  privileges  were  meagre,  Mr.  Porter, 
through  extensive  reading,  became  a  well  informed 
man. 

In  the  spring  of  1831  our  subject  came  to  Mack- 
inaw, where  he  embarked  in  general  merchandis- 
ing with  a  small  stock  of  goods,  which  he  con- 
stantly enlarged  to  meet  his  growing  trade  as  the 
country  round  became  more  thickly  settled.  He 
invested  his  surplus  capital  in  land,  accumulating 
several  hundred  acres,  and  then  for  a  few  years 
followed  farming,  but  later  resumed  merchandis- 
ing in  Mackinaw  in  partnership  with  George  Mil- 
ler, who  is  yet  in  business  here.  Their  partnership 
was  dissolved  after  a  few  years,  but  Mr.  Porter 
continued  in  business  alone  until  1854,  when  he 
retired  from  active  life. 

In  1832  Mr.  Porter  married  Mary.  A.,  daughter 
of  George  Patterson,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
Tazewell  County,  who  here  located  about  1831. 
Her  mother  died  at  a  very  early  day  and  her  father 
was  a  second  time  married.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Porter 
were  earnest  workers  in  the  Christian  Church  and 
did  much  for  its  advancement  and  upbuilding  in 
this  community.  In  politics  our  subject  was  a 
Whig.  All  who  knew  him  respected  him  for  his 
sterling  worth  and  many  excellencies  of  character, 
and  his  death,  which  occurred  March  13,  1859,  was 
deeply  mourned.  His  wife  passed  away  April  25, 
1881. 

In  the  family  were  two  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters: John  H.;  Louisa,  deceased  wife  of  A.  D. 
Shellenberger;  N.  L.;  Maria,  who  died  in  child- 
hood; and  Agnes,  wife  of  B.  T.  Briggs,  a  retired 
farmer  of  Tazewell  County,  now  located  in  Minier, 
where  he  is  extensively  engaged  in  buying  and 
shipping  stock.  The  children  all  received  good 
educational  advantages,  fitting  them  for  the  prac- 
tical and  responsible  duties  of  life.  The  two  sons, 
John  II.  and  N.  L.,  have  been  engaged  in  business 
together  from  early  manhood.  In  1855  they  em- 
barked in  merchandising  in  Armington,and  the  fol- 
lowing year  removed  their  business  to  Mackinaw, 
where  they  carried  on  operations  until  1866.  They 
then  turned  their  attention  to  farming,  which  they 
successfully  followed  until  1882,  when,  in  connec- 
tion with  Solomon  Puterbaugh,  they  established 


the  present  bank,  known  as  the  Porter  Bros.  <fe  Pu- 
terbaugh  Bank. 

John  H.  Porter  was  married  in  1854  to  Miss 
P.  E.  Clayton,  and  to  them  were  born  seven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  five  are  yet  living:  Mary,  wife  of 
Hartz  I.  Puterbaugh;  Lyman,  who  married  Amie 
Search;  Frank,  who  married  Emma  Warbrook; 
Walter,  who  married  Lucy  Friday,  and  Leslie,  who 
married  Kittie  Wilson.  N.  L.  Porter  was  married 
in  1881  to  Mrs.  Mary  D.  Allensworth,  by  whom 
he  has  two  children,  Mary  N.  and  Charley  L.  The 
brothers  are  supporters  of  the  Democratic  party, 
and  John  II.  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  of  Mack- 
inaw Township  for  nine  successive  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  continuously  served  as  Chair- 
man of  the  Board  for  nine  years.  The  Porter 
brothers  are  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  the 
eastern  part  of  Tazewell  County.  They  are  recog- 
nized as  leaders  of  the  community,  a  position  to 
which  they  have  attained  through  merit.  They 
possess  excellent  business  ability,  and  by  their  sa- 
gacity and  well  directed  efforts  have  achieved  a 
success  of  which  they  are  in  every  way  worthy. 
The  wives  of  J.  H.  and  N.  L.  Porter  are  both  act- 
ive workers  in  the  Christian  Church. 


AMUEL  H.  PUTERBAUGH,  who  carries  on 
general  farming  and  now  has  charge  of  the 
County  Poor  Farm  of  Tazewell  County, 
which  position  he  has  filled  since  1888, 
claims  Ohio  as  the  state  of  his  nativity.  He  was 
born  in  Miami  County  June  3,  1832,  and  is  one 
of  eleven  children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living, 
Daniel,  a  resident  of  Mackinaw  Township;  Solomon, 
of  the  same  place;  George,  of  San  Diego,  Cal.,  and 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Thomas  Matthews,  of  Clinton, 
111.  One  brother,  Sabin  D.,  died  September  25, 
1892.  He  was  a  lawyer  by  profession,  and  won 
distinction  in  the  late  war.  He  enlisted  as  Major 
of  the  Eleventh  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  served  in 
that  position  until  November,  1862,  when  he  re- 
signed. He  then  located  in  Peoria,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  law  practice  until  June,  1867,  when  he 


322 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


was  elected  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court,  con- 
tinuing on  the  Bench  for  six  years.  He  then  re- 
signed and  resumed  private  practice.  He  was  the 
author  of  numerous  legal  works  of  authority,  in- 
cluding "Puterbaugh's  Common  Law  Plead  ings  and 
Practice,"  of  which  six  editions  have  been  pub- 
lished, and  "Puterbaugh's  Chancery  Pleading  and 
Practice,"  of  which  three  editions  were  issued.  lie 
was  one  of  the  most  prominent  lawyers  of  this  lo- 
cality, and  was  an  honor  to  the  community  in 
which  he  made  his  home. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Jacob  and 
Hannah  (Ilittle)  Puterbaugh.  The  father  was  born 
February  28,  1795,  in  a  house  which  stood  on  the 
boundary  line  between  Pennsylvania  and  Mary- 
land, and  was  one  of  a  family  of  eight  children. 
He  spent  his  early  life  in  his  native  state,  and-  in 
1839  removed  with  his  family  to  Illinois,  locating 
in  Mackinaw  Township,  Tazewell  County,  where 
he  spent  his  remaining  days.  He  always  followed 
farming  and  acquired  a  comfortable  competency. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-three. 

Mr.  Puterbaugh  of  this  sketch  was  only  seven 
years  of  age  when  he  came  with  the  family  to  the 
west.  He  was  reared  in  Mackinaw  Township,  and 
there  made  his  home  until  1888,  following  agri- 
cultural pursuits  as  a  means  of  livelihood.  In 
that  year  he  came  to  Elm  Grove  Township  and 
took  charge  of  the  County  Poor  Farm,  which  he 
has  since  managed.  There  are  now  eighty  inmates 
in  the  poor  house. 

On  the  10th  of  February,  1852,  Mr.  Puterbaugh 
was  married  to  Miss  Abigail,  daughter  of  Samuel 
and  Susan  (Gillespie)  Shellenberger,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  Her  grand- 
father, Jacob  Shellenberger,  was  a  native  of  Ger- 
many. He  married  Elizabeth  Keller,  and  in  early 
life  emigrated  to  this  country,  locating  in  Penn- 
sylvania. The  parents  of  Mrs.  Puterbaugh  had  a 
family  of  thirteen  children,  eight  of  whom  are  yet 
living.  In  1851,  they  emigrated  westward  and 
took  up  their  residence  in  Mackinaw,  111.,  where 
the  mother  died  in  1854,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two 
years.  The  father's  death  occurred  in  1866,  at  the 
age  of  seventy.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife 
were  born  four  children,  Francis  A.  and  Charles  L., 
who  are  now  living  in  Mackinaw  Township. 


George  Louis,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three, 
and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Puterbaugh  of  this  sketch  was  a  man  of 
sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity,  and  is  widely 
and  favorably  known  in  this  community,  where  he 
has  so  long  made  his  home.  A  well  spent  life  IIMS 
gained  for  him  the  high  regard  of  many  friends. 
He  is  a  capable  and  efficient  manager  of  the  Coun- 
13'  Poor  Farm,  and  gives  general  satisfaction  in 
his  administration  of  affairs. 


y";ARNER  L.  PRATT,  who  carries  on  general 
farming  on  section  13,  Elm  Grove  Town- 
„  u  ship,  is  a  worthy  representative  of  a  pio- 
neer family  of  Tazewell  County,  and  now  lives 
upon  the  old  homestead.  He  was  born  jn  Pelham, 
Mass.,  May  7,  1838,  and  is  one  of  five  children, 
but  only  two  are  now  living.  His  father,  Na- 
thaniel Pratt,  was  born  in  Belchertown,  Mass.,  in  ' 
October,  1799,  and  was  one  of  fifteen  children  who 
grew  to  mature  years.  Five  of  that  number  be- 
came physicians  and  some  won  prominence  in  that 
profession.  The  father  lived  in  the  Bay  State  un- 
til about  thirty-nine  years  of  age,  and  in  his  youth 
learned  the  wagon-maker's  trade,  which  he  fol-  ' 
lowed  for  some  time.  In  Pelham  he  wedded  Mary 
II.  Kingman,  who  was  born  in  that  place  in  1801, 
and  who  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  Kingman.  Mrs. 
Pratt  was  a  cousin  of  William  Cullen  Bryant,  the 
poet. 

In  1838  Mr.  Pratt  removed  to  the  west  with  his 
family  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Elm  Grove 
Township,  Tazewell  County.  A  year  later  he 
went  to  Tremont,  where  for  several  years  he  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  wagons.  Subsequently 
he  extensively  carried  on  farming,  devoting  his 
time  and  energies  to  that  pursuit  throughout  his 
remaining  days.  In  politics  he  was  a  stalwart 
Whig.  A  prominent  and  influential  citizen,  he 
did  all  in  his  power  for  the  best  interests  of  the 
community  and  to  promote  the  general  welfare. 
lie  was  active  in  the  organization  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church,  of  which  he  and  his  estimable 
wife  were  faithful  members  for  many  years.  He 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


323 


died  in  October,  1853,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four,  and 
in  his  death  the  community  lost  a  valued  citizen. 
His  wife  was  called  to  the  home  beyond  September 
15,  1883,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two. 

Our  subject  was  only  a  year  old  when  brought 
by  his  parents  to  Tazewell  County,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home,  the  greater  part  of  his 
time  having  been  passed  on  the  old  farm.  In  con- 
nection with  general  farming  he  has  engaged  ex- 
tensively in  the  raising  of  sugar  cane  and  the  man- 
ufacture of  sorghum.  His  enterprise  has  proved 
a  profitable  one  and  has  yielded  him  a  good  in- 
come. 

In  1870  Mr.  Pratt  was  married  to  Louisa  Ams- 
bary,  of  Tremont,  who  died  in  July,  1873,  and  in 
January,  1883,  he  wedded  Alice  B.  Laughlin,  of 
Elm  Grove.  In  the  family  are  four  children, 
Mary  Amelia,  Nathaniel,  Edward  L.  and  James. 
The  Pratt  household  is  the  abode  of  hospitality 
and  its  members  rank  high  in  the  social  circles  in 
which  they  move,  for  our  subject  and  his  wife  are 
both  highly  respected  citizens  and  have  many 
warm  friends  in  Tazewell  County.  In  politics  he 
has  always  been  a  Democrat.  He  served  as  Town- 
ship Clerk  of  Elm  Grove,  and  while  living  in  Cin- 
cinnati Township  held  the  same  office  for  several 
years.  For  some  time  he  has  been  Collector  of 
Elm  Grove  Township,  and  has  filled  the  office  of 
School  Trustee.  He  has  always  been  interested  in 
whatever  pertains  to  the  welfare  of  the  community, 
and  is  one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  the 
count}'. 


M.  ROBISON,  one  of  the  self-made  men 
of  Tazewell  County,  who  through  his  own 
Us  well  directed  efforts  has  arisen  from  an 
humble  position  to  one  of  affluence,  is  now 
numbered  among  the  extensive  land  owners  of  the 
community,  his  possessions  aggregating  eight  hun- 
dred acres.  His  home  is  pleasantly  located  on 
section  35,  Morton  Township.  He  was  born  in 
Elm  Grove  Township,  this  county,  November  29, 
1849,  and  is  a  son  of  Frank  and  Mary  (Myers) 
Robison.  His  grandparents  were  James  and  Isa- 
bella (Leslie)  Robison,  and  his  great-grandparents 


were  James  and  Jean  Robison.  The  last-named 
were  farming  people  of  Scotland.  The  grandfather 
was  born  in  Aberdeenshire,  Scotland,  August  16, 
1801,  was  educated  in  the  parish  schools,  and  in 
his  twentieth  year  married  the  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and  Ann  Leslie.  Her  father  belonged  to  one 
of  the  distinguished  families  of  that  name  "in 
Scotland,  and  traced  his  ancestry  back  to  illus- 
trious men  and  women  of  the  reign  of  King  James 
of  Scotland.  He  was  named  for  the  distinguished 
officer,  William  Leslie,  who  was  killed  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary War  at  the  battle  of  Trenton,  N.  J. 

In  the  spring  of  1832  James  Robison,  grandfa- 
ther of  our  subject,  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
and  made  a  contract  to  construct  the  first  railroad 
across  the  Alleghany  Mountains.  He  was  in  part- 
nership with  Jonathan  Leslie,  and  for  two  years 
they  did  a  successful  business.  Mr.  Robison  then 
removed  to  Michigan,  where  he  cleared  sixty  acres 
of  heavily  timbered  land  near  Detroit,  and  erected 
a  large  house  and  barn.  Three  years  later  he  sold 
to  a  good  advantage,  converted  his  money  into 
new  mint  half-dollars,  two  thousand  of  which  were 
packed  in  one  box,  and  moved  to  Illinois,  arriving 
in  May,  1837.  There  his  family  remained  for  two 
months  while  he  sought  a  location.  Money  was 
very  scarce  in  this  state  and  so  his  coins  proved  a 
great  help  to  him,  and  he  was  able  to  secure  his 
valuable  farm  in  Elm  Grove  Township,  Tazewell 
County,  on  very  reasonable  terms.  Heat  once  be- 
gan farming  and  also  made  contracts  for  work  on 
the  road  bed  now  occupied  by  the  Indianapolis, 
Bloom ington  &  Western  Railroad,  which  bed  was 
finished  across  Elm  Grove  Township  in  1839.  Mr. 
Robison  later  was  engaged  on  the  construction  of 
the  Illinois  <fe  Michigan  Canal  at  Ottawa,  III.,  and 
also  continued  farming  until  his  death,  in  1881. 
His  family  numbered  eleven  children,  five  of 
whom  were  born  in  Scotland  and  came  with  their 
parents  to  America.  They  are:  William  L.,  de- 
ceased; Barbara,  deceased  wife  of  William  II ux ta- 
ble; Frank;  Ann,  deceased  wife  of  Nathan  Leonard; 
James  W.;  Leslie;  Susan,  wife  of  Richard  Wood- 
row;  Belle,  wife  of  Rev.  Charles  E.  Marsh;  George 
L.,  deceased;  Mary  J.,  wife  of  Samuel  Caldwell; 
and  one  who  died  in  childhood.  The  parents  of 
this  family  were  highly  educated  people,  who  read 


324 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


extensively  and  who  were  always  well  informed  on 
questions  of  the  day.  Six  of  their  children  were 
college  students.  Mrs.  Robison  reached  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-two.  Both  grandparents 
were  members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  contrib- 
uted freely  of  their  means  to  church  and  chari- 
table work.  In  politics  Mr.  Robison  was  a  Repub- 
lican. 

Frank  Robison,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Scotland,  and  at  the  age  of  five  years  came  to  the 
United  States.  He  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools,  and  in  Peoria,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  be- 
gan learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  five  years,  during  which  time  he  aided 
in  building  what  are  now  some  of  the  old  land 
marks  of  Peoria  and  Pekin.  He  then  bought 
twenty  acres  of  land  in  Elm  Grove  Township, 
and  afterward  purchased  the  County  Farm,  to 
which  he  added  until  he  had  several  hundred  acres. 
His  last  years  were  spent  in  retirement  from  active 
business  life.  In  1848  he  married  Mary  Myers, 
daughter  of  Martin  and  Ann  (Hodson)  Myers,  the 
former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  latter  of 
Ohio.  Her  mother's  family  came  to  Tazewell 
County  in  1825,  and  the  first  dress  which  her 
mother  bought  here,  a  common  calico,  cost  fifty 
cents  per  yard,  while  corn  sold  for  eight  cents  per 
bushel.  The  nearest  mill  was  at  Springfield,  and 
for  a  time  they  largely  subsisted  on  wild  game. 
Indians  still  lived  in  the  neighborhood,  but  their 
relations  with  the  settlers  were  friendly.  Mrs. 
Robison  was  born  in  Tazewell  County  in  1830. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  eldest  of  a  fam- 
ily of  ten  children.  The  others  are,  Mary  J.,  de- 
ceased wife  of  William  Green;  Anna;  Archie,  who 
follows  farming  and  stock-raising  on  the  old  home- 
stead, which  belonged  to  his  grandfather;  Ella, 
wife  of  Presley  Skaggs,  of  McLean  County,  111.; 
Ida,  wife  of  Joseph  Cooper,  of  Morton  Township; 
and  four  who  died  in  childhood. 

In  the  common  schools  M.  M.  Robison scquhed 
his  education,  and  under  the  parental  roof  re- 
mained until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  be- 
gan operating  one  of  the  farms  belonging  to  his 
father.  He  was  very  ambitio"us  and  worked  so 
hard  that  his  health  was  broken  down.  Later  he 
rented  land  for  several  years  and  then  located  on 


his  present  homestead,  which  was  left  him  by  his 
father.  Other  land  he  lias  purchased  from  time  to 
time  until  he  now  has  eight  hundred  and  ten  acres, 
the  greater  part  of  which  is  in  Morton  Township. 
In  connection  with  the  cultivation  of  his  land  he 
is  extensively  engaged  in  stock-raising,  having  a 
high  grade  of  cattle,  horses  and  hogs  upon  his  farm. 
In  1871  Mr.  Robison  was  married  to  Miss  Jane 
White,  daughter  of  John  and  Rose  Ann  (Will) 
White,  and  five  children  graced  their  union,  of 
whom  three  are  yet  living:  Vivian,  Elton  and 
Emery.  Two  of  the  children  died  in  infancy. 
The  parents  hold  membership  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  occupy  an  enviable  position 
in  social  circles.  In  politics  Mr.  Robison  is  inde- 
pendent, voting  for  the  man  whom  he  thinks  best 
qualified  for  the  office,  regardless  of  party  affilia- 
tions. He  is  a  worth}'  representative  of  an  hon- 
ored pioneer  family  and  is  a  valued  citizen  of  the 
community,  well  deserving  representation  in  this 
volume. 


C.  CRIIIFIELD  is  the  managing  editor  of 
the  Minier  Neirs,  of  Minier,  and  junior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Crihfield  Bros. 
They  also  own  the  Argus,  of  Atlanta,  the 
Record,  of  Waynesville,  the  Lens,  of  McLean,  and 
the  Gazette,  of  Kenney,  111.,  operating  three  print- 
ing plants.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Atlanta, 
June  2,  1864,  and  is  the  son  of  Philip  and  Sarah 
(McFarland)  Crihfield.  The  former  was  born  in 
Clinton  County,  Ohio,  and  came  to  McLean  Coun- 
ty when  a  young  man.  He  died  in  Atlanta  in 
1867. 

The  mother  bravely  undertook  to  support  and 
educate  her  children,  and  her  energy  overcame  all 
obstacles.  She  was  one  of  the  early  settlers,  hav- 
ing come  from  Providence,  R.  I.,  with  her  family 
to  Mt.  Hope  Township,  McLean  Count}',  in  1837. 
Their  three  children  are,  Horace,  of  Atlanta;  R.  C.; 
and  Mattie,  wife  of  P.  A.  Lower,  a  commercial 
traveler  living  in  Minier.  The  father  was  a  Re- 
publican in  politics. 

R.  C.  Crihfield  was  educated  in  the  Atlanta 
schools,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  began  to  learn 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


325 


the  printer's  trade  with  G.  L.  Shoals,  editor  of  the 
Argus,  of  Atlanta.  In  his  native  town  he  remained 
until  1885,  when  he  became  a  partner  of  his 
brother  in  the  newspaper  business  and  came  to 
Minier.  Their  various  papers  are  neutral  in  poli- 
tics, devoted  mostly  to  local  news.  That  which 
the}-  publish  here  is  an  enterprising  little  sheet  and 
does  much  toward  advancing  the  best  interests  of 
the  community. 

Mr.  Crihfleld  was  married  in  1893  to  Miss  Delia 
Whiteman,  of  Minier.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republi- 
can, and  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  other  societies. 


WEBB,  one  of  the  enterprising 
h-HS^  and  successful  farmers  of  Morton  Town- 
ship, Tazewell  County,  now  living  on  sec- 
tion 14,  was  born  in  London,  England,  on  the 
25th  of  July,  1831,  and  is  one  of  three  children 
whose  parents  were  Thomas  and  Maria  (Silk)  Webb. 
His  grandparents  were  Francis  and  Mary  Webb. 
The  former  was  born  in  Coventry,  England,  and 
was  a  silk  dyer.  He  died  when  Thomas  was  a  child 
of  ten  years,  leaving  a  widow  and  four  children, 
John,  Francis,  Thomas  and  Anna,  the  latter  of  whom 
became  Mrs.  Gregory.  The  mother  of  this  family 
afterward  married  again,  and  the  father  of  our 
subject  remained  with  her  until  he  had  attained 
to  man's  estate.  His  education  was  acquired  prior 
to  his  fifteenth  year,  at  which  time  he  was  bound 
out  to  learn  the  trade  of  painting  and  enameling 
dials  for  watches,  serving  a  seven  years'  appren- 
ticeship. On  the  day  his  time  expired  he  and  his 
brother  John  embarked  in  business  in  Coventry, 
but  as  trade  was  poor  he  went  to  London  and  en- 
tered the  employ  of  a  gas  company,  having  the 
management  of  the  business  in  a  certain  section  of 
the  city  for  thirteen  years.  In  1823  he  was  mar- 
ried, and  in  1836  set  sail  for  the  New  World  in 
order  to  make  a  home  for  his  family.  On  leaving, 
his  employers  made  him  a  present  of  $50  and 
offered  to  double  his  salary  if  he  would  remain, 
but  this  lie  refused  to  do.  On  reaching  the  New 
World  he  chose  Tazewell  County  as  the  scene  of 


his  future  labors.  On  his  way  hither  he  passed 
through  Chicago,  which  then  contained  only  a  few 
buildings,  and  Peoria,  known  as  Ft.  Clark,  also 
contained  but  a  few  buildings,  most  of  which  were 
log  cabins.  Mr.  Webb  located  in  what  is  now  Grove- 
land  Township,  entering  sixty-two  acres  of  land 
from  the  Government.  In  1842  he  bought  ninety 
acres  near  the  present  site  of  Morton,  and  upon 
the  farm  which  he  there  developed  and  improved 
made  his  home  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
November  19,  1881,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five. 

Thomas  Webb  was  an  intelligent  and  cultured 
gentleman,  of  high  moral  worth,  and  won  the  re- 
spect of  all  who  knew  him.  His  wife,  who  was  a 
devoted  member  of  the  Congregational  Church, 
passed  away  February  27,  1894,  at  the  age  of  eigh- 
ty-nine years.  Their  children  were.  Thomas,  who 
lives  in  Peoria;  and  Louisa  and  Francis,  twins. 
The  sister  is  now  the  widow  of  Edward.  Daws  and 
makes  her  home  in  Peoria.  While  engaged  in 
watch-making,  Thomas  painted  the  Lord's  Prayer 
with  a  camel's  hair  brush  on  several  pieces  of 
watch  dial  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long  by  an  eighth 
of  an  inch  wide,  and  one  of  these  is  yet  in  the 
possession  of  the  family.  His  brother,  with  whom 
he  was  in  business,  was  the  inventor  of  the  second 
dial  now  used  in  watch-making,  and  for  many 
years  furnished  the  enamel  used  by  the  Waltham 
Watch  Company  of  this  country.  He  had  two 
sons  who  came  to  the  United  States  and  worked  at 
watch-making.  The  elder,  John,  worked  for  seven 
years  with  the  Waltham  Company,  and  for  ten 
years  had  charge  of  the  dial  department  in  the 
watch  factory  at  Elgin,  III.  He  is  now  engaged  in 
fruit-growing  in  California.  His  brother  is  still 
working  in  Elgin. 

During  his  early  childhood  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  came  with  his  parents  to  America  and  with 
them  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth, 
not  leaving  home  until  the  time  of  his  marriage. 
In  1859  he  wedded  Mary  Evans,  daughter  of  Jo- 
seph and  Harriet  Evans.  With  her  parents  she 
came  from  England,  their  native  land,  to  Tazewell 
County  in  1844.  Her  father  was  a  glover  by 
trade  and  did  a  very  successful  business.  For 
many  years  after  coming  to  this  country  he  fol- 
lowed farming,  but  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in 


326 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Chenoa,  having  acquired  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence. He  was  one  of  the  first  Postmasters  of 
Morton. 

Upon  his  marriage  Mr.  Webb  removed  to  the 
farm  which  has  since  been  his  home.  A  portion 
of  this  was  given  him  by  his  father,  but  to  it  he 
has  added  until  lie  now  has  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres,  together  witli  six  acres  of  village  prop- 
erty; he  has  recently  purchased  the  part  of  the  old 
homestead  on  which  the  buildings  are  located  and 
which  comprises  seventeen  acres.  In  1869  and 
1870  lie  rented  his  farm  and  was  assistant  manager 
of  the  dial  department  of  the  Elgin  Watch  Factory, 
but  has  since  given  his  entire  time  and  attention 
to  agricultural  pursuits. 

Seven  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Webb: 
Maria,  wife  of  John  Van  Cam)),  a  farmer  of  Deer 
Creek  Township;  Ada,  wife  of  Ed  Duncan,  an  ag- 
riculturist of  Morton  Township;  Ellen,  wife  of 
George  Dodds,  who  follows  farming  in  Morton 
Township;  Edward  T.,  Frank  G.,  Mamie  and  Nel- 
lie. The  two  sons  were  educated  in  the  Peoria 
High  School,  and  Frank  completed  the  course  in 
the  Bloom  ingtpn  University.  They  are  now  run- 
ning the  home  farm.  Mr.  Webb  is  a  Republican 
in  politics  and  has  been  honored  with  some  local 
ollices.  A  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen, 
he  takes  a  commendable  interest  in  everything 
pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  communit3',  and 
has  ever  borne  his  part  in  its  advancement  and 
upbuilding. 


illOMAS  L.  HOLLAND,  a  retired  farmer  liv- 
ing in  Washington,  has  acquired,  as  the  re- 
sult of  his  own  well  directed  efforts,  a  com- 
fortable competence  that  now  enables  him  to  lay 
aside  business  cares  and  enjoy  a  well  earned  rest. 
He  may  trul3'  be  called  a  self-made  man,  and  his 
example  of  perseverance  and  industry  is  one  well 
worthy  of  emulation. 

Mr.  Holland  was  born  in  Washington  February 
28,  1838.  His  grandfather,  William  Holland,  was 
a  native  of  North  Carolina,  born  in  Lincoln  Coun- 
ty October  14,  1786.  He  there  married  Lavisa 


Bess,  May  24,  1811,  and  removed  to  Peoria  Coun- 
ty, 111.,  locating  at  Ft.  Clark,  where  now  stands 
the  city  of  Peoria.  There  he  served  as  a  Govern- 
ment employe.  For  about  six  years -he  made 
his  home  there,  and  then  came  to  the  site  of  WTash- 
ington,  where  in  company  with  others  he  laid  out 
the  town.  He  followed  his  trade  of  a  gunsmith 
and  entered  land  from  the  Government,  upon 
which  a  part  of  Washington  is  now  located.  His 
family  numbered  twenty-two  children,  of  whom 
three  are  yet  living:  Mrs.  Mary  Beal,  who  resides 
near  Ft.  Scott,  Kan.;  Mrs.  Lavisa  Banday,  of  Har- 
rison County,  Mo.;  and  Mrs.  Esther  Ann  Weeks, 
who  resides  a  mile  and  a-half  north  of  Washing- 
ton. When  the  family  located  here  the  Indians, 
were  far  more  numerous  than  the  white  settlers. 
In  fact,  William  Holland  was  the  first  white  set- 
tler in  this  section  of  the  county.  His  death  oc- 
curred here  in  1871. 

Lawson  Holland,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  North  Carolina  February  24,  1812,  and  when  a 
small  boy  came  with  his  parents  to  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty, where  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  frontier  he 
was  reared.  From  the  Government  he  entered 
Jaiid —on' section  24,  Washington  Township.  He 
married  Miss  Elizabeth  Banday,  and  then  began 
the  development  of  a  farm,  which  he  cleared  and 
improved,  making  it  a  good  home.  His  father  was 
one  of  the  most  prominent  pioneers,  and  was 
identified  with  the  development  and  growth  of 
this  county  in  a  great  degree.  It  was  in  1834 
that  he  laid  out  a  part  of  the  town  of  Washington. 
He  built  the  first  giist  mill  in  the  county  in  1827. 
It  was  called  a  hand  mill,  but  was  run  by  horse 
power.  The  nearest  mill  to  it  was  sixty  miles  dis- 
tant. Every  person  using  the  mill  would  have  to 
supply  the  power  to  run  5t.  People  would  often 
come  fifty  miles  to  mill,  and  sometimes  had  to 
wait  two  weeks  in  order  to  make  their  (lour. 

Lawson  Holland  made  the  first  flour  in  the 
county,  grinding  it  with  a  mortar  and  pestle.  The 
family  experienced  all  the  inconveniences  and 
hardships  of  frontier  life,  and  the  history  of  the 
pioneer  settlement  is  very  familiar  to  its  repre- 
sentatives who  are  yet  living.  Lawson  Holland 
continued  to  cultivate  his  home  farm  until  about 
1871.  when  he  removed  to  the  town  of  Washing- 


w 


G.  M.  BLACKBURN,    M.  D. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


329 


ton,  where  his  death  occurred  July  27,  1889.  He 
owned  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  in 
the  home  farm  and  had  extensive  tracts  elsewhere. 
His  family  numbered  nine  children,  who  reached 
adult  age,  six  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Thomas  L.; 
Lewis,  of  Washington;  George  W.,  who  lives  in 
Washington  and  practices  dentistry  in  Peoria; 
Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Fish,  of  Washington;  Isaac,  a  rail- 
road employe  living  in  Blue  Island,  111.;  and 
Charles  C.,  of  this  place.  Those  deceased  are: 
James  R.,  Reuben  W.  and  John  P.  The  father 
served  in  the  Black  Hawk  War  as  a  scout,  and  was 
afterward  Captain  of  the  militia  in  the  old  train- 
ing days.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  a  very  prominent  and  influential  citizen, 
and  his  death  was  widely  mourned.  His  widow 
is  still  living  in  Washington. 

Thomas  L.  Holland,  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch,  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  in  Wash- 
ington Township,  where  he  remained  until  March, 
1861,  when  he  went  to  California.  He  spent 
seven  years  on  the  Pacific  Slope  engaged  in  min- 
ing, meeting  with  fair  success,  and  on  his  return 
home  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  agricult- 
ural pursuits. 

On  the  26th  of  January,  1869,  Mr.  Holland  mar- 
ried Miss  Samaria  Shiffer,  daughter  of  George 
Shiffer.  Her  father  became  a  soldier  of  the  Mexi- 
can War  and  never  returned.  Her  mother  after- 
ward married  again,  removed  to  Illinois,  and  sub- 
sequently went  to  Missouri.  Mrs.  Holland  was 
born  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  was  married  in  Marion 
County,  Iowa.  Three  children  were  born  of  this 
union:  Charles  W.,  who  is  clerking  in  Washing- 
ton; Minnie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  and 
a-half  years,  having  been  injured  in  a  railroad  col- 
lision; and  Thomas  E.,  who  is  yet  in  school. 

Mr.  Holland  continued  farming  in  Tazewell 
'County  until  1870,  when  he  removed  to  Cedar 
County,  Mo.,  where  he  bought  a  tract  of  unim- 
proved land.  There  he  farmed  for  three  years, 
after  which  he  continued  to  engage  in  agricultural 
pursuits  in  his  native  county  until  1889,  since 
which  time  he  has  lived  in  Washington.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Eellows'  society,  in  which  he  has  filled 
all  the  chairs.  He  is  a  worth}'  representative  of 


an  honored  pioneer  family,  and  this  volume  would 
be  incomplete  without  mention  of  the  Hollands, 
for  they  have  taken  a  very  prominent  part  in 
everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity. 


M.  BLACKBURN,  M.  D.,  a  leading  physi- 
cian  and  surgeon  of  Minier,  claims  Ohio  as 
the  state  of  his  nativity,  for  his  birth  oc- 
curred in  Jefferson  County,  September  27,  1844. 
His  parents  were  Anthony  and  Hannah  (Craw- 
ford) Blackburn.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation and  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in 
Jefferson  County,  but  his  last  years  were  passed  in 
Knox  Count}',  Ohio.  Our  subject  was  reared  in 
the  county  of  his  nativity  and  acquired  his  early 
education  in  Harlem  Springs,  Ohio,  after  which  he 
attended  the  college  in  Hagerstown,  Ohio,  being 
graduated  in  1861.  The  following  year  he  en- 
tered the  army  as  a  member  of  the  signal  corps,  and 
remained  in  the  service  until  after  the  cessation  of 
hostilities,  when,  on  the  28th  of  August,  1865,  he 
was  honorably  discharged. 

After  his  return  to  the  north  Mr.  Blackburn 
took  up  the  study  of  medicine  in  Maitinsburg, 
Knox  County,  Ohio,  with  Dr.  T.  B.  Meiser,  of  that 
place.  He  took  his  first  course  of  lectures  in  the 
medical  department  of  the  State  University  of 
Michigan,  in  Ann  Arbor,  and  completed  his  educa- 
tion in  Charity  Hospital  Medical  College,  now 
known  as  the  Wooster  Medical  College,  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  being  graduated  therefrom  in  1869. 
He  immediately  entered  upon  practice  in  Apple- 
ton,  Licking  County,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  for 
thirteen  years,  doing  a  good  business. 

During  that  period  Mr.  Blackburn  was  married 
in  Martinsburg,  Ohio,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being 
Miss  Sarah  Lawman.  In  1880  he  brought  his 
wife  to  Illinois  and  took  up  his  residence  in 
Minier,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  the 
active  practice  of  his  profession.  He  is  a  close 
and  thorough  student,  who  keeps  abreast  with  the 
times  in  everything  connected  with  the  science  of 
medicine,  and  his  skill  and  ability  have  won  for 


330 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


him  a  liberal  patronage,  which  from  the  beginning 
has  constantly  increased. 

The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  McLean  Medical 
Society  of  Bloomington,  and  is  connected  with 
various  civic  societies.  He  belongs  to  the  Grand 
Arm}7  of  the  Republic  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  holding  membership  with  the 
chapter  of  Elwood  and  the  Knight  Templar  Com- 
mandery  of  Bloomington.  He  exercises  his  right 
of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Democracy,  but  has 
never  sought  or  desired  political  preferment.  In 
connection  with  his  business  interests  he  aided  in 
organizing  the  Minier  State  Bank  in  1890,  and  is 
now  serving  as  President  of  that  institution, 
which  is  considered  one  of  the  safe  and  conserva- 
tive financial  concerns  of  the  count}'. 

< 


iSr^)ICIlARD  C.  GAINES,  a  practical  and  pro- 
!IU^7     gressive  farmer  of  Little  Mackinaw  Town- 


ship, Tazewell  County,  residing  on  sec- 
)tion  8,  is  a  native  of  Tennessee.  He  was 
born  in  Montgomery  County  March  28,  1829,  and 
is  a  son  of  Barnett  F.  Gaines,  who  was  born  in 
Rockingham  County,  Va.,  as  was  his  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Kiltie  Kaiser.  The  father 
was  a  farmer,  and  removed  to  Montgomery  Coun- 
ty, Tenn.,  where  he  bought  land  and  made  his 
home  until  his  emigration  to  Tazewell  County, 
in  1834.  He  located  on  section  8,  Little  Macki- 
naw Township,  and  two  years  later  removed  to  sec- 
tion 5,  where  he  entered  land  from  the  Govern- 
ment. The  wild  tract  he  transformed  into  rich  and 
fertile  fields,  developing  a  good  farm.  His  death 
there  occurred  May  16,  1836,  but  his  wife  lived  on 
the  old  homestead  until  1839,  when  she  married 
John  S.  Allensworth.  He  died  in  1851,  and  in  1855 
his  widow  removed  to  Hopedale  Township,  where 
her  death  occurred  February  20,  1880.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gaines  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  four 
of  whom  are  yet  living:  Betsy  Ann,  wife  of 
George  Gordon,  of  Little  Mackinaw  Township; 
John  C.,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Tazewell  County; 
Sarah  Jane,  wife  of  Isaac  Livesay,  who  died  in 
1885;  Margaret,  deceased  wife  of  John  Neville; 


and  William,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years.  The  father  of  this  family  was  a  Whig  in 
politics.  The  grandfather,  John  C.  Gaines,  was  a 
native  of  Virginia,  and  was  of  Scotch  and  Welsh 
descent,  while  the  maternal  grandfather  was  of 
German  lineage. 

Our  subject  was  a  child  of  five  years  when  with 
his  parents  he  came  to  Tazewell  County.  Upon 
the  old  home  farm  he  was  reared  to  manhood, and 
in  the  subscription  schools  was  educated.  In  1852 
he  and  his  brother-in-law  bought  an  ox-team  and 
pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land 
on  section  20,  Little  Mackinaw  Township,-  upon 
which  a  house  was  erected  in  1856.  Mr.  Gaines 
afterward  bought  other  land,  and  in  February, 
1865,  removed  to  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides. 
It  was  then  a  partially  improved  tract,  and  he  at 
once  began  its  cultivation  and  development, and  in 
course  of  time  rich  and  fertile  fields  were  made  to 
yield  to  him  a  golden  tribute. 

On  the  23d  of  September,  1855,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Gaines  and  Miss  Amy  S.  Ilin- 
man,  daughter  of  Homer  W.  Hinman,  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  who  removed  thence  to  New  York, 
and  in  1845  became  a  resident  of  Groveland  Town- 
ship, Tazewell  County.  He  lived  upon  the  farm 
of  his  brother  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
November  2,  1846.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Ruth  Stone,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Nut- 
meg State.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gaines  were  born 
three  children:  Walter  G.,  who  is  now  Cashier  in 
the  State  Bank  of  St.  Edwards,  Boone  County, 
Neb.;  Mary  Effle,  wife  of  Joseph  E.  Kinsey,  a 
farmer  of  Little  Mackinaw  Township;  and  Ida, 
wife  of  T.  B.  Bollan.  They  live  on  the  old  home- 
stead. There  arc  also  six  grandchildren. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Gaines  has  always 
been  a  Republican,  and  has  served  as  School  Trus- 
tee, Collector  and  Assessor  of  his  township  for  a 
number  of  terms.  He  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Christian  Church,  as  are  also  their  two 
daughters,  and  the  family  is  one  of  prominence  in 
the  community,  its  members  holding  an  enviable 
position  in  social  circles.  Mr.  Gaines  is  one  of  the 
honored  pioneers,  and  has  witnessed  almost  the 
entire  growth  and  development  of  the  county. 
He  is  widely  known  in  the  community,  and  those 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


331 


with  whom  he  has  been  acquainted  from  boyhood 
are  numbered  among  his  stanehest  friends,  a  fact 
which  indicates  a  well  spent  life.  He  is  the  owner 
of  one  hundred  and  ninety-six  acres  of  fine  farm 
land,  all  in  one  body,  where  he  and  his  amiable 
wife  are  spending  their  closing  years  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  a  competence  earned  in  earlier  life. 


1LLIAM  LILLY,  a  farmer  residing  on  sec- 
i,  lion  12,  Little  Mackinaw  Township,  Taze- 
well  County,  was  born  in  Allegany  Coun- 
ty, Md.,  August  12,  1822.  His  grandfather,  Richard 
Lilly,  was  a  native  of  Wales.  His  father,  Joseph 
-  Lilly,  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Md.,  was  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  received  a  land 
grant  for  his  services.  In  Allegany  County,  Md., 
he  married  Mary  Fisher,  daughter  of  Adam  Fisher, 
a  native  of  German}',  and  one  of  the  heroes  of 
the  Revolution,  who  was  present  at  the  surrender 
of  Yorktown.  In  1835  Joseph  Lilly  emigrated 
with  his  family  to  the  west  and  located  on  section 
13,  Mackinaw  Township,  Tazewell  County,  111., 
where  in  the  midst  of  the  forest  he  hewed  out  a 
farm  and  made  a  comfortable  home.  Lilly  Sta- 
tion was  named  in  his  honor,  and  he  was  one  of 
the  esteemed  pioneers  of  the  locality.  He  owned 
two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  in  1854.  His  wife  passed 
away  in  1849.  In  their  family  were  four  sons 
and  two  daughters.  Mrs.  Mary  Walker,  of  Macki- 
naw, and  William  are  the  only  ones  now  living. 
Henry  died  in  Marion  County;  Miles  passed  away 
in  Allegany  County,  Md.;  Joseph  in  Colorado, 
in  1849;  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Bacon  in  Lilly  Station, 
in  1889. 

Our  subject  was  a  youth  of  thirteen  summers 
when  with  his  parents  he  carne  to  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty, where  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  frontier  life  he 
grew  to  manhood.  lie  was  married  July  28,  1859, 
to  Elizabeth  Aldrich,  daughter  of  Elisha  Aldrich, 
who  located  in  Clay  County,  Ind.,  in  1856.  He 
was  born  in  Henry  County,  Ky.,  as  was  his  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Moore.  Mrs. 
Lilly  was  born  in  Clay  Count}',  Ind.,  May  24, 


1841.  After  their  marriage  the  young  couple  re- 
moved to  Adair  County,  Mo.,  where  Mr.  Lilly 
purchased  land  and  carried  on  farming  until  1864. 
During  the  war  he  served  as  a  member  of  the 
Missouri  State  Militia.  On  the  2d  of  April,  1865, 
he  located  in  Little  Mackinaw  Township,  on  the 
farm  which  has  since  been  his  home,  and  his 
time  and  attention  have  been  devoted  untir- 
ingly to  its  development  and  cultivation.  He  is 
one  of  the  largest  land-owners  in  the  township, 
his  possessions  aggregating  seven  hundred  and 
forty  acres.  He  also  lias  twenty-six  acres  else- 
where. 

Four  children  graced  the  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lilly,  three  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Mrs. 
Mary  Garrett,  wife  of  E.  O.  Garrett,  of  Little 
Mackinaw  Township;  Janet,  at  home;  and  Will- 
iam E.,  who  married  Jane  Wright  and  lives  on 
section  11,  Little  Mackinaw  Township.  Joseph 
died  in  1862. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Lilly  was  originally 
an  old-line  Whig,  but"  since  the  organization  of 
the  Republican  party  has  been  one  of  its  stalwart 
supporters.  He  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
a  number  of  years,  was  Supervisor  one  term, 
Highway  Commissioner  three  years,  and  Assessor 
one  term.  Faithful  and  true  to  every  trust  re- 
posed in  him,  he  discharged  his  duties  with  a 
promptness  and  fidelity  that  won  him  high  com- 
mendation. He  belongs  to  the  Pioneer  Society, 
and  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  this  township. 
He  may  truly  be  called  a  self-made  man,  for  he 
started  out  in  life  empty-handed  and  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward  to  a  place  of  affluence. 


ETER  NAFFZIGER,  who  follows  general 
farming  on  section  6,  Deer  Creek  Town- 
ship, is  one  of  the  public-spirited  and  pro- 
gressive agriculturists  of  Tazewell  County, 
and  in  this  volume  well  deserves  representation. 
He  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  on 
the  2d  of  July,  1835,  and  is  a  son  of  Valentine  and 
Katie  Naffziger.  His  grandfather,  Jacob  Naffziger, 
was  born  in  Bavaria,  German}',  and  there  spent 


332 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


his  entire  life  engaged  in  milling  and  farming. 
He  was  a  man  possessed  of  great  strength  and  be- 
came quite  wealthy.  For  some  years  he  served  as 
a  preacher  of  the  Mennonite  Church,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  eighty-nine.  In  his  family  were  three 
sons  and  two  daughters:  Peter,  who  came  to  Amer- 
ica and  located  in  Tazewell  County;  Christian; 
Valentine;  Mary,  wife  of  Jacob  Naffziger,  and  Liz- 
zie. The  last-named  is  the  only  one  now  living. 
She  makes  her  home  with  our  subject  and  is  now 
eighty-two  years  of  age.  She  came  with  the  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  to  America  and  lived  with  him 
until  his  death. 

Valentine  Naffziger  was  born  in  Germany  about 
1804,  attended  the  common  schools  and  was  well 
educated  in  the  Bible.  Like  his  father  lie  engaged 
in  farming  and  milling.  After  his  marriage  he 
removed  to  Darmstadt,  where  all  of  his  seven  chil- 
dren were  born.  They  were:  Susan,  now  deceased; 
Lizzie,  wife  of  Peter  Kinzer;  Valentine,  Peter, 
Christian,  and  two  who  died  in  early  life.  The  fa- 
ther emigrated  with  his  family  to  America  in  May, 
1850,  and  for  one  year  lived  in  Butler  County, 
Ohio.  They  were  poor,  and  the  children  worked 
out  by  the  day.  At  length  they  came  to  Taze- 
well County,  locating  in  Washington  Township, 
where  for  five  years  the  father  rented  a  farm.  He 
then  purchased  eighty  acres  in  Deer  Creek  Town- 
ship, and  afterward  sold  that  and  bought  a  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  together  with 
some  timber  land.  Developing  therefrom  a  good 
farm,  he  made  his  home  thereon  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1878,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five. 
His  wife  passed  away  in  Germany  at  the  age  of 
forty-four. 

In  the  public  schools  of  the  Fatherland  and  of 
America,  Peter  Naffziger  acquired  his  education. 
He  wasayouth  of  fifteen  when  he  crossed  the  briny 
deep.  Here  he  engaged  in  farm  work,  his  father 
receiving  his  wages,  which  went  toward  the  sup- 
port of  the  family.  After  four  years  spent  in  the 
employ  of  others  he  embarked  in  farming  for  him- 
self on  rented  land,  and  two  years  later,  with  the 
capital  which  he  had  acquired  through  industry, 
perseverance  and  good  management,  he  bought 
eighty  acres  of  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives. 
Its  boundaries,  however,  he  has  extended  from 


time  to  time  until  about  five  hundred  acres  of  val- 
uable land  pay  tribute  to  the  care  and  cultivation 
he  bestows  upon  them.  His  is  one  of  the  finest 
farms  of  the  county,  highly  cultivated  and  im- 
proved, and  is  a  monument  to  the  enterprise  of  the 
owner. 

Mr.  Naffziger  was  married  in  Wood  ford  County, 
111.,  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight,  to  Barbara  Gin- 
gerich,  a  native  of  Woodford  County,  born  about 
1839.  Her  parents  located  in  that  county  when 
the  Indians  still  lived  within  its  borders.  To  our 
subject  and  his  wife  were  born  eight  children: 
Julius,  Louisa;  Lena,  wife  of  Peter  Naffziger;  Liz- 
zie, Tillie,  Susie,  August  and  Mollie.  The  parents 
and  their  children  are  members  of  the  Mennonite 
Church.  On  questions  of  national  importance, 
Mr.  Naffziger  is  a  Democrat,  but  at  local  elections 
where  no  issue  is  involved  he  votes  independently. 
For  twelve  years  he  has  served  as  School  Director 
and  has  done  effective  service  in  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation. His  life  has  been  a  busy  and  useful  one. 
He  started  out  for  himself  with  no  capital  save  a 
young  man's  bright  hope  of  the  future,  and  by  de- 
termined energy,  a  resolute  will  and  steadfast  pur- 
pose he  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward  to  a 
position  of  affluence. 


J~l  AMES  F.  PIERCE,  who  follows  farming  on 
section  3,  Mackinaw  Township,  Tazewell 
County,  is  one  of  the  worthy  citizens  that 
Kentucky  has  furnished  this  locality.  He 
was  born  in  Covington,  of  that  state,  October  22, 
1838,  and  is  a  son  of  John  J.  and  Mary  A.  (Steel) 
Pierce.  His  father  was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early 
age,  and  was  reared  by  his  elder  brother,  Samuel,  in 
Cincinnati.  The  members  of  the  family  to  which 
he  belonged  were,  Samuel,  John  J.,  William,  Mrs. 
Jane  McCully,  Martha  (wife  of  Nathan  Spencer), 
Abigail,  Nancy  and  Deborah.  John  J.  Pierce  ac- 
quired a  good  common-school  education;  lie  was 
very  studious,  was  an  extensive  reader  and  prepared 
himself  for  teaching.  When  twenty  years  of  age 
he  began  learning  the  stone-cutter's  trade.  He 
was  married  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  to  Ma  1-3- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


333 


A.  Steel,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  a   daughter 
of  .Tosiah  and  Hannah  Steel. 

Josiah  Steel  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812, 
and  for  a  number  of  years  received  a  pension  in 
recognition  of  his  services.  After  his  marriage  he 
made  his  home  in  Covington,  Ky.,  until  1840, 
when  he  removed  to  Ogle  County,  111.,  where  he 
entered  a  claim  upon  which  he  lived  for  five  years. 
He  then  sold  out  and  returned  to  Ohio,  where  he 
followed  farming  and  teaching.  Eleven  years 
later,  however,  he  again  went  to  Ogle  County, 
where  he  engaged  in  teaching  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  at  the  age  of  forty-five.  His  wife 
survived  him  many  years.  They  were  the  parents  of 
seven  children:  William  S., of  Nebraska;  James  F.; 
Hannah  M.,  deceased;  Amanda  J.,  wife  of  Marvin 
Wilton,  of  Henry, 111.;  Nancy,  wife  of  Bert. Smith, 
of  Peoria,  111.;  Mary  B.,  wife  of  J.  A.  Long,  of 
Mackinaw;  and  Matilda,  who  died  in  childhood. 
The  father  of  this  family  was  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  in  early  life,  and  in  politics  was  a 
Democrat. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  James  F. 
Pierce  was  reared,  attending  the  common  schools 
through  the  winter  season,  and  aiding  in  the  labors 
of  the  farm  through  the  summer  months.  He  be- 
gan renting  land  on  attaining  his  majority,  and 
followed  farming  in  his  own  interest.  He  used 
ox-teams  in  cultivating  his  fields,  and  lived  in 
Ogle  County  for  a  number  of  years,  after  which  he 
came  to  Tazewell  County,  where  he  again  rented 
a  farm. 

In  this  county,  Mr.  Pierce  was  united  in  mar- 
riage witli  Rachel  M.  Smith,  a  native  of  Kentuckj^, 
and  a  daughter  of  Asa  and  Elizabeth  (Nevelle) 
Smith.  Their  union  was  blessed  by  six  children: 
Fannie;  Sanford  F.,  now  of  Bloomington,  111.; 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Peter  Shirtz,  of  Stanford,  111.; 
Anna,  wife  of  David  Blair,  of  this  township;  Eva 
J.  and  Ella,  at  home.  They  also  have  five  grand- 
children. 

Mr.  Pierce  made  his  first  purchase  of  land  about 
three  years  after  his  marriage,  becoming  owner  of 
sixty-five  acres  near  Mackinaw.  A  year  later  he 
sold  out  and  rented  for  a  year.  He  then  went  to 
Schuyler  County,  111.,  where  he  lived  five  years, 
and  then  returned  to  Tazewell  County,  where  he 


purchased  eighty-one  acres  of  his  present  farm.  He 
now  has  two  hundred  and  twenty-four  and  a-half 
acres  of  valuable  land  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation and  well  improved,  and  his  farm  is  consid- 
ered one  of  the  best  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
owner  is  an  enterprising  and  progressive  man,  and 
the  neat  appearance  of  his  place  indicates  his  care- 
ful supervision.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Christian  Church  of  Mackinaw,  and  in  his  po- 
litical affiliations  he  is  a  Democrat. 


IfDMSI 


C.  ALLENSWORTH,  Postmaster  at  Pckin, 
,  and  until  recently  the  editor  and  manager 
of  the  Pekin  Times,  was  born  October  27, 
1845,  one-half  mile  southeast  of  Bradley,  in 
Little  Mackinaw  Township,  this  county.  His  par- 
ents were  William  P.  and  Arabell  (Waggenner)  Al- 
lensworth,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Ken  tuck  v. 
The  father  departed  this  life  in  Minier  in  1874, 
leaving  a  widow  and  seven  children,  three  sons 
and  four  daughters. 

Our  subject,  who  was  the  eldest  of  the  family, 
spent  his  early  life  on  his  father's  farm  and  in  at- 
tendance at  the  district  school  until  reaching  his 
twentieth  year,  when  he  entered  the  State  Normal 
University,  from  which  institution  he  was  gradu- 
ated with  the  Class  of  '69.  In  the  fall  of  that  year 
he  took  charge  of  the  schools  in  Elmwood,  this 
state,  and  for  three  years  was  one  of  the  most  effi- 
cient and  prominent  educators  of  Peoria  County. 

In  the  spring  of  1872  Mr.  Allensworth  purchased 
a  half-interest  in  the  Pekin  Register,  his  partner  in 
the  enterprise  being  J.  F.  Mounts.  The  suc- 
ceeding fall  W.  T.  Meads,  the  former  owner  of 
the  paper,  bought  out  Mr.  Mounts,  and  the  firm  of 
Allensworth  &  Mounts  was  in  existence  only  until 
the  1st  of  January,  when  our  subject  was  com- 
pelled to  sell  out  on  account  of  failing  health. 
Deciding  that  the  best  way  to  regain  his  lost 
strength  was  to  live  out  of  doors  as  much  as  possible, 
he  immediately  went  to  Minier,  where  he  engaged 
in  farm  work  and  remained  for  several  years. 

October  7,  1875,  B.  C.  Alleusworth  was  married 
to  Miss  Charity  A.  Tanner,  and  to  them  has  been 


334 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


born  a  family  of  five  children:  Adelaide,  William 
P.,  Nellie  A.,  Ellis  D.  and  Myra,  of  whom  the  two 
eldest  are  deceased.  In  1877  our  subject  was 
elected  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  Tazewell 
County,  and  was  the  incumbent  of  that  responsi- 
ble position  for  nine  years.  When  first  elected  he 
was  engaged  in  teaching  at  Minier,  and  continued 
to  make  that  place  his  official  headquarters  until 
April,  1884,  when  he  removed  to  Pekiu,  where  he 
is  now  residing. 

April  28,  1885,  Mr.  Aliens  worth  took  charge  of 
the  Pekin  Times  as  editor  and  manager,  and  being 
a  thorough  business  man  he  left  no  stone  unturned 
in  developing  its  business  interests  as  far  as  possi- 
ble. On  the  21st  of  December,  1893,  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Postmastership  of  Pekin,  which 
position  he  now  holds.  His  life  has  been  ruled 
by  upright  and  honorable  principles,  and  every- 
where he  makes  friends  and  is  respected  by  all  who 
know  him. 


•  I 


L.    ROBISON,   a    worthy    representative 

of  the  agricultural  interests  of  Tazewell 

"111 
II    County,  now  resides  ou  section    10,  Elm 

Grove  Township.  He  comes  of  a  family 
of  Scotch  origin.  His  grandfather,  James  Robison, 
was  born  in  Scotland,  and  married  Isabella  Leslie, 
also  a  native  of  that  country.  In  1835  he  emi- 
grated to  America  with  his  family  and  located  in 
Johnstown,  Pa.,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  con- 
tractor on  the  first  railroad  built  across  the  Alle- 
ghauy  Mountains.  Subsequently  he  removed  to 
Detroit,  Mich.,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  for  a 
short  time.  He  then  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in 
Elm  Grove  Township,  Tazewell  County,  where  he 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  throughout  his  re- 
maining days.  His  death  occurred  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four,  and  his  wife  died  in  December,  1891, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety. 

Frank  Robison,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
one  of  ten  children.  He  was  born  in  Scotland  in 
1825,  and  was  only  ten  years  old  when  the  family 
crossed  the  briny  deep  to  America.  When  a  youth 
of  twelve  he  became  a  resident  of  Elm  Grove 
Township,  where  he  has  since  lived,  devoting  his 


time  and  attention  to  farm  work.  He  was  an  en-  . 
ergetic  and  enterprising  man,  and  met  witli  signal 
success  in  his  business  dealings.  In  the  year  1849 
he  wedded  Mary  Miars,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Ann 
Miars.  Her  father  was  a  Virginian  by  birth,  but  was 
reared  in  Ohio,  and  in  1825  came  to  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty, becoming  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Elm 
Grove  Township.  He  wasa  prominentand  influen- 
tial citizen,  and  did  much  toward  the  development 
of  the  county  and  the  promotion  of  its  best  inter- 
ests. His  death  occurred  here  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robison  were  horn  ten 
children,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Martin,  now 
of  Morton  Township;  Annie,  who  is  living  with 
her  mother;  Ella,  wife  of  O.  P.  Skeggs,  of  McLean 
County;  Ida,  wife  of  James  Cooper,  of  Cooper 
Station,  111.;  and  Archie  Leslie,  of  this  sketch. 
The  father  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years,  but 
the  mother  is  still  living  in  Elm  Grove  Township. 

Mr.  Robison  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
born  in  Tazewell  County,  November  31,  1859,  and 
in  his  boyhood  attended  the  schools  of  the  town- 
ship, and  afterward  was  a  pupil  in  the  Pekin  High 
School.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  started  out  in 
life  for  himself  as  a  farmer,  and  has  since  success- 
fully carried  on  farming  In  1884  he  removed  to 
his  present  place,  a  part  of  which  he  inherited 
from  his  father.  He  has  extended  its  boundaries, 
however,  from  time  to  time,  until  he  now  owns 
four  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres  of  rich  land, 
comprising  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  county. 
It  is  supplied  with  good  buildings  and  all  modern 
conveniences. 

On  the  13th  of  March,  1884,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Robison  and  Lida  Richmond,  a 
native  of  Hittle  Township,  Tazewell  County,  and 
a  daughter  of  Wilson  and  Emily  (Fisher)  Rich- 
mond. Her  parents  had  a  family  of  nine  children, 
six  of  whom  are  yet  living:  J.  E.,  Martha,  Emma, 
B.  W.,  Laura  and  Mrs.  Robison.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Robison  have  been  born  five  children:  Frank  Wil- 
son, Archie  Leslie,  Richmond,  Don  and  James. 

In  politics  Mr.  Robison  is  an  ardent  Republican, 
and  is  a  close  student  of  the  affairs  and  questions 
of  the  day,  always  keeping  well  informed  on  topics 
of  general  interest.  He  is  a  pleasant,  genial  gen- 
tlemen, and  he  and  his  wife  have  man}'  friends 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


335 


1  ,S  I  2. 


throughout  the  community.  His  life  has  been 
welt  and  worthily  spent,  and  he  is  numbered 
among  the  representative  farmers  of  Elm  Grove 
Township. 


DANIEL  SAPP,  proprietor  of  the  Spring 
Lake  Stock  Farm,  and  one  of  the  success- 
ful stockmen  of  the  Illinois  Valley,  was 
born  in  Fleming  County,  Ky.,  May  18, 
When  a  mere  child  he  was  left  an  orphan 
and  thus  thrown  upon  his  own  resources.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen  years,  in  1856,  he  accompanied  a 
stock  trader  to  Bloomington,  111.,  where  he  worked 
on  a  stock  farm  at  Randolph  Grove  for  two  years. 
As  may  be  imagined,  his  school  advantages  were 
necessarily  very  meagre,  and  all  the  knowledge 
he  now  possesses  has  been  practically  acquired  by 
self-culture. 

The  year  1858  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Sapp 
iu  Spring  Lake  Township,  Tazewell  County,  where 
he  assisted  in  breaking  prairie  and  doing  farm 
work,  being  for  three  years  in  the  employ  of  one 
man,  and  receiving  as  compensation  for  his  serv- 
ices forty  acres  of  land  in  Peoria  County.  Of  this 
property  he  was  naturally  quite  proud,  as  it  was 
the  first  he  had  ever  owned  and  had  been  gained 
through  his  unaided  exertions.  In  1861  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Memphis  Ice  Company 
and  went  south  for  them,  having  charge  of  the  ice 
barges.  He  also  attended  to  the  unloading  and 
sale  of  ice,  and  the  securing  of  the  collections. 
In  May,  1861,  when  travel  was  especially  danger- 
ous on  account  of  the  war,  he  went  south  as  far 
as  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas  River  with  two 
barges,  and  on  his  return  to  Memphis  Dr.  Smith, 
of  that  place,  gave  him  a  letter  to  Gen.  M.  Pope, 
which  secured  his  passage  through  the  lines.  He 
then  returned  to  Spring  Lake  Township. 

In  1863  Mr.  Sapp  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Prettyman)  Offutt,  a  native  of 
Delaware.  After  that  event  he  settled  on  his  pres- 
ent farm  and  engaged  in  raising  grain  and  stock. 
From  time  to  time  he  has  added  to  his  original 
purchase  until  his  landed  possessions  now  aggre- 
gate two  thousand  acres,  for  the  most  of  which  he 


paid  $40  or  $50  per  acre.  This  farm  is  pleasantly 
situated  on  the  Mackinaw  River  seven  miles  south 
of  Pekin.  Here  he  built  a  substantial  residence, 
72x36  feet  in  dimensions  and  two  stories  in  height, 
which  was  the  most  elegant  rural  home  in  Tazewell 
County.  Unfortunately  the  dwelling  burned  to 
the  ground,  but  it  was  afterward  replaced  by 
another  attractive  and  conveniently  arranged 
house,  a  trifle  smaller  than  the  first.  The  entire 
property  is  well  improved,  the  soil  well  cultivated, 
and  the  place  embellished  with  several  commodi- 
ous barns  and  other  substantial  outbuildings. 

After  the  death  of  his  wife,  iu  1886,  Mr.  Sapp 
came  to  Pekin,  and  during  the  following  year  he 
purchased  two  hundred  and  thirty-two  acres  within 
the  corporate  limits  of  the  city.  Here  he  has  a 
one-mile  track,  as  fine  as  any  in  the  state.  The 
farm  in  itself  is  well  improved  with  a  barn,  100x36 
feet  in  dimensions,  with  two  wings  36x36  feet, 
and  two  large  sheds  outside.  On  the  place  are 
usually  about  one  hundred  horses.  The  value  of 
the  land  is  greatly  increased  by  the  presence  of 
never-failing  springs. 

In  1887  Mr.  Sapp  began  breeding  standard 
horses,  commencing  with  "Billie  Wilkes,"  which 
he  still  owns.  "Billie  Wilkes  2938"  was  sired  by 
"Harry  Wilkes,"  record  2:13|;  first  dam,  "Dyra 
Seldon,"  by  "Clark  Chief  89."  "Billie"  is  a 
brown  stallion,  sixteen  hands  high,  of  magnificent 
proportions,  foaled  in  Richmond,  Ky.,  in  1880. 
Throughout  the  States  he  is  well  known  as  the 
sire  of  some  of  the  fast  trotters  and  pacers  of 
to-day,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  the  fol- 
lowing: "Bloomfield,"  record  2:18£;  "Mary  Mar- 
shall," 2:12f;  and  "May  Marshall,"  the  fastest 
pacer  mare  in  the  world,  with  a  record  of  2:08^; 
and  "Joe  Jett,"  2:14£.  Mr.  Sapp  is  one  of  the 
most  extensive  breeders  of  standard  horses  in 
central  Illinois,  and  his  reputation  in  that  line  is 
not  limited  to  Pekin  or  Tazewell  County,  but  ex- 
tends throughout  the  state. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Sapp  occurred  in 
March,  1893,  uniting  him  with  Mrs.  Nellie  Smith, 
a  daughter  of  B.  S.  Prettyman ;  she  is  an  ac- 
complished lady,  and  was  born  and  educated  in 
Pekin.  A  Democrat  in  politics,  Mr.  Sapp  served 
for  twelve  years  as  Supervisor  of  Spring  Lake 


336 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Township,  and  was  the  Chairman  of  the  County 
Board  for  some  time.  In  1886  he  was  nominated 
for  County  Treasurer,  and  was  elected  by  a  major- 
ity of  two  hundred,  he  and  one  other  candidate 
being  the  only  Democrats  who  secured  election 
that  fall.  Entering  upon  the  duties  of  the  office 
in  December,  1886,  he  served  with  efficiency  until 
December,  1890.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
Pekin  Lodge  No.  29,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  Royal 
Arch  Chapter,  and  Pcoria  Cornmandery  No.  3, 
K.  T.  He  has  reached  the  thirty-second  degree 
and  holds  membership  in  Peoria  Consistory  No. 
1.  He  has  traveled  extensively  throughout  this 
country,  and  has  been  in  every  state  except  Flor- 
ida and  Washington. 


\f  ACOB  STOUT.  The  subject  of  the  follow- 
ing sketch  can  certainly  look  back  upon  a 
busy  life  and  feel  that  his  labors  have  not 
been  in  vain.  When  success  crowns  any. 
victor  in  a  struggle,  reward  is  his  due,  and' Mr. 
Stout  receives  his  reward  in  the  peace  and  plenty 
which  surround  his  declining  years  and  the  rest  he 
can  now  take  after  the  hard  fight  against  the  dis- 
advantageous circumstances  of  poverty. 

Born  in  Greene  County,  Pa.,  November  19, 
1812,  our  subject  is  the  son  of  Benjamin  Stout,  a 
native  of  New  Jersey.  The  latter  when  a  young 
man  removed  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  married 
and  engaged  in  farming  pursuits.  In  1814  lie  came 
farther  west,  locating  near  Zanesville,  Ohio,  on 
the  Muskingum  River,  whence  he  later  removed 
to  Newark,  where  he  followed  farming  pursuits 
until  his  decease,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years. 
The  lady  to  whom  he  was  married  was  known  in 
her  maidenhood  as  Elizabeth  Setoria;  she  was 
born  in  the  Keystone  State  and  died  in  Newark, 
Ohio,  when  seventy-eight  years  of  age. 

Of  the  five  sons  and  one  daughter  comprised  in 
the  parental  family,  Jacob  is  the  fourth  in  order 
of  birth.  He  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  in 
Newark,  Ohio,  and  received  his  education  in  the 
little  log  schoolhouse  with  its  slab  benches  and 
other  rude  furnishings.  When  eighteen  years  of 


age  he  began  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world 
and  learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  He  was  a  pnomi- 
nent  contractor  in  that  place,  and  when  in  business 
for  himself  employed  from  twenty-five  to  thirty 
men.  He  aided  in  the  construction  of  aqueducts, 
etc.,  and  was  an  expert  workman  in  the  ship  yards 
of  the  above  place.  He  also  built  some  canal  boats. 

April  20,  1848,  Mr.  Stout  came  to  Pekin,  mak- 
ing the  journey  overland  with  wagons.  His  fam- 
ily, however,  came  to  their  new  home  by  way  of 
boats,  in  company  with  William  Strausbory.  At 
that  time  there  were  only  a  few  hundred  people 
living  in  the  county,  and  our  subject  began  work- 
ing by  the  day  at  his  trade.  Later,  however,  he 
removed  to  a  farm  situated  three  miles  south 
of  Pekiu,  where  he  made  his  home  for  a  short  time. 
In  1851  he  returned  to  Ohio  and  followed  his 
trade  at  Newark,  where  he  owned  some  property. 
He  had  been  enabled  to  lay  by  a  snug  sum  of 
money,  but  the  bank  in  which  he  was  a  depositor 
failing,  he  lost  the  entire  amount  and  was  thus 
_eompelled  to  begin  life  again  at  the  bottom  round 
<irf.  the  hlddtir'. 

In  the  fall  of  1853  Mr.  Stout  disposed  of  his 
property  in  Newark  and  returned  to  Pekin,  mak- 
ing the  trip  by  rail  to  Sandusky,  thence  by  boat  to 
Detroit,  where  he  boarded  a  train  which  conveyed 
him  to  Chicago.  From  there  he  went  to  LaSalle, 
and  by  means  of  boat  to  the  Illinois  Rivci,  arrived 
in  Pekiu  October  3  of  that  year.  He  immediately 
began  work  for  A.  &  J.  Hains,  by  whom  he  was  em- 
ployed for  six  years,  two  seasons  of  which  he  spent 
in  traveling  through  Indiana  and  Ohio  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  company.  At  the  expiration  of  that 
time  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  com- 
pany with  a  Mr.  Seely.  After  the  dissolution  of 
the  partnership  Mr.  Stout  clerked  for  a  time,  and 
later  opened  up  another  store  with  a  Mr.  Morris. 
Some  years  afterward  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  Mr.  Bergstresser,  and  during  the  six  years  in 
which  they  carried  on  the  grocery  business  our 
subject  erected  three  brick  stores  located  on  Court 
and  Fifth  Streets.  In  1883  he  disposed  of  his  in- 
terest in  the  grocery  to  his  partner  and  later  sold 
his  business  property.  Mr.  Stout  has  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  residences  in  the  city,  the  substan- 
tial dwelling  being  surrounded  by  over  one-half 


LIBRARY 

or  rw 

UNIVERSITY  Of 


LORENZO   DURHAM. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


339 


an  acre  of  fine  lawn.  It  is  located  at  the  junction 
of  I5ro.it! way  and  Court  and  Seventh  Streets  and 
was  purchased  in  1864  from  Jacob  Thorpe,  who  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers  here.  lie  owned  a  quarter- 
section  of  land,  which  is  the  present  site  of  Pekin. 
In  1833  while  residing  in  Newark,  Ohio,  our  sub- 
ject was  married  to  Miss  Julia  Langley,  who  was 
born  in  Virginia  and  who  departed  this  life  July 
9,  1880.  Although  always  a  busy  man,  Mr.  Stout 
has  yet  found  time  to  serve  the  public  as  Town- 
ship Assessor  for  two  terms;  he  was  also  Overseer 
of  the  Poor  for  the  same  length  of  time.  He  has 
been  a  life-long  Democrat  in  politics,  and  as  a  kind 
friend,  adviser  and  public-spirited  citizen  he  is 
widely  known. 


bORENZO  DURHAM,  the  efHcient  and  capa- 
I  ble  Police  Magistrate  of  Morton,  has  occu- 
,  pied  that  office  since  1877,  and  during  the 
entire  time  has  given  the  best  of  satisfaction.  He 
was  born  in  Baldwinsville,  Onondaga  County,  N. 
Y.,  August  24,  1838,  being  the  son  of  Lorenzo  D. 
and  Matilda  M.  (Minard)  Durham,  and  the  grand- 
son of  John  and  Elizabeth  Durham.  The  grand- 
father was  born  in  Harvard  County,  Md.,  of  En- 
glish descent.  He  occupied  an  official  position 
in  the  War  of  1812,  and  was  a  man  of  consid- 
erable wealth,  leading  a  retired  life  in  Baltimore 
for  many  years  prior  to  his  decease.  His  family 
numbered  twenty-one  children,  only  nine  of  whom 
grew  to  mature  years.  The  paternal  great-grand- 
father of  our  subject  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  educated  in  one 
of  the  eastern  colleges,  and  acquired  a  good  knowl- 
edge of  the  French  language.  After  completing 
his  schooling,  lie  was  placed  by  his  father  in  the 
service  of  a  Mr.  Simeon,  a  large  silk  merchant,  in 
order  that  he  might  acquire  a  knowledge  of  busi- 
ness. He  was  a  very  talented  young  man  and 
wrote  many  articles  in  both  prose  and  poetry. 
His  high  attainments  qualified  him  to  enter  the 
best  society  in  New  York,  where  he  was  often 
8 


called  upon  in  social  gatherings  to  read  some  of 
his  own  productions. 

For  a  number  of  years  Lorenzo  D.  Durham  was 
a  large  importer  of  dry  goods  in  New  York  City, 
but  when  in  1835  his  property  was  swept  away  by 
fire,  he  left  the  city  and  went  to  Tonawanda,  N. 
Y.  His  decease  occurred  in  1849,  in  Buffalo.  He 
served  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  his  family  still 
have  in  their  possession  his  sword,  which  from  the 
engraving  thereon  indicates  that  he  held  an  offi- 
cial position.  The  mother  of  our  subject  <!ied 
when  he  was  quite  young,  leaving  besides  himself 
his  sister  Matilda,  now  the  widow  of  E.  Lawton, 
for  many  years  Chief  Engineer  in  the  United  States 
Navy. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  by  strang- 
ers until  1852,  when  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Col.  Hugh  Gel- 
ston.  of  Baltimore,  offered  him  a  home.  His  uncle 
was  a  large  real-estate  owner  in  that  city,  and  un- 
der him  young  Durham  acquired  a  good  business 
education.  In  1854,  after  completing  his  studies 
in  the  common  schools,  he  entered  the  wholesale 
drug  house  of  Clotworthy  cfe  Flint,  of  Baltimore, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  two  years,  and  then 
came  west  to  Washington,  this  county.  Here  he 
served  a  three  years'  apprenticeship  at  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  and  after  working  thus  for  a  year  he 
was  compelled  to  abandon  that  occupation  on  ac-  » 
count  of  failing  eyesight.  He  then  went  to  Grove- 
land  and  hired  out  to  work  on  farms  by  the  month 
and  was  thus  occupied  when,  in  November,  1861, 
he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Fourth  Illinois  Cav- 
alry. 

After  joining  the  army,  our  subject  was  at  once 
ordered  with  his  regiment  to  the  front,  and  the 
first  general  engagement  in  which  he  participated 
was  at  Ft.  Henry.  This  was  followed  by  Donelson 
and  Shiloh.  About  a  month  after  the  last  battle, 
he  was  kicked  in  the  left  shoulder  by  a  horse,  and 
was  given  a  furlough.  At  the  end  of  that  time, 
although  unfit  for  duty,  he  again  joined  his  regi- 
ment, and  being  placed  on  detached  duty,  assisted 
in  raising  the  Second  Tennessee  Colored  Infantry, 
of  which  he  was  commissioned  Lieutenant.  In  1865 
he  was  promoted  to  be  First  Lieutenant  of  Com- 
pany C,  and  was  afterward  tendered  a  commission 
as  Major  of  another  company,  but  would  not  leave 


340 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


his  old  regiment  to  accept  it.  Finally  he  almost 
entirely  lost  the  use  of  his  arm,  which  though  not 
amputated,  is  of  but  little  service  to  him,  and  has 
been  the  cause  of  much  suffering  on  his  part. 

After  serving  his  country  faithfully  and  well 
for  fifteen  hundred  days,  Mr.  Durham  returned  to 
Tazewell  County,  and  until  1875  was  engaged  in 
farming.  That  year  he  removed  to  the  village  of 
Morton,  and  has  been  variously  engaged  serving 
as  Justice  of  the  Peace  since  1877.  At  one  time 
he  began  reading  law,  and  although  not  taking  a 
thorough  course,  he  has  found  the  knowledge  thus 
gained  very  useful  to  him  in  his  official  capacity. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  Notary  Pub- 
lic of  the  village. 

In  Morton  Township  in  1867,  our  subject  mar- 
ried Miss  Minerva  B.,  daughter  of  Franklin  and 
Deborah  (Tupper)  Gay.  She  is  a  native  of  this 
place,  while  her  parents  were  born  in  Vermont. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Durham  was  born  a  son,  Will  L., 
who  is  following  the  agricultural  implement  trade. 
Social!}'  our  subject  is  a  Grand  Army  man  and  be- 
longs to  Groveland  Lodge  No.  352,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 


BENJAMIN  S.  FORD,  a  harness  manufac- 
turer of  Hopedale,  and  Supervisor  of  Ilope- 
dale  Township,  was  born  in  Oldham  Coun- 
ty, Ky.,  July  9,  1842.  The  grandfather, 
Milnor  Ford,  was  a  native  of  Delaware,  and  was 
of  Irish  extraction.  He  served  as  a  minute-man 
in  the  War  of  1812,  and  in  religious  belief  was  a 
Quaker.  The  father  of  our  subject,  Abraham  N. 
Ford,  was  born  in  Delaware  in  1801,  learned  the 
shoemaker's  trade,  and  about  1827  removed  to 
Kentucky,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1859.  He 
had  three  brothers  and  four  sisters,  and  his  brother 
William  is  still  living  in  Pennsylvania.  Abraham 
Ford  married  Rebecca  Hendrickson,  a  native  of 
Delaware,  and  of  Swedish  descent.  Her  father  was 
a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  she  died  in 
Hopedale  in  1886. 

B.  S.  Ford  is  the  youngest  of  four  brothers,  all 
of  whom  were  numbered  among  the  boys  in  blue. 
His  brother  J.  II.  was  a  physician,  served  through- 


out the-war  as  Surgeon  of  the  Ninety-third  In- 
diana Regiment  and  died  in  Columbus,  Ind.;  II. 
M.,  a  member  of  the  Ninth  Kentucky  Cavahy, 
was  wounded  but  recovered,  and  is  now  a  real- 
estate  dealer  of  McCune,  Crawford  County,  Kan.; 
W.  A.,  a  member  of  the  Sixth  Kentucky  Infantry, 
was  wounded  at  Stone  River,  and  died  from  the 
injury  several  years  later. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  our  subject 
left  school  to  enter  the  service  of  his  country,  re- 
sponding to  President  Lincoln's  first  call  for  three 
hundred  thousand  volunteers.  On  the  1st  of  June, 
1861,  he  became  a  private  of  Com  pan  3'  D,  Sixth 
Kentucky  Infantry,  and  did  service  with  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland.  He  participated  in  the  battles 
of  Shiloh,  Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Missionary 
Ridge,  and  tlie  Atlanta  campaign, "and  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Chickamauga  was  wounded  in  the  head  and 
the  right  leg.  For  meritorious  conduct  on  the  bat- 
tlefield he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  First 
Lieutenant,  October  26,  1864.  Having  served  for 
more  than  three  years,  he  was  honorably  discharged 
and  returned  to  Kentucky.  He  now  draws  a  pen- 
sion of  $6  per  month. 

In  1866.  Mr.  Ford  went  to  Quincy,  111.,  where 
he  worked  at  his  trade  of  harness-making  until 
1877,  since  which  time  he  has  engaged  in  that 
business  in  Hopedale.  He  served  as  Postmaster  of 
this  place  for  four  years  under  President  Harrison, 
was  Trustee  and  Town  Clerk  for  several  years,  is 
a  member  of  the  Village  Board,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing his  second  year  as  a  member  of  the  County 
Board  of  Supervisors. 

Mr.  Ford  was  married  in  1870,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  Mary  Russell,  who  was  born  in 
Ireland,  but  came  to  America  during  her  girlhood. 
They  have  five  children:  Mary,  wife  of  El.  G. 
Schneider,  a  .young  business  man  of  Hopedale,  and 
its  popular  Mayor;  Anna,  a  teacher  in  the  Hope- 
dale  schools;  and  John  H.,  Nellie  and  Edward,  at 
home. 

In  addition  to  his  other  business  interests,  Mr. 
Ford  has  a  small  farm  near  Hopedale,  and  to  some 
extent  is  engaged  in  stock  dealing.  He  is  a  lead- 
ing member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
and  has  served  as  Quartermaster  of  Hopedale  Post 
Since  its  organization.  In  politics  he  has  been  a 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


341 


life-long  Republican.  No  trust  reposed  in  him 
has  ever  been  betrayed,  and  he  manifests  the  same 
loyalty  to  his  country  in  days  of  peace  that  he 
displayed  when  on  the  field  of  battle  fighting  in 
defense  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 


eAFf.  R.  J.  BEATTY,  President  "of  the  Old 
Soldiers'  Association, and  a  popular  citizen 
of  Delavan,  was  born  in  Ulster,  in  the  North 
of  Ireland,  October  14,  1842.  His  ancestors  for 
many  generations  resided  in  the  Highlands  of 
Scotland,  but  during  the  religious  revolution  in 
that  country  removed  to  the  North  of  Ireland 
and  became  prominent  in  that  part  of  the  Emerald 
Isle.  Their  descendants  are  scattered  throughout 
almost  every  state  in  the  Union. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Guy  Beatty,  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  and  in  religious  belief  was 
a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  His  life  was  a 
very  brief  one,  and  he  passed  away  at  the  age  of 
twenty-six,  when  our  subject  was  only  six  years 
old.  The  mother  of  the  Captain  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Margaret  Armstrong,  and  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  William  Armstrong,  who  was  of  Scotch  an- 
cestry and  a  man  of  prominence  in  the  North  of 
Ireland.  For  many  years  he  was  the  manager  of 
the  great  estate  of  Sir  Henry  Brooks.  Among  the 
early  Methodists  he  was  influential  and  an  active 
worker. 

After  the  death  of  Guy  Beatty  his  widow  mar- 
ried George  Dawson.  Some  years  after  his  demise 
she  became  the  wife  of  William  Day  and  now  re- 
sides in  Delavan.  The  Captain  is  the  only  child 
of  his  parents,  and  was  a  lad  of  nine  years  when, 
with  his  mother  and  step-father,  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  settling  in  New  York.  His  educa- 
tion was  conducted  at  the  East  Bloornfield  Acad- 
emy and  Genesee  College,  of  Lima,  N.  Y.  At  the 
age  of  seventeen  he  began  to  teach  school  at  Vic- 
tor, N.  Y.,  and  soon  afterward  went  to  Missouri, 
where  he  taught  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebell- 
ion. 

At  the  first  call  for  troops  our  subject  tendered 
his  services,  and  for  a  time  was  held  in  the  home 
guards,  as  more  than  the  required  quota  had  been 


secured  to  go  to  the  front.  In  August  of  the  same 
year  (1861)  he  enlisted  in  the  Fifth  Iowa  Cavalry, 
under  the  first  three  hundred  thousand  call.  The 
regiment  was  made  up  of  troops  from  Iowa,  Mis- 
souri and  Nebraska,  and  he  was  commissioned  Sec- 
ond Lieutenant.  At  the  battle  of  Ft.  Donelson  he 
was  slightly  wounded.  lie  also  participated  in  the 
memorable  battle  of  Shiloh.  The  greater  part  of 
his  service  was  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland. 
In  the  fall  of  1862  he  was  promoted  to  First  Lieu- 
tenant, and  became  Captain  after  the  battle  of 
Franklin.  January  26,  1865,  an  order  was  issued 
from  the  War  Department  that  all  oflicers  who  had 
served  for  three  years  could  take  their  discharge, 
and  he  retired  from  the  army,  after  having  partic- 
ipated in  many  of  the  leading  evunts  of  the  Re- 
bellion. 

The  war  closed,  Captain  Beatty  came  to  Delavan, 
where  for  several  years  he  was  engaged  in  fanning 
two  -miles  from  the  city.  In  1866  he  married 
Miss  Eleanor  F.,  daughter  of  Elisha  M.  Holmes,  a 
prominent  farmer  of  Palmyra,  N.  Y.  Mrs.  Beatty 
is  an  accomplished  lady  and  a  graduate  of  the 
Marion  Collegiate  Institute  of  New  York.  During 
the  panic  of  1873  the  Captain  lost  almost  all  his 
property,  and  afterward  taught  three  terms  of 
school.  In  1882  he  retired  from  the  farm  and  en- 
gaged in  the  grain  and  coal  business,  to  which  he 
has  since  devoted  considerable  attention.  In  1884 
he  aided  in  the  erection  of  Armory  Hall,  which  he 
now  owns  and  controls. 

Under  the  administration  of  President  Arthur, 
Captain  Beatty  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Del- 
avan, and  was  again  chosen  for  that  oflice  by  Pres- 
ident Harrison,  holding  the  position  until  Febru- 
ary. 1894,  when  his  time  expired.  F' or  some  years 
he  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  but  failed  to 
qualify  the  last  time  he  was  elected.  He  has  al- 
ways been  an  ardent  Republican  and  takes  an  ac- 
tive part  in  local  politics.  He  is  prominent  in  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  three  times  has 
been  chosen  Commander  of  the  post.  As  above 
mentioned,  he  is  President  of  the  Old  Soldiers'  As- 
sociation. In  his  religious  belief  be  is  a  Methodist 
and  holds  membership  in  the  church  of  that  de- 
nomination at  Delavan. 

Captain  and  Mrs.  Beatty  have  had  five  children. 


342 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


The  eldest  son,  Guy,  a  prominent  newspaper  man 
of  Delavan,  is  the  owner  of  the  Times  Building, 
one  of  the  finest  brick  structures  in  the  place,  and 
which- is  occupied  by  the  Times  printing  office  and 
the  postofflce.  At  sixteen  he  was  the  editor  of  the 
Delavau  Times,  the  success  of  which  he  largely  in- 
creased, and  in  the  publication  of  which  he  after- 
ward associated  with  himself  his  brother,  S.  H..  to 
whom  he  finally  disposed  of  the  plant  and  paper 
in  June,  1893.  Kate  is  the  wife  of  C.  D.  Hopkins, 
who  is  conducting  a  newspaper  at  Greenview,  this 
state.  Starr  II.,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Del- 
avan Times-Press,  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  John  is  a  graduate  of  the  Delavan  High 
School,  in  which  the  younger  daughter,  Grace,  is 
now  being  educated. 


pear. 


ENRY    F.  FROEBE.     This    BIOGRAPHICAL 

RECORD  of  Tazewell  County  would  be  in- 
complete if  within  its  pages  a  sketcli  of  the 
above-named  gentleman  should  fail  to  ap- 
His  standing  is  high  among  the  citizens  of 
Pekin  and  the  surrounding  country,  and  he  is  de- 
servedly respected  by  those  who  are  favored  with 
his  friendship.  He  is  at  present  the  traveling  rep- 
resentative of  the  Pekin  Plow  Company,  in  which 
he  is  a  stockholder,  and  also  travels  in  the  interest 
of  the  T.  &  H.  Smith  Company. 

A  native  of  this  state,  our  subject  was  born  in 
Beardstown.  Cass  County,  February  20,  1852.  He 
is  of  German  parentage,  his  father,  John  J.  Froebe, 
being  a  native  of  Saxony.  The  latter  was  a  miller 
in  his  native  country,  and  coming  to  the  United 
States  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  located  at 
Quincy,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpen- 
ter, and  from  that  city  removed  to  Beardstown, 
this  state.  About  1858  he  came  to  Pekin;  lie 
worked  at  his  trade  for  one  year,  when  he  removed 
to  Danvers,  where  he  was  a  general  merchant.  His 
next  removal  was  made  in  1863  to  Bay  port,  Mich., 
where  he  was  also  engaged  as  a  merchant,  and  the 
following  year,  enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  in  the 


Twenty-third  Michigan  Infantry.  After  a  service 
of  about  eighteen  months  he  was  discharged,  and 
returning  to  Bayport,  located  on  the  farm  on 
which  he  departed  this  life  when  sixty-two  years 
of  age.  His  good  wife,  Mrs.  Maria  (Sch river) 
Froebe,  died  in  this  city  in  1859.  Her  husband 
was  later  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Gollia,  a  resident 
of  Pekiu,  and  by  her  he  became  the  father  of  four 
children. 

Henry  F.  was  the  second  child  born  of  his  fa- 
ther's first  marriage,  his  sisters  being  Carrie,  now 
Mrs.  D.  C.  Smith,  of  this  city,  and  Amelia,  Mrs. 
Herman  Roedell,  who  also  resides  in  Pekin.  Our 
subject  attended  school  in  this  city  until  seven- 
teen years  of  age,  when  he  learned  the  art  of  pho- 
tography under  the  instruction  of  J.  C.  Parker. 
After  working  for  two  years  at  this  business  his 
health  was  impaired  to  such  an  extent  that  he  was 
obliged  to  go  where  he  could  have  outdoor  exer- 
cise, and  in  1871  went  to  Ba}'  City,  Mich.,  and  be- 
-gan:,working  in  the  lumber  woods.  For  five  years 
he  vttC&ehgaged  in  rafting  up  the  Cass  and  Pigeon 
Rivers,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  re- 
turned to  this  city  in  robust  health.  This  was  in 
1876,  and  the  following  year  Mr.  Froebe  began 
work  in  the  shops  of  the  T.  &  H.  Smith  Wagon 
Company  as  assistant  bookkeeper,  and  in  October, 
1879,  it  was  incorporated  as  the  Pekin  Plow  Com- 
pany. He  continued  to  hold  that  position  until 
1891,  when,  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  he  went  on 
the  road  in  the  interest  of  the  company,  his  ter- 
ritory being  the  northern  half  of  this  state. 

Henry  F.  Froebe  and  Gersena,  daughter  of  John 
Albertsen,  were  united  in  marriage  in  this  city  in 
1879.  Mrs.  Froebe  was  born  in  this  city,  and  by 
her  union  with  our  subject  has  become  the  mother 
of  four  children,  Carrie  A.,  Albert  A.,  Nellie  M. 
and  an  infant  unnamed.  In  social  affairs  our  sub- 
ject is  a  Knight  of  Pythias,  belonging  to  the  Uni- 
formed Rank,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor  and  the  Woodman's  Mutual  Protective 
Association.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Pekin 
Loan  and  Home  Association,  and  is  connected 
with  the  Traveling  Men's  Protective  Association. 
He  is  a  man  of  keen  intelligence  and  good  busi- 
ness qualifications,  and  conducts  successfully  any 
enterprise  with  which  he  chooses  to  connect  him- 


JOHN   S.  MOOBERRY. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


345 


self.  A  respected  citizen,  a  true  and  loyal  Re- 
publican, a  man  of  progressive  ideas  and  fine 
principles,  he  surely  embodies  the  highest  type  of 
American  citizenship. 


OHN  S.  MOOBERRY.  A  finely  improved 
farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
pleasantly  situated  in  Grovcland  Township, 
Tazewell  County,  has  been  the  home  of  Mr. 
Mooberry  for  more  than  forty  years.  A  native  of 
Ohio,  he  was  born  near  Columbus,  November  5, 
1826,  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of 
the  neighborhood.  He  is  well  informed  on  gen- 
eral topics,  as  well  as  in  the  work  to  which  he  has 
given  his  attention  as  a  life  labor.  He  is  success- 
fully conducting  the  vocation  of  a  general  farmer, 
keeping  up  the  improvements  upon  the  homestead 
and  displaying  many  of  the  qualities  which  led 
his  father  to  success  in  the  same  calling. 

The  Mooberry  family  is  of  Scotch  origin.  The 
first  record  that  can  be  found  of  their  history  in 
America  is  the  death  of  Robert  Mooberry,  which 
occurred  June  4,  1798.  According  to  the  most 
creditable  theory,  he  was  our  subject's  great-grand- 
father, and  the  son  of  one  of  the  members  of  the 
original  Quaker  colony  founded  in  Pennsylvania 
by  William  Penn.  Our  subject's  grandfather, 
William,  was  born  in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  Sep- 
tember 18,  1752,  and  labored  continuously  and 
successfully  in  agricultural  pursuits.  The  only  in- 
termission in  his  labors  on  the  farm  was  at  the 
time  of  the  Revolution,  when  he  joined  the  Colo- 
nial army  and  served  through  the  entire  period  of 
the  war.  On  his  return  home  he  was  expelled 
from  the  Quaker  Church  because  he  would  not  ad- 
mit that  he  had  done  wrong  in  going  to  war.  He 
had  served  as  baggage  master  in  the  army,  but  was 
never  able  to  secure  a  pension  on  account  of  hav- 
ing lost  some  of  his  papers. 

October  16,  1788.  in  Pennsylvania,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  William  Mooberry  and  Elizabeth  Ram- 
sey, the  latter  being  a  native  of  York  County,  Pa., 
born  February  7,  1707.  They  became  the  parents 
of  five  sons  and  two  daughters:  William.  Alexan- 


der, David,  John,  Samuel,  Jane  and  Nancy.  The 
daughters  died  in  childhood,  Nancy  being  scalded 
to  death  on  the  day  of* the  funeral  of  Jane.  In 
1806  Grandfather  Mooberry  removed  to  Franklin 
County,  Ohio,  where  he  and  his  wife  passed  away, 
the  former  January  28,  1829,  and  the  latter  Au- 
gust 27,  1822. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  David  Mooberry,  was 
born  in  York  County,  Pa.,  October  7,  1798,  and 
was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Ohio  in  childhood.  He 
came  to  Illinois  overland  in  1832,  and  on  the  20th 
of  October  arrived  in  Groveland  Township,  Taze- 
well County,  where  on  section  11  he  entered  eighty 
acres.  Throughout  his  entire  life  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  in  which 
he  was  prospered.  At  various  times  he  entered 
five  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  and  accumulated 
by  purchase  and  entry  about  nine  hundred  acres. 
In  addition  to  farming,  he  operated  a  sawmill 
for  eight  or  ten  years.  In  politics  he  was  a  Whig. 
The  community  where  he  had  so  long  resided 
mourned  his  death,  July  9,  1850,  as  a  public  be- 
reavement, for  he  had  ever  been  active  and  ener- 
getic in  all  good  works. 

Margaret  Stumbaugh,  as  the  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject was  known  in  maidenhood,  was  born  in  Frank- 
lin County,  Pa.,  on  the  26th  of  February,  1801, 
and  died  in  December,  1890.  Her  children,  nine  in 
number,  were  as  follows:  Samuel  R.,  William,  John 
S.;  Elizabeth,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen; 
Margaret,  Mrs.  Oliver;  George,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two;  Martha  J.,  the  deceased  wife 
of  Alexander  Mooberry;  Alexander;  and  Mary,  a 
widow.  Our  subject's  maternal  grandfather,  John 
Stumbaugh,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  died 
in  Franklin  County,  that  state,  where  for  years  he 
had  engaged  in  farming. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  upon  the 
home  farm  and  received  a  limited  education  in  the 
primitive  schools  of  his  neighborhood.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-one,  beginning  for  himself,  he  rented 
land  belonging  to  his  father  and  some  of  the  neigh- 
bors, and  January  16,  1851,  he  settled  upon  the 
place  where  he  now  resides.  His  father  gave  him 
an  eighty-acre  tract,  to  which  he  has  added  by 
subsequent  purchase  until  his  possessions  aggre- 
gated one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  timber  land, 


346 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  tillable 
soil.  To  his  children  he  has  given  liberally  of  his 
property,  and  now  retains  but  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres.  The  success  which  he  has  attained 
is  well  deserved  and  is  the  result  principally  of 
the  raising  of  stock,  in  which  he  formerly  engaged 
to  a  large  extent. 

The  Mooberry  farm  is  one  of  the  most  valuable 
in  Groveland  Township,  being  improved  with  good 
buildings  and  all  the  appurtenances  required  by 
the  progressive  and  industrious  agriculturist.  Mr. 
Mooberry  keeps  himself  posted  upon  modern  meth- 
ods of  agriculture,  and  avails  himself  of  the  most 
approved  machinery  in  the  cultivation  of  his  land. 
Prior  to  1860  he  was  a  Whig  in  political  senti- 
ment, and  since  that  time  has  given  his  support  to 
the  Republican  party.  He  has  served  in  various 
township  offices,  and  was  active  in  contributing 
toward  clearing  the  township  of  draft.  In  relig- 
ious belief  he  is  a  Universalist. 

January  7,  1851,  Mr.  Mooberry  married  Miss 
Jane  Cunningham,  who  was  born  in  Ross  County, 
Ohio,  and  died  on  the  home  farm  April  10,  1877. 
Her  parents,  Thomas  and  Mary  (Cameline)  Cun- 
ningham, came  to  Illinois  about  1840,  where  her 
father  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  Dur- 
ing the  War  of  1812  he  joined  the  army  and 
fought  in  various  important  engagements.  He 
and  his  wife  died  in  Illinois,  after  having  reared  to 
mature  years  seven  children:  John,  William,  James, 
Eliza,  Jane,  Mary  and  Nancy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moo- 
berry became  the  parents  of  six  children,  namely: 
Helen,  the  wife  of  La  Fayctte  Birkett;  Emeline, 
John  C.,  George  W.,  Mary  L.  and  Lewis  G.,  all  of 
whom  were  given  good  educational  advantages. 


C.  HAYBARGER,  one  of  the  enterprising 
and  leading  businessmen  of  Mackinaw  who 
is  now  interested  in  a  gristmill  at  this 
place,  claims  West  Virginia  as  the  State  of 
his  nativity.  He  was  born  in  Augusta  County, 
July  30,  1828,  and  is  a  son  of  Abraham  and  Mary 
(Crobarger)  Ilaybarger.  The  former  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  in  1799,  and  his  parents  were  natives 
of  Germany.  He  was  reared  upon  a  farm  and  then 


learned  the  cooper's  trade  with  his  brother-in-law. 
In  his  father's  family  were  the  following  children, 
John,  Jacob,  Abraham,  Mary,  Betsy  and  Katie. 
With  his  parents  he  removed  to  West  Virginia, 
where  he  was  married,  and  in  the  year  1834 
he  emigrated  with  his  family  to  Illinois,  locating 
on  the  line  between  Tazewell  and  Woodford 
Counties,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1840. 
He  then  removed  to  McLean  County  and  bought 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-one  acres  of  partly 
improved  land.  Thereon  he  reared  his  family  of 
seven  children.  David,  the  eldest,  died  of  cholera 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two;  Susan  is  the  deceased 
wife  of  Charles  Henshaw;  Sarah  is  the  wife  of  J. 
B.  Ayers;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  John  Smith,  a 
fanner  of  Tazewell  County;  Julia  is  the  wife  of  D. 
B.  Smith,  of  Normal,  111.;  one  child  died  in  infancy. 
The  parents  are  both  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  the  father  was  a  Democrat  in  politics. 
His  death  occurred  in  McLean  County  in  1845, 
and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1888,  at  theadvanced 
age  of  eighty-eight  yqjirs. 

J.  C.  Ilaybarger  came  with  his  parents  to  the 
west  and  was  reared  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the 
locality,  sharing  with  the  family  the  experiences 
and  hardships  of  pioneer  life.  The  common  schools 
afforded  him  his  educational  privileges.  He  was 
eighteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  father's 
death,  and  the  care  of  the  family  devolved  upon 
him.  In  1852  he,  his  mother  and  a  brother  and 
sister  all  suffered  an  attack  of  the  cholera  at  the 
same  time.  Engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
home  farm,  Mr.  Ilaybarger  spent  the  early  years  of 
his  manhood,  remaining  with  his  mother  until  his 
removal  to  Mackinaw  in  1879.  While  in  McLean 
County  he  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  eight 
years.  During  this  time  he  accumulated  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty-seven  acres  of  land,  which  he  yet 
owns.  He  also  has  two  town  lots,  a  half-interest 
in  a  store  building  and  lot,  a  half-interest  in  an 
unimproved  lot  and  a  fourth-interest  in  the  Macki- 
naw gristmill,  with  which  he  has  been  connected 
since  his  removal  to  this  place. 

In  McLean  County  was  celebrated  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Ilaybarger  and  Miss  Catherine,  daughter  of 
David  Puterbaugh.  Six  children  graced  this  union, 
but  two  died  in  early  life,  and  John  is  also  de- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


347 


ceased;  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Puterbaugh 
and  has  three  children;  Mary  ,1.  is  the  wife  of 
George  Miller  and  has  two  children:  Samuel  wed- 
ded Mary  Judy.  The  mother  of  this  family  passed 
away  in  1884,  and  Mr.  Haybarger  afterward  mar- 
ried Almeda  Lamason.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  his  wife  and  three  chil- 
dren are  members  of  the  Christian  Church.  So- 
cially, he  is  connected  with  Mackinaw  Lodge,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  and  with  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  has  four  times  served 
as  Assessor  of  Mackinaw,  and  was  once  a  member 
of  the  Town  Board.  For  about  sixty  years  he  has 
resided  in  this  part  of  Illinois,  and  may  well  be 
numbered  among  the  early  pioneers  who  have  been 
the  founders  of  the  county  and  in  its  upbuilding 
have  taken  so  prominent  a  part. 


y~ILLIAM  M.  BAYNE.  The  prominent 
resident  of  Pekin  whose  name  opens  this 
article  is  a  bridge  contractor  in  the  city, 
where  lie  is  also  a  lumber, steel  and  iron  merchant. 
He  has  many  friends  in  the  community,  who  hold 
him  in  high  regard,  and  in  1893  he  was  elected 
Alderman  of  the  Fourth  Ward.  Mr.  Bayne  was 
born  in  La  Salic  County,  111.,  August  1, 1860,  and 
is  a  son  of  Milton  Bayne,  whose  birthplace  was 
Brown  County,  Ohio,  while  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject  was  a  native  of  Bourbon  County,  Ky., 
and  was  of  Scotch  descent.  The  latter  early  in 
life  removed  to  the  above  county  in  Ohio,  where 
he  was  a  farmer,  and  whence  he  came  to  Wood- 
ford  County,  this  state,  and  lived  a  life  of  retire- 
ment. 

The  father  of  our  subject  came  to  Illinois  in 
1851,  at  which  time  he  located  in  LaSalle  Coun- 
ty on  a  farm  which  he  improved,  making  of  it 
a  valuable  estate.  In  1868  he  became  engaged 
as  a  bridge  contractor  in  this  state,  and  remov- 
ing to  Wenona,  made  that  place  his  home  un- 
til the  year  1891,  when  lie  removed  to  Chi- 
cago and  is  now  living  a  retired  life.  He  was  the 


second  oldest  bridge  contractor  in  this  state,  and 
accumulated  a  handsome  property  in  this  branch 
of  work.  His  wife  was  prior  to  her  marriage 
Miss  Nancy  Carson;  she  was  born  in  Adams 
County,  Ohio,  and  was  the  daughter  of  James  A. 
Carson,  a  farmer  and  trader  in  the  above  county. 
Mrs.  Bayue  is  still  living,  and  is  the  mother  of 
five  sons,  all  of  whom  are  living  with  one  ex- 
ception. 

William  M.  Bayne,  of  this  sketch,  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  Wenona,  and  in  1878  began  in 
business  witli  his  father  and  brother  as  a  lumber 
merchant,  they  usually  owning  and  operating  two 
yards.  In  the  fall  of  1880  he  removed  to  Gard- 
ner, this  state,  and  in  partnership  with  his  father 
did  a  retail  business  in  that  line  for  about  a  year, 
when  they  returned  to  Wenona  and  carried  on 
business  there  until  1882.  Mr.  Bayne  then  spent 
three  years  in  constructing  bridges  throughout 
Illinois,  and  erected  three  across  the  Illinois  River, 
lie  has  been  operating  alone  since  1889,  and  on 
coming  to  Pekin  two  years  later  purchased  the 
lumber  and  stave  mill  from  Samuel  Wood  &  Co., 
which  is  now  incorporated  as  the  Pekin  Lumber 
and  Stave  Company,  of  which  his  father  is  Presi- 
dent and  himself  Vice-President.  His  brother, 
L.  M.  Bayne,  is  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  since 
our  subject  has  been  traveling  in  the  interest  of 
the  company  the  latter  superintends  the  opera- 
tion of  the  mill.  The  firm  which  carries  on  the 
bridge  work  is  known  as  M.  Bayne  &  Son,  builders 
of  iron  and  steel  highway  bridges. 

William  M.  Bayne  was  married  in  May,  1885, 
to  Miss  Lillie,  daughter  of  Johnson  Brown.  The 
lady  was  born  in  Wenona,  this  state,  while  her 
father  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  son  of 
Charles  Brown,  an  early  settler  of  this  state,  where 
he  was  a  farmer  of  prominence.  The  father  of 
Mrs.  Bayue  is  now  living  in  California,  to  which 
state  he  moved  during  the  gold  excitement,  and 
being  very  successful  in  his  operations,  is  now  liv- 
ing retired.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was 
Augusta  Reuiff. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  two 
children,  Roland  L.  and  Edith.  Socially,  Mr. 
Bayne  is  a  Mason,  and  Mrs.  Bayne  is  a  consist- 
ent member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  In  pol- 


348 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


itics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  upholds  all  things 
which  seem  right  in  his  sight.  His  good  business 
qualities  have  resulted  in  his  acquiring  a  compe- 
tence, and  his  acquaintance  is  large,  he  numbering 
among  his  friends  the  best  residents  in  the  county. 

v  .$.==.5;==*  - 


'  ACOB  W.  BARKDOLL,  one  of  the  honored 
veterans  of  the  late  war,  who  is  successfully 
engaged  in  business  in  Tremont  as  a  dealer 
in  wagons,  buggies  and  farm  machinery, 
claims  Ohio  as  the  state  of  his  nativity,  for  his 
birth  occurred  in  Ricliland  County,  on  the  22d  of 
May,  1848.  His  father,  Joseph  Barkdoll,  was  a 
native  of  Germany,  and  when  quite  .young  was 
brought  by  his  parents  to  America.  In  Ricliland 
County,  he  married  Margaret  Augustine,  daughter 
of  Dr.  Jacob  Augustine,  and  a  native  of  Germany. 
She  crossed  the  Atlantic  with  her  parents  when.?, 
maiden  of  thirteen,  and  after  living  for  a  time  in 
Maryland  went  to  the  Buckeye  State.  From  Rich- 
land  County,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barkdoll  removed  to 
Williams  County,  Ohio,  where  the  mother  is  still 
living.  They  had  a  family  of  ten  children,  George 
E.  and  Louisa,  both  of  Daviess  County,  Mo.;  Jane, 
deceased  wife  of  John  Deitrick;  Jacob  W.;  LaFay- 
ette,  of  Antelope  County,  Neb.;  Franklin,  of  Will- 
iams County,  Ohio;  Albert,  of  Oregon;  Maria,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eighteen;  Mary,  now  of  Michi- 
gan, and  Malan,  of  Antelope  County,  Neb.  The 
father  of  this  family  was  a  stalwart  Democrat, 
served  as  County  Treasurer  and  County  Super- 
visor, and  was  honored  with  other  local  ollices.  He 
held  membership  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  to  which  his  wife  belonged,  and  was  an  in- 
fluential and  highly  respected  citizen.  His  death 
occurred  about  1885. 

J.  W.  Barkdoll  was  still  at  home  at  the  time  of 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War,  in  1861.  Al- 
though only  fifteen  years  of  age  he  joined  the 
boys  in  blue,  and  became  a  member  of  Company  C, 
Thirty-eighth  Ohio  Infantry.  He  took  part  in  the 
battles  of  Chickamauga,  Jonesboro,  Missionary 
Ridge  and-Atlanta,  and  all  the  engagements  of  the 


Atlanta  campaign.  He  went  with  Sherman  on  the 
celebrated  march  to  the  sea,  and  on  the  expiration 
of  his  three  years'  term  veteranized  at  Chattanooga. 
He  was  mustered  out  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  re- 
ceived his  final  discharge  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in 
July,  1865,  after  four  years  of  faithful  and  valiant 
service.  His  braveiy  equalled  that  of  the  men  of 
middle  age,  for  he  was  always  found  at  his  post, 
faithful  to  every  duty  devolving  upon  him. 

After  his  return  home,  Mr.  Barkdoll  engaged  at 
working  at  the  blacksmith's  trade.  In  1872,  he 
removed  to  Mackinaw  and  established  a  smithy  of 
his  own,  carrying  on  business  along  that  line  for 
about  fifteen  years,  when  he  began  dealing  in  bug- 
gies, wagons  and  general  farm  machinery.  About 
1891,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  L.  B.  David- 
son. They  carry  a  stock  valued  at  $7,000  in 
Mackinaw.  In  Tremont  they  established  a  branch 
house,  and  the  business  here  so  steadily  increased 
that  Mr.  Barkdoll  came  hither  to  take  charge  of  it. 
:  Our  subject  has  been  twice  married.  He  first 
.w^def}"'N'a.hnie  Ilerndon,  daughter  of  Walker 
Ilerndon,  and  after  her  death  he  married  Catherine 
Peardon,  daughter  of  George  Peardon,  and  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio.  They  have  two  children,  Lula  A. 
and  an  infant.  Mr.  Barkdoll  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason, 
and  also  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows'  society.  In 
politics  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  and  for  three 
terms  served  as  one  of  the  Aldermen  of  Mackinaw. 
He  possesses  most  excellent  business  ability,  is  an 
enterprising  and  industrious  man,  sagacious  and 
far  sighted,  and  as  the  result  of  his  own  efforts  he 
has  achieved  a  high  degree  of  success. 


AVID  WANDSCHNEIDER  is  one  of  the 

oldest  contractors  and  builders  in  the  city, 
which  business  he  mastered  in  his  native 
land,  Germany.  He  has  long  been  iden- 
tified with  the  interests  of  this  county,  and  al- 
though his  biography  is  well  known,  a  brief  recital 
here  may  still  more  firmly  establish  the  record 
of  his  honorable,  upright  and  useful  life.  John 


or 


CHRISTOPHER   SHAFFER. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


351 


Wandschneider,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
native  of  Mecklenburg,  Germany,  where  also  his 
father,  John,  Sr.,  was  born.  The  maiden  name  of 
our  subject's  mother  was  Marie  Quant;  she  was 
also  a  native  of  the  Fatherland,  and,  became  the 
mother  of  five  children,  of  whom  David  was  the 
third  child,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  October  1, 
1827.  The  latter  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm, 
and  although  having  no  extended  opportunities  for 
an  education,  he  punctually  attended  the  schools  of 
this  neighborhood  when  he  could  be  spared,  and 
lost  no  chance  to  gain  the  knowledge  he  coveted. 
When  sixteen  years  old  lie  found  time  to  learn 
the  carpenter's  trade,  at  which  he  was  employed 
during  the  summer,  and  in  the  winter  season  at- 
tended the  Builders'  College,  where  he  took  up 
drafting  and  architecture. 

During  the  Revolution  of  1848  Mr.  Wand- 
schneider  served  in  the  Prussian  army,  in  which 
he  was  Sergeant  of  his  compan}'.  He  served  dur- 
ing the  entire  campaign,  and  in  1849  went  to 
Denmark,  where  he  found  work  at  his  trade,  and 
was  boss  carpentei  and  contractor  until  1855. 
That  year  he  decided  to  come  to  America,  and 
leaving  Hamburg  on  a  vessel  bound  for  New  York 
City,  came  directly  to  Tazewell  County,  this  state, 
and  that  same  year  we  find  him  in  Pekin,  where 
he  has  been  engaged  as  a  contractor  ever  since. 
He  is  now  one  of  the  most;  prominent  architects 
in  the  city,  and  is  an  expert  in  the  building  of 
both  brick  and  frame  structures.  He  built  the 
residence  of  Mayor  Wilson,  which  is  the  finest  in 
the  city;  he  was  the  architect  of  the  American  Dis- 
tillery, and  has  put  up  several  brick  blocks  both 
in  Pekin  and  Peoria. 

Mr.  Wandschneider  was  married  in  Denmark, 
in  J858,  to  Miss  Minnie  Buck,  a  native  of  that 
place.  She  became  the  mother  of  four  daughters, 
and  died  in  1873.  Her  children  are,  Sophy,  resid- 
ing in  Missouri;  Elsie  and  Emma,  at  home;  and 
Annie,  now  Mrs.  E.  W.  Wilson,  of  Pekin.  Our 
subject  was  married  the  second  time  to  Miss  Ther- 
esa Richter,  who  was  born  in  Germany.  He  has 
been  Alderman  from  the  Second  Ward  for  one 
term,  and  served  the  same  length  of  time  as  Su- 
pervisor and  Assessor.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics, is  one  of  the  public-spirited  citizens  of  the 


county,  being  interested  in  all  enterprises  of  a 
worthy  nature,  and  every  laudable  movement  finds 
in  him  a  strong  supporter. 


HRISTOPHER  SHAFFER.  This  gentleman 
is  one  of  the  many  who  have  spent  the 
greater  portion  of  their  lives  in  developing 
the  country  in  order  that  their  children  and 
grandchildren  might  enjoy  the  advantages  which 
they  themselves  were  denied.  In  truth,  we  to-day 
are  the  "heirs  of  all  ages"  and  profit  by  the  labor 
and  self  denial  of  the  hard  working  classes  of  times 
past.  Our  subject  is  one  of  the  wealthy  agricult- 
urists of  Tazewell  County,  and  is  now  living  on 
section  23,  Morton  Township,  where  he  has  a  val- 
uable estate. 

A  native  of  Greenbrier  County,  Va.,  our  subject 
was  born  April  29,  1813,  to  Christopher  and  Mary 
(Fisher)  Shaffer,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
former  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  the  Keystone 
State,  and  when  a  young  man  emigrated  to  Vir- 
ginia, where  he  married.  He  was  a  miller  by  trade 
and  followed  that  occupation  through  life,  to- 
gether with  that  of  farming.  He  was  twice  mar- 
ried, and  by  his  first  wife  became  the  father  of 
four  children,  George,  Peter  (a  soldier  in  the  War 
of  1812),  Elizabeth  and  Mary.  By  his  union  with 
the  mother  of  our  subject  there  were  born  three 
children,  Pluiibe,  Philip  and  Christopher. 

About  1825  Christopher  Shaffer,  Sr.,  emigrated 
with  his  family  to  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  where 
he  lived  for  a  number  of  years.  Later  he  came  to 
this  county,  making  his  home  with  our  subject  un- 
til his  decease,  which  occurred  at  the  advanced  age 
of  ninety-three  years  and  six  months.  At  the  time 
the  family  located  in  the  Buckeye  State  our  sub- 
ject was  a  lad  of  thirteen  years  and  soon  began  to 
make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  being  first  em- 
ployed as  a.  farm  hand.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  subscription  schools  of  that  day.  and  when 
reaching  his  majority  received  as  pay  for  his  labors 
only  $10  a  month.  lie  was  very  economical  and 
industrious,  and  from  this  small  salary  was  enabled 
to  save  money.  He  spent  one  year  working  in  a 


352 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


tan  yard,  and  although  becoming  quite  proficient 
in  that  business,  followed  it  only  a  short  time. 

A  year  after  becoming  of  age  Mr.  Shaffer  mar- 
ried Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Emmer  and  Eliza- 
beth (Huff)  Cox.  The  lady1  was  born  in  Ohio, 
November  25,  1812.  while  her  parents  were  natives 
of  Virginia  and  were  farmers  by  occupation.  After 
his  marriage  Mr.  Shaffer  began  farming  on  rented 
land  in  Franklin  County,  but  soon  came  with  his 
family  to  this  county,  where  he  was  convinced  he 
could  better  his  financial  condition.  The  trip  was 
made  overland  in  1841,  and  all  their  worldly  pos- 
sessions were  placed  in  a  wagon  drawn  by  four 
horses,  and  Mr.  Shaffer  says  that  even  then  it  was 
not  very  heavily  loaded.  By  trading  one  of  his 
teams  on  his  arrival  in  this  county  he  was  able  to 
make  a  payment  on  a  quarter-section  of  land 
which  he  had  purchased,  and  which  is  included  in 
his  present  fine  estate.  He  now  owns  four  hundred 
acres  of  choice  land  in  Morton  Township,  upon 
which  he  settled  in  1842,  the  family  then  making 
their  home  in  a  hewed  log  cabin  which  he  erected. 

Eight  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Shaffer,  of  whom  Orlando  and  Phoebe  are  deceased. 
Lavina  married  William  Huxtable;  Eliza  is  the 
wife  of  Joseph  Walden;  the  others  are,  Sarah  J., 
Lewis  M.,  William  and  John  H.  Our  subject  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  with  which  he  has 
been  connected  since  1840,  and  has  held  the  office 
of  Deacon  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century.  His 
estimable  wife  departed  this  life  September  9, 
1886.  Mr.  Shaffer  has  sixteen  grandchildren  and 
twelve  great-grandchildren  living.  He  is  one  of 
the  best  citizens  of  the  county,  and  during  his 
long  career  here  not  a  word  could  ever  be  said 
against  his  honesty  and  uprightness. 


§~  HOMAS  B.  HAMILTON,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of    Pekin,  who  has  here  made  his 
home  since  1856,  is  now  engaged    in   busi- 
ness as   a   contractor   in    mason  and  brick  work. 
He  also  takes  contracts  for  plastering  and  for  lay- 
ing artificial  stone  sidewalks,  and  is  a  retail  dealer 
in  cement,  lime  and  other  materials  of  the   kind. 


His  honorable,  straightforward  dealings  and  the 
faithfulness  with  which  he  fulfills  his  part  of  a 
contract  have  won  him"  a  liberal  and  well  deserved 
patronage. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  born  in  Port  Hope,  Canada, 
December  21,  1845.  His  parents,  Christopher  and 
Elizabeth  Persons,  were  both  natives  of  England. 
The  maternal  grandfather  brought  his  family  to  - 
America  in  an  early  day  and  spent  his  last  days 
in  Toledo,  Ohio.  The  father  of  our  subject,  on  - 
crossing  the  Atlantic,  located  in  Canada,  and  in 
1847  removed  to  Toledo,  where  he  was  employed 
as  foreman  and  engineer  in  a  sawmill.  He  died 
of  cholera  in  1849,  leaving  a  widow  and  a  son  s 
Thomas,  their  only  child.  Mrs.  Persons  afterward 
became  the  wife  of  John  Hamilton,  and  our  sub- 
ject took  the  name  of  his  step-father,  by  which  he 
has  been  called  since  six  years  of  age.  The  mother 
was  a  third  time  married,  her  last  husband  being 
Samuel  Ingram.  Her  death  occurred  in  Pekin, 
July  13,  1891,  at  the  age  of  sixty -seven  years. 

Mr.  Hamilton  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in  Ohio 
until  1856,  when  he  removed  to  Peoria,  where  he 
spent  one  winter.  He  then  came  to  Pekin,  where 
he  worked  on  a  farm  and  attended  school.  Later 
he  engaged  as  an  emploj'e  on  a  steamer  plying 
between  La  Salle  and  St.  Louis,  and  in  1862  he 
entered  the  Union  army.  Mr.  Hamilton  was  mus- 
tered in  at  Camp  Butler  for  three  months'  service; 
he  was  a  member  of  Company  K,  Sixty-eighth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  and  when  his  time  expired,  returned 
home.  In  February,  1865,  he  again  enlisted,  be- 
coming a  member  of  Company  C,  Fourteenth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  and  again  did  service  in  Virginia 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  participated  in  the 
Grand  Review  in  Washington,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  his  home. 

In  1866,  Mr.  Hamilton  learned  the  trade  of  a 
plasterer,  and  a  year  later  bought  out  his  employer. 
From  that  he  has  branched  out  into  his  present 
business,  and  in  1884  he  began  contracting  for 
the  laying  of  cement  sidewalks.  He  now  gives 
employment  to  seven  men  and  enjoys  a  fine  busi- 
ness. He  did  the  plastering  in  the  high  school 
and  in  the  Douglas.. school,  and  also  did  some  of 
the  brick  work  and  has  been  employed  on  other 
leading  buildings  of  the  city.  He  is  connected 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


353 


with  the  Pekin  Loan  and  Homestead  Association, 
and  with  the  National  Loan  and  Homestead  As- 
sociation. 

In  1864  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton and  Miss  Selena  L.  Cottrell,  who  was  born  in 
Beardstown,  111.,  and  who  died  December  16,  1892, 
leaving  six  children:  William  C.,  a  brick  mason; 
Mrs.  Alice  E.  Lester, of  Pekin;  Mary,  wife  of  John 
Leslie;  Edith,  Louisa  and  Thomas  C. 

Mr.  Hamilton  has  been  School  Director  for  three 
years,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  cause  of 
education.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Democrat, 
but  has  never  sought  or  desired  public  office,  pre- 
ferring to  give  his  entire  time  and  attention  to 
his  business  interests,  in  which  he  has  met  with 
good  success.  He  may  truly  be  called  a  self-made 
man,  for  his  prosperity  is  due  entirely  to  his  own 
efforts. 


-,ENDEL  FARISCHON  is  one  of  the  noted 
men  of  this  part  of  the  state,  and 
widely  known  for  the  extensive  knowl- 
edge he  possesses  in  this  line.  He  is  at  present 
yardmaster  for  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  at  Pekin, 
which  position  he  has  held  since  October  4,  1872. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  Oc- 
tober 21, 1845,  and  is  the  son  of  Bernard  Farischon, 
likewise  a  native  of  the  Fatherland,  where  he  was 
a  miller  and  carpenter.  He  took  part  in  the  Rev- 
olution of  1848,  and  six  years  later  emigrated  with 
his  family  from  Bremen  on  a  sailing-vessel,  which 
landed  them  forty-eight  days  later  in  New  York. 
One  sister  died  on  the  voyage,  and  after  landing 
in  the  New  World  the  father  went  to  Columbus, 
Ohio,  and  four  days  after  arriving  there  found 
work  in  the  lumber  yards.  Later  he  worked  at 
the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and  died  in  1868.  His 
wife,  Mrs.  Catherine  (Meckcrly)  Farischon,  was 
born  in  Germany  and  died  while  residing  in  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio,  in  1856.  The  lady  to  whom  the 
father  was  married  a  second  time  was  Miss  Frances 
Ropp;  she  died  in  1892,  after  having  become  the 
mother  of  five  children. 

Of  the  first  marriage  of  Bernard  Farischon, 
three  children  were  born,  of  whom  our  subject  is 


y;J£JNL»l 
,,;„, 
_ „      is  wi 


the  only  one  living.  He  was  nine  years  old  when 
the  removal  was  made  to  America,  and  thus  had 
attended  his  native  school  but  three  years.  When 
locating  in  Ohio  he  carried  on  his  studies  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  city  for  five  years,  after 
which  he  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  cigarmaker's 
trade.  He  worked  at  this  for  three  and  a-half 
years,  and  in  the  fall  of  1864  began  in  the  rail- 
road business  as  switchman  for  the  Columbus, 
Chicago  <fe  Indianapolis  Central  Railroad  Com- 
pany. In  1870  he  went  to  Urbana,  Ohio,  as  yard- 
master,  and  in  September,  1873,  was  employed  in 
Indianapolis,  after  which  he  came  to  Urbana,  this 
state,  and  accepted  the  position  as  switchman 
witli  the  Indianapolis,  Bloomington  &  Western 
Railroad.  He  was  thus  employed  until  October  3, 
1875,  when  lie  came  to  Pekin' as  yardmaster  in 
the  interest  of  the  above  company,  in  whose  em- 
ploy he  remained  seventeen  and  one-half  years, 
when  he  engaged  with  the  Santa  Fe. 

While  residing  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  Mr.  Faris- 
chon was  married,  in  1869,  to  Miss  Frances  I.  Free- 
man, who  was  born  in  Medford,  Mass.,  but  was 
reared  in  Ohio.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  five  children,  all  at  home,  viz.:  Susan  C., 
Frederick,  Philip  H.,  Otto  C.  and  Nellie  M.  So- 
cially, our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  United  An- 
cient Order  of  Druids,  and  in  politics  is  a  strong 
Democrat.  He  is  a  man  whose  pleasant,  genial 
nature  makes  him  friends,  and  in  all  the  relations 
of  life  he  has  borne  himself  in  an  honest  and  up- 
right manner. 


ANIEL  BECKLEY  is  one  of  the  most 
highly  respected  citizens  of  Mackinaw. 
He  has  been  prominently  connected  with 
its  business,  social  and  official  interests, 
for  on  a  number  of  different  occasions  he  has  been 
called  upon  to  serve  his  fellow-townsmen  in 
positions  of  public  trust.  All  who  know  him 
esteem  him  highly  for  his  sterling  worth,  and  we 
feel  assured  that  this  record  of  his  life  will  prove 
of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers. 

Mr.    Beckley    was  born  in  Union  County,  Pa., 
April  15,  1831,  and   is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary 


354 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


M.  (Tittle)  Beckley.  The  paternal  grandfather 
was  of  English  descent,  and  the  grandmother  was 
a  native  of  Wales.  Daniel  Beckley,  Sr.,  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  engaged  in  keeping  hotel  6n 
the  Susquehanna  River  in  the  early  days,  when 
people  shipped  their  produce  to  market  on  rafts. 
There  his  children,  nine  in  number,  were  born.  Six 
grew  to  mature  years.  Sabina  became  the  wife  of  D. 
S.  Ilisinger;  Mary,  after  the  death  of  her  sister,  be- 
came the  wife  of  Mr.  Ilisinger;  Eliza  A.  became  the 
wife  of  John  Wenck;  Henry  is  the  next  younger; 
Daniel  is  the  fifth;  and  Alexander  is  deceased. 
The  parents  were  both  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Beckley  was  a  Whig. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  served  as  Constable.  He 
removed  to  Pekin  in  1839,  and  for  a  few  years  en- 
gaged in  farming.  His  death  occurred  in  1846, 
and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1841.  The  boat  in 
which  they  came  to  their  new  home  was  the  first 
to  make  the  trip  from  Pittsburgh  to  Pekin,  and 
was  named  the  "London." 

Daniel  Beckley,  whose  name  heads  this  record, 
remained  at  home  until  his  father's  death,  but 
for  two  years  previous  had  worked  for  Mathias 
App,  a  pioneer  on  the  Mackinaw  River,  receiving 
$3  per  month  and  his  board  and  washing.  He  was 
then  apprenticed  to  Henry  Clauser,  a  blacksmith, 
witli  whom  he  remained  until  1849, after  which  he 
worked  by  the  day  or  month  with  D.  S.  Risinger, 
making  wagons.  In  May,  1854,  he  located  in 
Mackinaw,  where  he  established  a  general  repair 
and  wagon  making  shop,  carrying  on  business 
along  that  line  until  1868,  when  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to  farming.  He  became  the  owner  of  two 
farms,  and  continued  to  engage  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  1876,  when  he  established  an  agricultural 
implement  store  which  he  carried  on  until  1888. 
In  that  year  he  resumed  farming,  in  which  line  of 
business  he  is  still  interested.  He  has  accumulated 
four  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  valuable  land, 
owns  a  half-interest  in  a  brick  business  block,  and 
has  one  of  the  finest  residences  in  Mackinaw. 

Mr.  Beckley  was  married  in  this  place  in  the 
year  1856  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Sophia  Flesher.  The  parents  removed  from  Vir- 
ginia to  Illinois  in  a  very  early  day,  and  her  birth 
occurred  in  Mackinaw.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beckle}' 


have  a  daughter,  Lora  E.,  who  was  educated  in 
Eureka  College,  and  who  is  now  the  wife  of  L.  M. 
Brock,  an  ice  dealer  of  Mackinaw.  They  and  their 
daughter  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church 
and  are  numbered  among  the  most  prominent  peo- 
ple of  this  community. 

Since  the  fall  of  1854,  Mr.  Beckley  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  belongs  to 
the  blue  lodge,  chapter  and  council,  having  taken 
the  higher  degrees  in  Pekin.  In  1856  he  became 
a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows 'society.  He  is  now 
Master  of  Mackinaw  Lodge  No.  132,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  has  filled  this  office  for  nineteen  years.  He 
cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Win  field  Scott, 
but  since  that  time  has  been  a  supporter  of  the 
Democratic  part}',  and  has  served  in  local  ottices 
of  the  town  and  township.  His  well  spent  life  is 
one  worthy  of  emulation. 


OLOMON  D.  LAROSH.  Among  the  suc- 
cessful agriculturists  of  Tazewell  County, 
he  with  whose  name  we  introduce  this 
sketch  holds  no  unimportant  position.  He 
has  met  with  success  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil  and  has 
made  a  specialty  of  stock-raising,  for  which  pur- 
pose he  has  one  of  the  finest  bodies  of  land  within 
Groveland  Township.  For.  the  past  ten  years  he 
has  engaged  in  the  raising  of  Hereford  cattle  and 
also  makes  a  special  feature  of  Poland-China  hogs. 
The. soil  is  fertile,  and  upon  the  land  have  been 
placed  the  various  improvements  to  be  found  upon 
a  first-class  farm. 

The  LaRosh  family  is  of   French  origin,   and 
three  successive  generations  lived  in  Pennsylvania. 
Near    Allentown,  in    Lehigh  County,  that  state, 
Jonas,  our  subject's   father,  and  the  son  of  Isaac 
LaRosh,  was   born  February   20,   1812.     When   a 
young  man   he  went  to  Niagara  County,  N.  Y 
where  he  followed   the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and 
also  operated  a  sawmill  on  Mud  Creek.  In  1851  h 
moved  to  Illinois,  making   the  journey  via  canal 
lakes    and    railroad,  and    locating   in    Grovelano 
Township,  Tazewell  County,  where  he   purchased 
two  hundred  acits  included   in  our  subject's  pres- 
ent farm.     On  section   18  he   improved  a  valuable 


LIBRARY 

or  iHt 

UNIYEKSm  OF  ILLINOIS 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


357 


homestead  from  the  raw  prairie  and  there  he  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  his  death, in  April,  1887.  In 
politics  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  then  a  Republican. 
In  the  Evangelical  Church  of  his  home  neighbor- 
hood he  was  one  of  the  charter  members  and  an  in- 
Iluential  and  active  worker. 

Jonas  LaRosh  was  three  times  married.  His 
first  wife,  Amelia  Dunkelberg,  was  born  in  Somer- 
set County,  Pa.,  June  10,  180 1,  and  bore  him  eight 
children.  Two  sons,  George  and  Samuel,  died  in 
boyhood.  Daniel  D.  enlisted  in  the  Union  army 
ill  1861,  and  was  killed  while  guarding  stock  on  an 
island  near  Memphis.  The  other  sons  are  Solomon 
D.,  John  D.  and  Daniel  D.  The  second  and  third 
marriages  of  Mr.  LaRosh  (the  former  with  Mrs. 
Salona  Myers,  and  the  latter  with  Rebecca  Fass) 
•were  childless. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  bora  six  miles 
south  of  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  July  22,  1839,  and  re- 
ceived a  fair  education  in  the  district  schools.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-five  lie  began  the  independent 
career  of  a  farmer  in  Washington^  Townsliip,  and 
in  1869  he  bought  one  hundred'-tind'  forty1  acres 
adjoining  his  father's  property.  In  the  spring  of 
1884  he  disposed  of  that  place  and  settled  upon 
the  old  homestead,  where  he  now  owns  three  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres.  As  above  mentioned,  he 
makes  a  specialty  of  stock-raising.  He  also  has  a 
large*  orchard  and  raises  fruit  of  fine  varieties. 

April  28,  1864,  Mr.  LaRosh  married  Miss  Chris- 
tena  Ramige,  who  was  born  in  Wayne  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  died  April  2,  1885,  at  the  family  home 
in  Groveland  Township.  She  was  .a  daughter  of 
George  and  Barbara  (Eier)  Ramige,  the  former  a 
native  of  Alsace,  France,  whence  he  emigrated  to 
America,  and  about  1845  settled  on  section  7, 
Groveland  Township,  Tazewell  County.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  trade  as  a  cooper  he  also  officiated  for 
many  years  as  a  local  preacher  in  the  Evangelical 
Church.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  LaRosh  became  the  parents 
of  nine  children,  one  of  whom,  Lillie  R.,  died  at 
the  age  of  six.  The  others  are:  George  W.,  Jonas 
E.,  Reuben  I.,  Frederick  A.,  Newton  F.,  Ida  J., 
Tillie  R.  and  Christena  L.  The  family  worships 
at  the  Evangelical  Church,  of  which  the  wife  and 
mother  was  also  a  devoted  member. 

In  all  matters  pertaining   to   the  welfare  of  the 


community  and  the  development  of  the  resources 
of  township  and  county,  Mr.  LaRosh  is  deeply  in- 
terested. Politically  he  supports  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party.  The  people,  appreciating  the 
fact  that  he  is  admirably  adapted  for  service  in 
official  capacity,  have  chosen  him  at  various  times 
to  serve  in  local  places  of  trust.  He  has  served  as 
Treasurer  and  Commissioner  of  his  township,  and 
also  takes  an  active  interest  in  educational  affairs. 


ABBE  VELDE,  a  highly  respected  citizen 
•  of  Pekin,  is  one  of  the  original  members, 
and  is  now  President  and  manager  of  the 
T.  &  II.  Smith  Company.  A  man  of  great 
energy  and  resolute  purpose,  he  is  in  business  saga- 
cious and  far-sighted,  and  through  his  well  directed 
efforts  has  won  a  high  degree  of  success.  He  was 
born  near  Emden,  Hanover,  Germany,  November 
29,  1832,  and  is  a  son  of  Carsjen  Vandervelde,  who 
was  born  in  1794.  The  spelling  of  the  name  has 
since  been  changed  to  its  present  form.  His  grand- 
father was  a  shoemaker  and  grocer  of  Emden.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  a  shoemaker  and  farmer, 
and  served  in  the  Prussian  army.  In  1847,  accom- 
panied by  his  wife  and  five  children,  he  boarded 
the  sailing-vessel  "Emigrant"  at  Bremen,  and  af- 
ter five  weeks  landed  in  New  York  City.  By  way 
of  the  Hudson  River,  Erie  Canal  and  the  Great* 
Lakes,  he  made  his  way  to  Keuosha.  Wis.,  where 
he  followed  farming  for  a  time  and  then  came  to 
Pekin,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1880.  His 
wife,  Fraucke  Isebrandts  Lupkes,  died  over  twenty 
years  ago.  Mr.  Velde  was  a  Deacon  in  the  Ger- 
man Reformed  Church  in  his  native  land,  but  in 
Pekin  held  membership  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  In  the  family  were  six  children, 
four  yet  living.  Mrs.  Aggie  Speaker  died  in  Wis- 
consin; Mrs.  Catherine  Feltman  is  living  in  Pekin; 
Eetje  is  living  in  Hanover;  Habbe  is  the  next 
younger;  Teis  died  in  Wisconsin;  and  Dinah  is 
the  wife  of  George  Alfs. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  his  native  land,  and 
there  followed  shoemaking  and  farming.  In  Au- 
gust, 1847,  he  became  a  resident  of  Southport,  now 


358. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Kenosha,  Wis.,  and  in  the  fall  of  1851  came  to 
Pekin.  Here  he  secured  employment  with  the  T. 
&  II.  Smith  Company,  who  carried  on  a  wagon 
manufactory  and  repair  shop,  and  for  about  four 
years  ran  the  saws.  He  then  worked  in  the  black- 
smith shop.  He  was  thus  employed  in  the  winter, 
and  through  the  summer  engaged  in  farm  labor  in 
Wisconsin.  In  1855  and  1856,  he  was  employed 
in  the  Baine  Wagon  Works  at  Kenosha,  Wis.  In 
the  fall  of  1858,  he  located  permanently  in  Pekin, 
and  early  in  1859, on  the  death  of  Henry  Smith,  he 
was  made  foreman  of  the  blacksmith  department, 
remaining  in  charge  for  seven  years  and  doing 
a  big  business  along  that  line.  In  1866  he  became 
a  partner  in  the  company,  and  later  was  made  gen- 
eral manager  and  shipping  clerk.  In  1874  the 
factory  was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  was  at  once  re- 
built, and  Mr.  Velde  has  since  continued  as  man- 
ager. At  the  same  time  the  Pekin  Plow  Company 
was  incorporated  and  he  became  one  of  its  Direc- 
tors. He  is  also  interested  in  the  Smith-Hippin 
Elevator  Company  and  in  the  business  of  Teis 
Smith  &  Co.,  bankers.  The  greater  part  of  his  at- 
tention, however,  is  given  to  the  manufacture  of 
wagons. 

The  buildings  owned  by  the  company  are  sev- 
eral in  number:  One  is  30x100  feet,  four  stories 
in  height;  another  is  60x100  feet,  four  stories  in 
height;  the  main  factory  is  75x75  feet;  another  is 
30x170  feet  and  three  stories  in  height;  the  blac:k- 
*  smith  shop  is  40x120  feet  and  two  stories  in 
height;  and  there  are  several  dry-houses,  the  wood 
workers'  shop  and  lumber  and  iron  sheds,  which 
cover  nearly  three  blocks.  Mr.  Velde  buys  all  the 
raw  material,  and  the  wagons  and  other  products 
of  the  factory  find  a  ready  sale  throughout  the 
country.  The  machinery  is  of  one  hundred  horse- 
power in  the  wagon-making  department.  Employ- 
ment is  furnished  to  two  hundred  men,  and  the 
factory  has  a  capacity  for  turning  out  seven  thou- 
sand wagons  annually.  The  company  was  incor- 
porated in  1890,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $200,000. 

In  1859,  in  Pekin,  Mr.  Velde  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Susan  Luppen,a  native  of  Germany, 
and  a  step-daughter  of  Luppe  Luppen.  To  them 
were  born  seven  children,  four  yet  living:  Charles 
L.,  a  lumber  dealer  of  Pekin;  Franklin  L.,  who 


was  graduated  from  the  University  of  Michigan 
and  the  Union  Law  College  of  Chicago  with  the 
degree  of  LL.  B.,  practiced  for  a  time  in  Chicago, 
but  is  now  connected  with  the  T.  &  II.  Smith  Com- 
pany; and  Kate  L.  and  Sarah,  who  are  still  at  home. 
Mr.  Velde  is  now  serving  his  seventh  term  of 
two  years  each  in  the  City  Council,  is  Chairman 
of  the  Finance  Committee,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Committee  on  Bridges  and  Licenses.  In  1882,  he 
returned  to  his  native  land  and  spent  six  months  iu 
traveling  over  Germany  and  France.  In  politics, 
he  has  been  a  Republican  since  casting  his  first  vote 
for  Fremont.  He  aided  in  the  organization  of  the 
German  Mutual  Aid  Society  of  Pekin,  of  which 
he  was  President  for  five  years,  is  a  member  of  the 
German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  is  now 
serving  as  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school. 
He  takes  a  very  prominent  part  in  church  and 
benevolent  work,  and  in  1888  was  a  delegate  to 
the  General  Conference  in  New  York. 


bOUlS  MOSCHEL,  the  popular  Postmaster 
of  Morton,  was  born  in  the  Rhenish  prov- 
ince of  Bavaria,  Germany,  May  30,  1847. 
He  is  the  son  of  Nicholas  and  Susannah  (Schwartz) 
Moschel,  and  the  grandson  of  George  and  Eliza- 
beth (Augnew)  Moschel.  The  grandfather  of  our 
subject  was  a  son  of  Christian  Moschel,  who  was 
born  in  France  and  who  was  a  soldier  in  Napoleon's 
army  during  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  He  later  went  to  Switzerland,  but  re- 
moved to  Bavaria  in  1811  and  located  near  the 
River  Rhine,  where  our  subject  was  born. 

Both  the  father  and  grandfather  of  Mr.  Moschel 
were  farmers  by  occupation;  the3'  owned  their 
property  and  were  considered  quite  well  off  in 
the  part  of  Germany  where  they  resided.  The 
latter  reared  a  family  of  nine  children,  of  whom 
John,  Nicholas,  Frederick,  Elizabeth  and  Charlotte 
came  to  the  United  States.  Those  who  remained 
in  their  native  land  were,  George,  Christian,  Jacob 
and  Philip.  They  are  all  now  deceased.  The 
grandfather  was  a  man  of  good  education  and  a 
devoted  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Nicholas  Moschel  was  reared  to  manhood  on  his 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


359 


father's  farm,  and  when  old  enough  entered  the 
German  army,  serving  six  years  us  a  soldier.  On 
reaching  his  thirtieth  year  he  was  married,  and  in 
1861  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  coming  at 
once  to  this  county,  where  our  subject  was  lo- 
cated, lie  purchased  one  hundred  and  ten  acres 
of  land  near  Morton,  on  which  be  lived  until  his 
decease,  in  1892,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  His  good  wife  preceded  him  to  the 
better  land  by  many  years,  dying  in  1808. 

Of  the  eight  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Nicholas  Moschel  two  are  deceased,  and  those  be- 
sides our  subject  are,  Frederick,  Jacob,  William, 
Christina  and  Catherine.  Louis,  of  this  sketch, 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
country,  and  at  the  early  age  of  fourteen  years 
started  out  in  life  for  himself  and  crossed  the  At- 
lantic alone.  On  arriving  in  America,  he  made 
his  way  to  Peoria,  near  which  city  an  uncle  was 
living,  and  for  a  time  he  worked  on  his  farm. 
His  father  then  coming  hither  he  aided  him  in 
placing  the  new  farm  under  cultivation,  and  re- 
mained at  home  until  his  marriage,  in  1868,  to 
Miss  Jacabena,  daughter  of  Conrad  and  Jacabena 
Hussong.  Their  home  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  three  sons,  viz.:  William,  who  is  employed 
in  the  drug  store  of  Dr.  Shaffer,  of  Morton;  Ed- 
ward, assisting  his  father  in  the  postoflice;  and 
Louis,  who  is  still  a  student  in  the  village  school. 
After  completing  his  education  the  eldest  son  took 
a  course  in  pharmacy  in  Chicago,  receiving  a  di- 
ploma in  the  spring  of  1894. 

Although  reared  in  the  Presbyterian  faith,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Moschel  have  identified  themselves  with 
the  Congregational  Society,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  there  is  no  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  village. 
At  one  time  our  subject  was  a  member  of  the 
Odd  Fellows'  lodge  at  Washington,  and  was  also 
connected  with  the  Druids'  lodge  of  Peoria.  He 
was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Morton  under  Cleve- 
land's first  administration,  and  on  the  re-election 
of  that  official  was  again  chosen  to  fill  that  re- 
sponsible position.  He  has  likewise  held  many 
local  positions  of  trust;  he  has  been  President  of 
the  Village  Board,  Trustee,  Township  Collector 
and  Constable.  He  has  thoroughly  identified 
himself  with  the  community  in  which  he  resides, 


and  all  moral  public  measures  which  commend 
themselves  to  his  excellent  judgment  find  in  him 
a  hearty  and  liberal  supporter. 


yj?  B.  COONEY  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law  in  his  native  city,  Pckin.  He  was 
born  June  7,  1859,  in  the  old  Eagle  House, 
one  of  the  first  hotels  of  this  place.  For  some 
time  it  was  carried  on  by  his  father,  William 
Cooney,  under  whose  management  in  that  early 
day  it  enjoyed  a  wide  reputation  throughout  the 
state.  The  father  was  a  man  of  marked  character- 
istics and  a  very  prominent  citizen.  He  was  born 
in  Ireland,  and  in  1849  he  emigrated  to  New  York, 
where  he  arrived  without  a  dollar,  but  he  possessed 
youth,  health  and  a  hopeful  disposition,  which  en- 
abled him  to  cope  with  the  hardships  of  life.  He 
came  west  to  Pekin,  where  his  sister,  Mrs.  Fleming, 
then  resided,  and  for  a  time  worked  on  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad.  Later  he  was  employed  on 
a  steamboat  running  from  Peoria  to  points  as  far 
south  as  New  Orleans.  In  1862,  he  left  his  hotel 
and  removed  to  the  northern  part  of  Mason  Coun- 
ty, where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land,  but  he  found  it  too  near  ,to  the 
swamps  to  prove  desirable,  and  in  1865  took  up 
his  residence  near  Manito,  111.,  where  he  spent  his 
remaining  days.  He  died  August  13,  1892,  leav- 
ing a  widow  and  three  sons,  William  B.,  Richard 
J.  and  Thomas  J.,  all  lawyers  of  prominence.  The 
two  last  are  practitioners  of  Peoria.  Richard  served 
as  City  Attorney  of  Havana,  Mason  County,  and  is 
now  State's  Attorney  of  Peoria  County.  The 
mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Alice  Median. 
She  was  born  on  the  Emerald  Isle,  and  is  yet  liv- 
ing in  Pekin,  a  well  preserved  lady. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  boyhood 
days  upon  his  father's  farm  near  Manito.  and 
when  nineteen  years  of  age  became  a  teacher  in 
the  Coon  Grove  School.  For  three  years  he  con- 
tinued to  follow  that  profession  during  the  winter 
season,  receiving  a  good  salary,  which  he  carefully 
saved  and  which  he  expended  from  time  to  time 
during  vacations  in  acquiring  knowledge.  He 
attended  the  law  department  of  the  Northern 


360 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Indiana  Normal  College  of  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  was 
graduated  therefrom  iii  May,  1883,  with  the  degree 
of  LL.  B.,  and  was  then  admitted  to  the  Bar  by 
the  Supreme  Court. 

Mr.  Cooney  went  west  to  begin  practice,  and  lo- 
cated in  Fargo,  N.  Dak.,  where  he  spent  two  years 
in  the  prosecution  of  his  chosen  profession.  Since 
1886  he  has  been  successfully  engaged  in  practice 
in  Pekiu.  One  observing  him  would  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  he  works  on  the  motto  "Drive  your 
business  and  do  not  let  it  drive  you."  lie  has  the 
reputation  of  being  an  aggressive,  forceful  worker 
and  has  already  secured  an  enviable  reputation  as 
a  lawyer. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1891,  our  subject 
wedded  Miss  Idelhi  llodenbeck,  a  native  of  Pekin. 
Her  father  was  a  carpenter  and  builder,  and  was 
one  of  the  old  and  respected  residents  of  this  place. 
His  death  occurred  in  December,  1893.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Cooney  is  an  ardent  Democrat,  and  although 
he  has  held  few  ottices,  he  has  always  taken  an  ai>- 
live  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  city  and  county. 
He  was  City  Attorney  of  Pekin  for  one  term  and 
served  its  interests  with  fidelity  and  ability.  We 
bespeak  for  him  a  bright  and  successful  career, 
which  his  merits  deserve. 


OBERT  WKIMER,  a  stockholder  in  the  T.  & 
II.  Smith  Company,  wagon  manufacturers 
cii\\\  of  Pekin,  one  of  the  most  important  in- 
©)  dustries  in  this  part  of  the  state,  also  has 
charge  of  the' shipping  department  of  the  com- 
pany, lie  is  an  old  resident  of  the  county,  and 
has  been  connected  with  the  factory  longer  than 
any  other  man  in  its  employ. 

When  a  lad  of  fourteen  years  our  subject  cross- 
ed the  Atlantic  from  Stuttgart,  Germany,  where  he 
was  born  March  31,  1837.  His  father,  John  M. 
Weimer,  was  a  manufacturer  of  furniture  in  the 
above  place,  although  a  native  of  Wurtemberg. 
He  was  a  Lutheran  in  religion,  and  died  in  1845. 
His  wife,  Mrs.  Fredericka  (Held)  Weimer,  was  also 
a  native  of  the  Fatherland.  Mr.  Held  was  Super- 
intendent of  freight  in  the  wagon  service  in  Stutt- 


gart. Mrs'.  Weimer  died  while  residing  in  this 
city  in  1882,  when  in  her  eighty-second  year. 

Mr.  Weimer  was  one  in  a  family  of  four  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Charles  died  in  Marseilles,  France, 
from  cholera.  Robert  came  with  his  mother  and  one 
sister  to  this  country  in  1851;  after  landing  here 
they  made  their  home  for  a  short  time  in  Newark, 
N.  J.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  working  on 
a  farm.  The  next  year  he  came  to  Pekin  and 
found  work  in  a  chair  factory  of  Mr.  Shafe.  A 
3'ear  later  be  entered  the  factory  of  the  T.  &  II. 
Smith  Company,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a 
wagon-maker,  continuing  there  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  late  war,  when,  April  18,  1861,  he  enlisted 
in  Company  F,  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was 
mustered  into  service  at  Springfield.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  his  three  months'  term  of  enlistment  he 
was  discharged,  and  returning  home,  began  work- 
ing at  his  trade,  which  he  continued  to  follow  un- 
til 18.60,  when  he  opened  a  grocery  store  on  Court 
^^et.;«.v'ijPl^refe' years  later  he  purchased  an  inter- 
est in  the  distilling  and  refining  company,  and 
at  its  incorporation  was  elected  its  Secretary. 
Later  Mr.  Weimer  represented  it  on  the  road,  his 
territory  lying  in  the  states  of  Nebraska,  Kansas, 
Missouri,  Iowa,  Minnesota,  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illi- 
nois. 

His  connection  with  the  distillery  lasted  for 
about  three  years,  and  in  1879  our  subject  re- 
turned to  work  with  the  T.  &  H.  Smith  Company, 
and  in  1884  was  made  foreman  of  the  wood  de- 
partment. This  he  held  until  April,  1893,  when 
he  was  given  entire  charge  of  the  shipping  rooms, 
his  duties  being  to  receive  all  the  stock  and  fill  all 
orders  and  mount  all  the  wagons  before  shipping, 
in  order  to  see  that  they  are  perfect.  In  1890  he 
became  stockholder  in  the  company  with  which  he 
has  been  connected  for  so  many  years.  His  life 
has  been  full  of  business,  and  he  has  been  success- 
ful in  many  ways,  accomplishing  much  more  than 
many  of  those  who  started  under  more  favorable 
circumstances. 

Robert  Weimer  was  married  in  this  city  in  1870 
to  Miss  Martha  J.,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Michael 
Mullinger,  and  was  born  in  Pomeroy,  Ohio.  Her 
father  is  the  minister  of  the  German  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  pio- 


LIBRARY 
Of  tHt 

#  ILLINOIS 


ADOLPH   KREBAUM. 


PORTRAIT    AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


363 


neer  ministers;  he  died  in  1858.  The  eight  chil- 
dren born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife  are:  Edwin 
A.,  who  is  studying  medicine  in  the  Rush  Medical 
College,  of  Chicago;  Amelia,  a  school  teacher  in 
the  city  of  Douglas;  Cora,  Robert,  Jr.,  Carl,  Irvin, 
William,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  Politi- 
cally, Mr.  Weimer  is  a  Republican. 


-»..  DOLPH  KREBAUM.  Now  somewhat  re- 
fill tired  from  active  business  cares,  this  hon- 
ored citizen  of  Havana  enjoys  in  the 
afternoon  of  life  the  fruits' of  yearsof  toil. 
He  and  his  wife  occupy  a  brick  residence  which 
was  erected  in  1875,  and  which,  both  in  point  of 
architecture  and  appointment,  is  one  of  the  finest 
in  the  city.  He  was  born  in  Hesse-Cassel,  Germany, 
October  10,  1814,  and  is  a  son  of  Bernhard  Kre- 
baum,  also  a  native  of  the  Fatherland.  The  father 
came  to  America  in  1834,  lauding  at  New  Ov- 
leans  in  June,  after  a  voyage  of  two  months  on  the 
Atlantic.  Thence  he  made  his  way  up  the  river 
to  Havana,  where  he  remained  until  his  death,  in 
1853.  The  lady,  whom  he  married  in  Germany 
was  Miss  Fredericks  Siebert.  She,  too,  was  living 
in  Havana  at  the  time  of  her  decease,  which  event 
occurred  in  1845. 

Adolph  was  the  eldest  but  one  of  fourteen  chil- 
dren and  spent  the  first  nineteen  years  of  his  life 
in  Germany,  where  he  was  given  a  good  education 
in  the  German  language.  He  emigrated  with  his 
parents  to  America,  and  thirteen  years  after  locat- 
ing in  Havana  was  elected  Clerk  of  Mason  Count}', 
to  which  position  he  was  re-elected  for  eighteen 
successive  years.  He  was  the  second  man  to  hold 
that  position  in  the  county,  and  while  the  incum- 
bent thereof  performed  his  duties  in  a  most  satis- 
factory manner.  In  1875  he  was  one  of  the  or- 
ganizers of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Havana,  in 
which  he  is  still  a  large  stockholder.  He  is  the 
proprietor  of  a  valuable  farm  in  this  county,  be- 
sides owning  a  large  amount  of  real  estate  in  the 
city.  In  1856  he  was  instrumental  in  securing  the 
Illinois  River  (now  the  Jacksonville  South-east- 
ern) Railroad  through  Havana.  In  numerous  other 
9 


ways  he  has  aided  in  promoting  the  best  interests 
of  the  city  and  has  contributed  very  liberally  of 
his  means  toward  gaining  this  end. 

In  1860  Adolph  Krebaum  married  Miss  Sarah 
K.  Field,  an  intelligent  and  estimable  lady,  who  was 
born  in  Massachusetts  in  1832.  Her  parents,  Ran- 
som and  Eliza  (Russell)  Field,  were  natives  respect- 
ively of  Leverett  and  Hadley,  Mass.,  and  her  an- 
cestors were  people  of  influence  in  that  state.  Rev. 
John  Russell  was  the  founder  of  the  first  church 
in  Iladley  and  was  also  its  first  pastor.  The  Fields 
were  long  one  of  the  leading  families  of  Massa- 
chusetts, and  the  present  representatives  have  by 
their  honorable  lives  added  lustre  to  the  name 
they  bear. 

The  political  affiliations  of  Mr.  Krebaum  have 
always  been  with  the  Democratic  party.  Socially, 
he  is  a  member  of  Havana  Lodge  No.  88,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  Although  now  in  his  eightieth  year,  he 
enjoys  good  health  and  the  unimpaired  use  of  his 
mental  faculties.  He  well  merits  his  successes  and 
the  high  character  for  probity  which  years  of 
intimate  business  and  social  acquaintance  have 
brought  him. 


W"  JLLIAM  SMITH.  The  agricultural  element 
that  has  been  so  largely  instrumental  in 
the  upbuilding  of  Mason  County  is  well 
lepresented  by  this  gentlemen,  who  is  one  of  the 
foremost  farmers  of  Allen's  Grove  Township.  The 
farm  which  he  owns  and  operates  consists  of  four 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  choice  land  and  is 
one  of  the  most  valuable  estates  in  the  locality. 
This  property  he  has  acquired  by  the  exercise  of 
keen  judgment,  incessant  industry  and  wise  econ- 
omy, and  he  is  numbered  among  the  prosperous 
agriculturists  who  are  using  their  influence  to  ad- 
vance the  welfare  of  the  town  and  county. 

Referring  to  the  ancestral  history  of  our  subject, 
we  find  that  he  is  the  eon  of  Sardius  and  Mary 
(Woodard)  Smith,  natives  of  Worcester,  Mass. 
The  grandfather  on  the  maternal  side  was  Noah 
Woodard.  William  was  born  in  Hague,  Warren 
County,  N.  Y.,  June  4,  1826,  and  is  one  of  nine 
children.  The  following  still  survive:  Sardius, 


364 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Ithamnr,  William,  Warren,  Edmund;  Sarah  J.,  who 
is  the  widow  of  Edmund  Phillips,  and  Eliza  A. 
Those  deceased  are  Mary,  and  Dennis  Arthur,  a 
half-brother.  Our  subject  preceded  his  parents  to 
Illinois  about  two  years,  coming  in  1853,  and  first 
settled  in  York,  Carroll  County,  where  he  entered 
three  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land. 

A  short  time  afterward  Mr.  Smith  came  to  Ma- 
son County,  where  he  met  and  married  Mrs.  Phebe 
A.  Adams,  the  widow  of  James  Adams.  This  lady 
was  born  in  Vermont  July  9,  1824,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Catharine  (Burt)  Gush- 
man.  In  1844  she  and  her  husband  came  to  Illi- 
nois by  way  of  the  lakes  and  settled  near  White 
Hall,  in  Greene  County,  whence  in  1852  she  re- 
moved to  Mason  County.  Her  first  marriage  oc- 
curring in  Vermont  in  1843,  united  her  with  Mr. 
Adams,  and  their  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of 
three  children.  The  only  one  now  surviving  is 
Emma,  the  wife  of  Edward  Whitney,  and  a  resi- 
dent of  Mason  City.  Mr.  Adams  passed  away  Oc- 
tober 19,  1852. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  took  place 
March  22,  1855,  and  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of 
six  children,  as  follows;  George  W.,  who  married 
Miss  Annie  Cunningham  and  has  three  children, 
William  I.,  Edmund  V.  and  Mary  H.;  Edmund  A., 
who  married  Miss  Mary  Brooks;  Herbert  F.,  who 
was  united  with  Miss  Ellie  B.  Gilchrisl,  and  they 
have  three  children,  Charles  II.,  Russell  C.  and 
Walker  G.;  Allie  J.,  who  resides  with  her  parents; 
Josie  and  Ella,  who  are  deceased.  Prior  to  this 
marriage  Mr.  Smith  had  been  united  in  New  York 
with  Miss  Jane  M.  Cushman,  who  died  in  that 
state  February  2,  1852.  Her  two  children  are  now 
deceased. 

After  his  second  marriage  Mr.  Smith  settled 
upon  the  land  entered  by  Mr.  Adams  and  there  he 
engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising.  After  his 
step-children  grew  to  mature  years  he  sold  his 
property  in  Carroll  County  and  purchased  their  in- 
terest in  the  home  farm.  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and 
they  enjoy  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  their  large 
circle  of  acquaintances.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  has  been  elected  upon  that  ticket  to  a 
number  of  responsible  positions.  For  two  terras 


he  served  as  Supervisor,  for  two  terms  as  Town- 
ship Collector,  for  twenty  years  as  School  Direc- 
tor and  for  some  time  as  Highway  Commissioner 
and  School  Trustee;  all  of  the  offices  he  filled  to 
the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  He  and  his 
wife  occupy  an  enviable  position  both  in  religious 
and  social  circles  and  are  numbered  among  the 
best  people  of  the  county. 


ROF.  D.  B.  PITTSFORD,  County  Supeiin- 
l)  tendent  of  Schools  of  Tazewell  County,! 
now  residing  in  Delavan,  claims  Ohio  as 
the  state  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having 
occurred  near  Granville,  on  the  21st  of  April, 
1846.  He  is  of  Welsh  descent,  the  family  having 
been  founded  in  America  by  David  Pittsford.  a 
native  of  Wales,  his  son,  James  Pittsford,  being  the 
father  of  our  subject.  The  latter  was  born  in  Chester 
County,  Pa.,  June  15,  1812,  and  when  a  child  of 
four  years  went  to  Licking  County,  Ohio,  with  his 
parents.  He  was  a  man  of  good  education,  and 
during  curly  life  taught  school.  In  the  commu- 
nity where  he  lived,  he  was  a  leading  and  influen- 
tial citizen,  and  by  his  fellow-townsmen  was  called 
upon  to  serve  as  Trustee  of  his  township  and  as 
County  Commissioner,  and  was  President  of  the 
Agricultural  Society.  He  was  also  candidate  for 
the  nomination  of  County  Treasurer,  but  lost  the 
primary  election  by  twelve  votes.  In  political  be- 
lief he  was  a  Democrat.  For  three-quarters  of  a 
century  he  lived  upon  one  farm,  his  death  there 
occurring  May  5,  1891.  He  married  Maria  Jones, 
who  was  born  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  in  1816,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  David  R.  Jones,  a  stone  mason,  who 
went  to  Ohio  in  1830.  Her  brother,  Thomas  D. 
Jones,  was  one  of  the  most  noted  sculptors  of  his 
day,  and  his  works  may  be  found  in  many  of  the 
public  places  of  the  nation.  Another  brother  went 
to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  became  quite  wealthy,  and 
there  died  in  1870.  Mrs.  Pittsford  was  a  lady  of 
fine  education,  was  a  devout  Christian  woman,  and 
the  world  was  made  better  for  her  having  lived. 
She  died  August  15,  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four  years.  Her  grandfather  was  from  Wales,  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


365 


was  a  prominent  Baptist  preacher;  her  father  was 
Deacon  of  the  same  church. 

Professor  Pittsford  had  three  sisters  older  than 
himself,  but  was  the  eldest  of  four  brothers.  Phoebe 
A.  was  married  at  the  age  of  eighteen  to  Edward 
Jones,  a  Deacon  in  the  Baptist  Church  of  Alexan- 
dria, Ohio,  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three; 
Mary  E.  is  the  wife  of  Henry  II.  Hilbrant,  a  farmer 
of  Union  Station,  Ohio,  and  is  Secretary  of  the 
Baptist  Home  Missionary  Society  of  that  state; 
Susan  was  for  many  years  the  Matron  of  the  Ohio 
Orphan  Asylum,  and  all  of  the  sisters  taught  school; 
Enoch  J.  is  a  commission  merchant  of  Lawrence, 
Kan.;  William  II.  is  living  on  the  old  homestead 
in  Ohio;  and  Frank  J.  resides  in  New  Castle,  Ind. 
He  is  the  only  member  of  the  family  who  has  not 
been  a  school  teacher. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  Superin- 
tendent Pittsford  spent  his  childhood  days.  He 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  common  schools, 
pursued  a  course  of  study  in  Dennison  University 
of  Granville,  Ohio,  and  was  graduated  from  the 
Iron  City  Commercial  College  August  24,  1866, 
and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  teaching.  In 
1867  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  the  following  year 
was  employed  as  a  teacher  in  Tazewell  County.  To 
that  work  he  then  devoted  his  time  and  energies 
until  1874,  when,  on  account  of  failing  health,  he 
went  to  Texas,  where  he  followed  teaching  for  five 
years.  He  then  returned  to  Tazewell  County,  and 
until  1882  taught  in  the  schools  of  Tremont, 
Ilopedale  and  Minier.  He  then  became  manager 
of  the  grain  business  in  Delavan  for  the  firm  of 
William  Railsback  <fe  Co.,  and  continued  with  them 
until  1886,  when  he  was  nominated  Counly  Su- 
perintendent of  Schools,  lie  was  elected  by  a  ma- 
jority of  seventy-two,  and  in  1890,  when  again 
nominated,  received  a  majority  of  seven  hundred 
and  seventy-four,  the  increased  vote  showing  his 
personal  popularity  and  the  confidence  and  trust 
which  he  won  by  his  efficient  service.  He  this 
year  declined  to  be  a  candidate  for  a  re-nomina- 
tion, but  is  now  an  applicant  for  the  position  of 
General  Superintendent  of  Indian  schools,  and  is 
highly  indorsed. 

Mr.  Pittsford  was  married  July  9,  1872,  to  Mar- 
garet M.,  daughter  of  Alex  Wynd,  a  merchant  of 


Tremont,  and  they  have  a  very  interesting  family 
of  five  children:  Edith  N.,  who  was  born  in  Minier) 
111.,  May  30,  1874, and  ably  assists  him  in  his  office; 
James  A.,  who  was  born  in  Kaufman,  Tex.,  Decem- 
ber 12,  1875, and  is  now  clerking  in  Delavan;  Ben 
C.,  who  was  born  in  Will's  Point,  Tex.,  February 
11,  1878,  and  is  now  working  at  the  printer's  trade 
in  Morton,  111.;  Marion  J.,  who  was  born  in  Hope- 
dale,  111.,  March  13,  1881,  and  is  now  serving  as 
Page  in  the  House  of  Representatives;  and  Walter 
E.,  born  June  8,  1883,  is  attending  the  Deluvan 
school. 

Professor  Pittsford  is  without  doubt  one  of  the 
most  progressive  and  popular  educators  of  Illinois, 
and  has  a  wide  acquaintance  throughout  the  state. 
He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  P3'thias  fraternity, 
and  is  a  zealous  and  an  honored  member  of  the 
order.  Under  his  administration  the  schools  of 
Tazewell  County  have  won  a  high  standard  of  ex- 
cellence, taking  rank  among  the  best  in  the  slate, 
and  the  appreciation  of  his  services  by  those  inter- 
ested was  shown  by  his  largely  increased  majority 
at  his  second  election. 


[JOSEPH  A.  MEYERS.  The  original  of  this 
sketch,  to  which  our  attention  is  now  di- 
rected, is  a  rising  3roung  agriculturist,  who 
has  already  made  a  name  for  himself  among 
the  farmers  of  Sand  Prairie  Township,  Tazewell 
County,  where  he  is  residing  on  section  36.  He 
was  born  October  30,  1865,  in  Sand  Prairie  Town- 
ship, and  his  early  life  was  spent  upon  his  father's 
farm.  His  education  was  limited  to  the  common 
schools,  and  although  being  permitted  to  attend 
only  during  the  dull  seasons  on  the  farm,  he  was 
very  industrious  in  applying  himself  to  his  studies, 
and  is  to-day  intelligent  and  well  informed. 

Our  subject  is  the  son  of  John  and  Mary 
Meyers,  natives  of  Sand  Prairie  Township,  who 
are  now  living  in  Pekin.  The  lady  to  whom  he 
was  married  January  6,  1893,  was  Miss  Mary, 
daughter  of  John  George  Hild,  who  was  born  in 
Germany  in  1830.  The  latter  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade,  and  after  emigrating  to  America  followed 
that  branch  of  work  in  New  York  for  fourteen 


366 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


3rears.  Then  corning  to  this  county  he  purchased 
a  farm  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  its 
cultivation,  or  until  1886.  The  maiden  name  of 
his  wife  was  Eva  Maria  Teryl,  and  the  year  of 
their  marriage  was  1 870.  After  the  death  of  Mrs. 
Meyers'  father,  in  1886,  her  mother  still  continued 
to  reside  on  the  old  farm.  She  was  born  in  Ger- 
many in  1840,  and  on  coming  to  America,  in  1861, 
located  in  Tazewell  County,  where  she  met  and 
married  Mr.  llild. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  was  the  second  in  or- 
der of  birth  in  a  family  of  five  children  born 
to  her  parents.  John  lives  on  the  homestead  with 
his  mother,  as  do  also  Frederick,"  Sophia  Mag- 
gie and  Henry.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meyers  has 
been  born  a  son,  Ray  John,  whose  birth  occurred 
December  8,  1893.  Mr.  Meyers  is  honest  in  all  his 
dealings  and  is  an  industrious  hard  working  farm- 
er, who  is  now  residing  on  a  farm  belonging  to 
his  father.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  be- 
lieves in  the  principles  taught  by  that  great  party. 


ACOB  L.  MEYER.  There  are  few  things 
that  inspire  a  more  general  interest  than 
does  the  sketch  of  a  successful  business  man, 
who,  by  achieving  fortune  himself,  gives  an 
example  to  those  trying  to  climb  the  ladder  of 
fame  and  encourages  them  to  hope  for  similar 
successes.  Our  subject  is  a  man  of  decided  ability, 
and  is  without  doubt  one  of  the  largest,  if  not  the 
largest,  landowner  in  Tazewell  County,  having  in 
his  possession  eleven  hundred  and  fifty  broad  acres. 
Our  subject  was  born  in  Switzerland,  December 
6,  1830,  and  is  the  son  of  Jake  Meyer,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  that  country  in  1784.  The  latter  was 
given  a  fine  education,  attending  school  until  of 
age,  and  then  learning  the  mason's  trade,  at  which 
he  worked  until  his  decease,  in  1858.  The  maiden 
name  of  his  wife  was  Mary  Smith,  and  by  his  mar- 
riage with  her  he  became  the  father  of  six  children, 
of  whom  our  subject  was  the  eldest  born.  Of  the 
other  members  of  the  family  we  note  the  follow- 
ing: Burgen  married  Joe  Grossweiller,  has  five  chil- 
dren, and  is  now  living  in  Pekin,  this  state;  Lena 


is  the  widow  of  Joe  Ilitz,  who  died  in  1887;  Joe 
married  in  the  Old  Country  Miss  Anna  liirkmcir. 
and  on  coming  to  America  in  1865  made  his  home 
for  a  time  in  Chicago,  where  he  followed  his  trade 
of  a  mason;  he  later  came  to  Peoria,  and  subse- 
quently to  Pekin,  where  his  wife  died  in  1893.  He 
was  a  second  time  married,  and  now  makes  his 
home  in  Woodford  County,  this  state.  Anna  M., 
the  youngest  child  of  the  family,  was  married  to 
Frank  Birkmeir,  and  now  resides  on  a  farm  in  Sand 
Prairie  Township. 

Alois  Meyer,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
also  a  native  of  Switzerland,  where  he  followed  the 
trade  of  a  brick  mason  during  his  active  life.  Ik- 
had  five  sons,  viz.:  Joe,  who  died  while  living  in 
France;  Martin,  Ignatius  and  Michael,  who  emi- 
grated to  America,  and  Jacob  L.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  given  a  good  education,  as  there  is 
a  law  in  his  native  country  which  compels  parents 
to  send  their  children  to  school  so  many  months 
during  each  year.  They  were  also  expected  to  at- 
tend church  once  each  Sunday. 

Our  subject  lived  under  the  parental  roof  until 
attaining  his  majority,  and  May  2,  1852, embarked 
on  a  sailing-vessel  which  landed  him  forty  days  later 
in  America.  During  the  trip  there  was  a  tragedy 
on  board  ship,  the  Captain  killing  the  first  mate, 
after  having  found  out  that  the  latter  was  a  leader 
of  a  mob  whose  intention  it  was  to  kill  him  and 
then  land  the  vessel  in  a  South  American  port  and 
sell  the  passengers  for  slaves.  The  murder  hap- 
pened when  the  vessel  was  two  days  out  from 
Liverpool,  and  upon  arriving  in  New  York  the 
Captain  reported  what  had  been  done. 

Our  subject  made  his  home  for  about  three 
months  in  Philadelphia,  where  his  uncle,  Michael 
Meyer,  lived.  Afterward  he  came  to  Pekin,  in  the 
vicinity  of  which  city  he  began  working  out  on 
farms  by  the  month.  This  continued  for  about  six 
years,  and  during  that  time,  having  accumulated  a 
sufficient  sum  of  money  to  enable  him  to  establish 
a  home  of  his  own,  he  married,  in  February,  1858, 
Miss  Lena  Merkie,  also  a  native  of  Switzerland. 
The  young  couple  commenced  housekeeping  on  a 
farm  in  Dillon  Township,  where  they  remained  for 
two  years,  and  then  moved  near  to  Green  Valley, 
which  place  was  their  home  for  about  a  twelve- 


LIBRARY 
OF  IW 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


369 


month.  Mr.  Meyer  then  purchased  property  near 
where  he  is  now  living,  and  after  cultivating  it 
for  eight  years,  in  1870  bought  one  hundred  and 
two  acres  of  his  present  fine  estate,  for  which  he 
paid  $35  per  acre.  He  was  compelled  to  break  and 
cultivate  his  land,  a  task  that  naturally  called  for 
both  energy  and  skill.  He  is  to  day  very  prosper- 
ous, and  owns  eleven  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of 
valuable  farming  land  all  fertile  and  cultivated. 
The  habits  of  economy  which  he  learned  in  his 
youth  he  carried  through  his  maturer  years,  so  that 
now  he  is  able  to  supply  his  family  with  every 
comfort  which  wealth  can  bestow. 

The  three  children  born  to  our  subject  who  have 
grown  to  mature  years  are,  Joseph  M.,  who  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Watson  and  resides  on  a  farm  in 
Elm  Grove  Township,  this  county;  Fannie  M.,-tho 
wife  of  Joseph  Kellar,  who  also  lives  in  that  town- 
ship, and  Frank,  who  resides  at  home.  Mrs.  fje.na 
Meyer  departed  this  life  January  3,  1873.  Tye 
lady  whom  our  subject  married  in  KoVlemfcer  .of 
that  year  was  Miss  Maggie  Haas,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, where  her  birth  occurred  in  1847.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Catherine  Haas,  also 
natives  of  the  Fatherland,  who  came  to  America  a 
year  after  her  birth  and  located  in  Peoria.  They 
afterward  engaged  in  farm  pursuits  in  Woodford 
County,  where  the  mother  is  still  living.  Mr. 
Haas  departed  this  life  in  1889. 

By  his  second  union  our  subject  became  the  fa- 
ther of  four  children,  namely:  Mary,  Henry,  Anna 
and  Otto.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meyer  are  both  members 
of  the  Catholic  Church  at  Pekin.  In  politics  he  is 
a  strong  Democrat.  During  the  late  war  he  was  a 
loyal  supporter  of  the  Union,  and  while  he  was  not 
drafted  into  the  service,  his  interest  in  the  cause 
was  so  great  that  he  paid  11,200  to  send  another 
man  into  the  army. 


G.  MEISINGER.  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty  is  greatly  indebted  for  its  present  wealth 
and  high  standing  to  the  sturdy,  intelli- 
gent and  enterprising  tillers  of  the  soil  who  have 
been  instrumental  in  developing  its  vast  agricult- 
ural resources.  As  a  worthy  member  of  its  farm- 


ing community  who  has  contributed  towards  its 
material  advancement,  it  gives  us  pleasure  to  rep- 
resent Mr.  Meisinger  in  this  volume.  He  has 
long  been  associated  with  the  farming  interests  of 
Sand  Prairie  Township,  and  has  built  up  a  com- 
fortable home  on  section  7. 

Our  subject  was  born  May  31,  1840,  in  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  Germany,  and  is  a  son  of  Baltz  Meis- 
inger, also  a  native  of  that  empire,  where  his 
birth  occurred  in  1806.  The  latter  attended  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  country  until  four- 
teen years  of  age,  and  then  learned  the  shoe- 
maker's trade,  which  occupation  he  followed  for 
two  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  again 
turned  his  attention  to  tilling  the  soil,  at  which 
he  worked  in  his  native  country  for  ten  years 
after  his  marriage.  That  event  was  celebrated  in 
1837,  at  which  time  Miss  Anna  Catherine  Kurapf 
.  becaine  his  wife. 

The  young  couple  immediately  went  to  house- 
•keepiflg  on  their  own  property,  and  were  en- 
gaged in  farming  pursuits  on  that  place  until 
1846,  when  they  took  passage  on  a  sailing-vessel, 
which  landed  them  in  New  York  in  August  of 
that  year.  From  that  city  they  went  to  Buffalo, 
thence  to  Cleveland,  from  that  place  to  Cincin- 
nati, afterward  to  St.  Louis,  and  finally  to  Pekin. 
In  visiting  the  latter  place  it  was  Mr.  Meisinger's 
intention  to  find  a  location  in  Tazewell  County, 
and  this  being  done,  he  returned  to  the  Mound 
City  and  brought  his  family  with  him  to  their 
new  home  in  Sand  Prairie  Township.  '  The  land 
was  in  a  wild  condition,  but  by  hard  work  he 
broke  the  soil  and  put  in  a  crop  which  yielded  a 
good  harvest.  He  remained  there  until  1863, 
when  he  purchased  the  farm  where  his  son,  our 
subject,  is  now  residing.  He  retired  from  active 
work  in  1876,  although  still  making  his  home  on 
a  farm,  and  in  1881  departed  this  life. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baltz  Meisinger  were  the  parents 
of  eleven  children,  four  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
Of  those  who  grew  to  mature  years,  Maggie  mar- 
ried Leonard  Orth  and  resided  on  a  farm  in  Cin- 
cinnati Township,  this  county,  until  her  decease, 
in  1861.  Our  subject  is  the  next  in  order  of 
birth;  Elizabeth  married  George  Weyhrich  and 
made  her  home  on  a  farm  in  Spring  Lake  Town- 


370 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ship  until  her  decease,  in  1889;  Catherine,  who  is 
now  Mrs.  Adam  Weyhrich,  is  living  in  this  town- 
ship; Lizzie,  now  Mrs.  Jacob  Iloehr,  makes  her 
home  on  a  farm  in  Cincinnati  Township;  Eve 
became  the  wife  of  George  Meisinger  and  is  liv- 
ing at  the  present  time  in  Cass  County,  Neb.;  and 
Anna  also  married  a  man  by  the  name  of  George 
Meisinger  and  is  making  her  home  in  Cass  Coun- 
ty, Neb. 

After  coming  to  America,  our  subject  attended 
the  district  school,  and  during  the  summer  worked 
on  his  father's  farm.  He  remained  at  home  until 
his  marriage,  in  1866,  to  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth 
Orth,  also  n  native  of  the  Fatherland,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  Orth,  who,  emigrating  from  Germany 
to  America,  first  located  in  Canada,  but  finally 
made  his  way  to  this  county,  where  he  was  num- 
bered among  the  early  settlers.  After  his  mar- 
riage Mr.  Meisinger  rented  land  until  enabled  to 
purchase  a  farm  of  his  own.  This  was  accom- 
plished in  1881,  and  he  is  now  the  proprietor  of 
three  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  the  finest  land 
in  Sand  Prairie  Township.  It  is  tilled  in  a  most 
thorough  manner,  adorned  with  a  fine  set  of 
buildings,  and  the  substantial  dwelling  is  sur- 
rounded with  all  that  goes  to  make  a  home  pleas- 
ant and  attractive. 

Of  the  seven  children  born  to  our  subject  and 
his  wife,  those  living  are:  Eve,  the  wife  of  Leon- 
ard Vetter,  who  resides  in  this  township;  Adam, 
who  is  living  with  his  parents  and  is  engaged  in 
farming  on  his  own  account;  Leonard,  Mary  and 
Jacob,  who  also  live  under  the  parental  roof.  The 
wife  and  mother  died  June  11,1891.  Our  sub- 
ject has  been  Road  Commissioner  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  has  always  manifested  a  deep  inter- 
est in  educational  matters  in  this  locality,  having 
occupied  the  position  of  School  Director  for  some 
time.  He  belongs  to  the  German  Lutheran  Church, 
and  is  a  Christian  man  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 


,EORGE  WALKER,  of  Mackinaw,  is  one  of 
the  most  extensive  land  owners  of  Tazewell 
County.  He  deserves  great  credit  for  his 
success  in  life,  which  has  been  achieved  through 
his  own  efforts.  lie  is  now  the  owner  of  twelve 


hundred  acres  of  land,  and  his  home  is  the  finest 
residence  in  this  town,  surrounded  by  a  beautiful 
and  well  kept  lawn  and  supplied  with  all  the  con- 
veniences which  go  to  make  life  worth  the  living. 

Mr.  Walker  was  born  in  Maryland,  May  23, 
1832,  and  is  the  son  of  George  E.  and  Harriet 
(Mercer)  Walker.  The  former  was  born  near  Phil- 
adelphia of  English  parentage,  and  was  reared  on 
a  farm.  He  went  to  Maryland  *s  overseer  of  a 
plantation,  and  while  there  was  married.  His  wife 
was  an  aunt  of  Judge  David  Davis,  who  served  as 
Judge  of  McLean  County,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  central  Illinois.  In  1838, 
the  father  of  our  subject  came  to  this  state  and  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  of  sixty-four  acres,  four  miles 
from  Bloominglon,  where  he  reared  his  family  and 
spent  his  remaining  days.  He  was  a  man  of  ex- 
cellent education  and  a  great  reader.  In  politics  he 
was  a  Democrat,  and  in  his  later  years  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  Church.  His  wife  was  a  Prot- 
estant. In  their  family  were  ten  children.  John, 
who  served  in  the  Mexican  War,  went  to  California 
in  1849;  he  spent  all  his  life  in  traveling,  and 
died  in  Normal,  ill.;  Thomas  is  also  deceased; 
George  is  the  next  younger;  Edward,  deceased, 
married  Sarah  Bay  and  operated  the  old  homestead; 
David  is  employed  in  a  wholesale  house  in  St. 
Louis;  Rozetta  is  the  wife  of  Lee  I  jams,  of  Farmer 
City;  Sarah  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Railey,  of  Kan- 
sas; and  three  died  in  childhood. 

During  his  early  boyhood  Mr.  Walker  of  this 
sketch  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Illinois  and 
was  reared  in  the  log  cabin  home  near  Blooming- 
ton.  At  about  the  age  of  twenty  he  began  work- 
ing for  Judge  David  Davis  at  $12  per  month.  He 
afterward  engaged  in  operating  a  farm  of  two 
hundred  acres  at  $20  per  month.  Later  he  rented 
the  old  homestead  and  began  farming  in  his  own 
interest.  At  the  age  of  twenty-six  he  wedded 
Mary  Lilly,  daughter  of  Joseph  Lilly;  she  was 
born  in  Ohio,  but  her  parents  were  natives  of 
Maryland,  and  came  to  McLean  County,  111.,  in 
1835.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker  became  the  parents  of 
five  children.  AVilliam  W.,  who  was  educated  in  a 
business  college,  now  follows  farming  in  Tazevvell 
County;  Frank,  who  attended  Wesleyan  College, 
operates  his  father's  farm;  Lillie,  who  was  educated 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


371 


in  the  State  Normal,  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Charles 
Smith,  of  Homer,  111.;  Sallie,  who  was  also  a  student 
in  the  State  Normal,  is  the  wife  of  Maxwell  Shaw, 
a  farmer;  and  Fannie  is  being  educated  in  the  Wes- 
leyan  University. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Walker  rented  a  farm  near 
Bloomington,  and  later  spent  a  year  upon  a  rented 
farm  near  Lilly.  He  then  bought  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  ofjand,  to  which  he  has  added  from 
time  to  time  until  he  now  has  twelve  hundred 
acres,  together  with  two  houses  and  lots  in  Macki- 
naw. He  has  always  followed  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  and  through  the  legitimate  channels  of 
business  he  has  won  the  success  which  places  him 
among  the  wealthy  citizens  of  his  adopted  county. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Christian  Church.  He  has 
prospered,  yet  he  has  not  used  his  means  entirely 
for  his  own  benefit,  for  he  gives  freely  of  his  pos- 
sessions to  charitable  and  benevolent  work  and 
never  withholds  his  support  from  any  worthy  en- 
terprise calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit. 


LLEN  LEONARD,  who  is  practically  liv- 
ing a  retired  life  upon  his  farm  on  section 
26,  Elm  Grove  Township,  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty, claims  Ohio  as  the  state  of  his  nativ- 
ity, his  birth  having  occurred  in  Clinton  County, 
on  the  21st  of  January,  1827.  His  grandfather, 
Ezekiel  Leonard,  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
and  at  an  early  day  removed  with  his  family  to 
the  Buckeye  Stale,  becoming  one  of  its  early  set- 
tlers. There  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his 
death  occurring  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Rebecca  Hodg- 
son, also  died  at  an  advanced  age. 

Thomas  Leonard,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  North  Carolina  in  the  year  1801,  and  was  very 
young  when  the  family  went  to  Ohio,  locating  in 
Fulton  County.  They  settled  in  the  midst  of  the 
forest  and  endured  all  the  hardships  and  priva- 
tions incident  to  pioneer  life.  For  several  years 
they  subsisted  largely  upon  game  of  the  region, 
which  at  that  early  day  could  be  had  in  abundance. 


Thomas  Leonard  was  married  in  the  Buckeye  State 
to  Hannah  Starbuck,  who  came  of  a  family  which 
for  several  generations  had  resided  in  North  Caro- 
lina. Her  father  removed  to  Ohio,  and  there  spent 
his  remaining  days.  Members  of  the  family  are 
still  living  in  that  locality. 

In  1830,  Mr.  Leonard  with  his  wife  and  five 
children  came  to  Illinois  and  took  up  their  resi- 
dence in  Elm  Grove  Township,  Tazewell  County. 
In  the  succeeding  winter  occurred  the  memorable 
"deep  snow,"  which  is  remembered  by  all  of  the 
early  pioneers.  The  father  of  our  subject  entered 
from  the  Government  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  the  same  upon  which  his  son  Thomas 
now  resides.  As  his  financial  resources  increased, 
he  extended  its  boundaries  until  it  comprised  four 
hundred  acres.  His  entire  life  was  devoted  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  in  which  he  met  with  good 
success.  His  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  seven- 
ty-six. 

Allen  Leonard  spent  the  first  years  of  his  life  in 
his  native  state,  and  has  since  lived  in  Elm  Grove 
Township,  Tazewell  County.  The  journey  to  this 
state  was  made  in  a  wagon,  and  the  family  ex- 
perienced all  the  hardships  and  trials  of  the  fron- 
tier. When  he  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-one 
years,  he  began  to  earn  his  own  livelihood  by- 
working  as  a  farm  hand  in  this  locality,  and 
was  thus  employed  for  two  years.  He  then  began 
the  further  cultivation  and  improvement  of  the 
furm  which  has  been  his  home  for  forty-five  years. 
It  comprises  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  val- 
uable land. 

In  1849,  Mr.  Leonard  married  Louisa  Fisher,  a 
native  of  Elm  Grove  Township,  and  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Amy  (Bennett)  Fisher.  Her  parents 
were  natives  of  Ohio,  and  became  pioneer  settlers 
of  this  locality.  They  had  a  family  of  thirteen 
children.  Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Leonard:  Almina,  wife  of  H.  Laugherry,  of 
'  Elm  Grove  Township;  and  Raphael,  of  Woodford 
County;  the  latter  married  Mary  L.  Matthew. 

Mr.  Leonard  is  thoroughly  in  sympathy  with 
the  principles  of  the  Republican  party,  with  which 
he  has  been  identified  since  its  organization,  and  he 
does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  its  growth  and 
insure  its  success.  He  has  been  honored  with  some 


372 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


local  offices  of  trust,  having  served  as  Township 
Collector  and  Road  Commissioner.  It  is  needless 
to  say  that  lie  discharged  its  duties  with  prompt- 
ness and  fidelity,  for  he  is  always  true  to  every 
public  and  private  trust.  He  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  representative  citizens  of  the  community, 
and  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity. 


AMUEL  BLAIR,  of  Mackinaw,  for  many 
years  followed  farming  in  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty, but  is  now  living  a  retired  life.  lie 
was  born  in  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  July 
11,  1834,  and  was  one  of  sixteen  children,  eleven 
of  whom  grew  to  mature  years.  The  parents  were 
Thomas  and  Jane  (Gillan)  Blair.  The  grandfather, 
Samuel  Blair,  was  also  a  native  of  County  Antrim, 
and  there  followed  farming.  He  reared  a  family  of 
four  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  re- 
mained on  the  Emerald  Isle.  In  religious  belief, 
he  was  a  Presbyterian.  The  father  of  our  subject 
followed  farming  in  Ireland  and  there  married 
Jane  Gillan,  by  whom  he  had  sixteen  children. 
Six  of  the  number  went  to  the  World's  Fair  in 
1893  with  their  parents.  Those  who  grew  to  ma- 
ture years  were,  William,  of  McLean  County,  111.; 
Samuel;  David,  now  living  in  England;  Thomas,  a 
railroad  engineer  of  Peoria,  111.;  Matthew,  a  car- 
penter of  Chicago;  Robert,  a  distillery  supervisor 
of  Chicago;  James,  who  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Ireland;  Mary,  wife  of  Robert  Tinsdale, 
of  Ireland;  Eliza,  wife  of  Arthur  McNeal,  of  Chi- 
cago; Jane,  who  became  the  wife  of  Alex  Totten, 
and  died  of  smallpox  in  Chicago  in  April,  1894; 
and  Hannah,  who  died  on  the  Emerald  Isle. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  childhood  and  youth  of  Samuel  Blair,  who  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  and  remained 
with  his  parents  until  his  marriage.  In  1856  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Jane  Smith,  daughter  of  Na- 
thaniel and  Jane  (Colville)  Smith.  Her  father  was 
a  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Margaret  Smith,  and  her 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Margaret 
(Magill)  Colville,  of  Scotland. 

In  1858  Mr.  Blair  bade  adieu  to  home  and  native 
land  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  New  World, 


locating  in  Tremont,  Tazewell  County,  111.  His 
cash  capital  then  consisted  of  five  sovereigns.  He 
began  work  as  a  farm  hand  and  was  thus  employed 
for  three  years,  when  he  purchased  a  team  and 
engaged  in  the  operation  of  a  rented  farm  for 
five  .years.  His  first  purchase  of  land  comprised 
twenty  acres  in  Tremont  Township.  On  selling 
this  he  bought  a  tract  of  ninety  acres  in  the  same 
township,  and  later  became  the  owner  of  two  hun- 
dred acres  in  Mackinaw  Township.  For  some 
years  he  successfully  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits, but  in  1889  left  this  farm  and  came  to  Mack- 
inaw, where  he  has  since  made  his  home,  enjoying 
with  his  amiable  wife  the  rest  which  they  have  so 
truly  earned  and  richly  deserve. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blair  were  born  five  children: 
Thomas,  now  living  in  Allentown;  David,  who 
follows  farming;  Jane,  wife  of  Gus  Flegin;  Mag- 
gie, wife  of  William  Firre;  and  Nettie,  who  for 
five  years  has  successfully  engaged  in  teaching  in 
:  tile' public  schools  of  Mackinaw.  She  was  educated 
in  Bloomington,  III.  Mrs.  Flegin  was  also  a 
teacher  of  recognized  ability  in  the  county  for 
seven  years.  The  parents  were  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Ireland.  In  politics  Mr. 
Blair  is  a  Democrat,  lie  need  never  regret  his 
emigration  to  the  New  World,  for  here  he  has 
found  a  pleasant  home,  has  won  a  handsome  com- 
petence in  his  business  dealings  and  has  gained 
many  warm  friends. 


JEFFERSON  DONAVAN.    Few  words  are 

needed  in  introducing  Mr.  Donavan  to  the 
;  people  of  Mason  County,  as  his  name  has 
/  been  familiar  to  the  majority  of  them  for 
many  years.  He  is  a  man  of  fine  character,  and  of 
that  firmness  of  will  and  unerring  judgment  that 
have  gained  for  him  the  esteem  and  confidence  of 
all  with  whom  lie  has  had  dealing.  Formerly  num- 
bered among  the  agriculturists  of  the  county,  he 
now  resides  in  Mason  City,  where  lie  gives  his  at- 
tention to  the  supervision  of  his  extensive  in- 
terests. 

Near  the  city  of  tlrhana,  in  Champaign  County, 
Ohio,  the  subject  of  this  sketch    was  born  in  1829. 


LIBRARY 

OftW 

UNIVtKSm  Of  (UJNUks 


JAMES   HAINES. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


375 


He  is  of  direct  Irish  descent,  his  grandfather, 
Robert  Dunavnn,  having  been  born  in  the  Emerald 
Isle,  whence  he  emigrated  to  America,  landing 
upon  the  shores*  of  this  country  October  12,  1741. 
Robert  Donavan,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  and  became  an  early  settler  of  Cham- 
paign County,  Ohio.  His  death  occurred  upon  his 
farm  near  Urbana  in  1850.  He  was  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  as  were  all  of  his  family. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Rachel,  daughter 
of  Samuel  Cox,  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  She  was  born  in  Franklin  County, 
Pa.,  and  passed  away  in  Champaign  County,  Ohio, 
in  1872,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  Jefferson  Don- 
avan spent  the  years  of  his  boyhood  in  Champaign 
County,  where  he  gained  the  rudiments  of  his  ed- 
ucation in  the  common  schools  and  afterward 
prosecuted  his  studies  in  the  Urbana  Academy  for 
a  period  of  two  years.  In  1848  he  came  to  Mason 
County  and  commenced  farming,  first  upon  a 
small  scale  and  later  upon  a  more  extensive  plan. 
To  his  original  purchase  he  added  land  until  his 
possessions  were  extensive  and  valuable.  In  con- 
nection with  the  raising  of  grain  he  engaged  in 
feeding  and  shipping  live  stock,  a  branch  of  agri- 
culture in  which  he  met  with  flattering  success. 

For  some  years  Mr.  Donavan  has  resided  in  Ma- 
son City,  but  still  owns  his  farm  and  personally 
superintends  its  management.  He  is  the  owner  of 
eight  hundred  and  eighty-five  acres  of  valuable 
land  in  Mason  and  Logan  Counties,  seven  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  Dakota  and  six  hundred  and 
forty-eight  acres  in  Texas,  and  in  addition  owns 
some  valuable  residence  property  in  Austin,  Tex., 
and  Mason  City.  In  religious  matters  he  supports 
the  doctrines  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  has 
served  as  a  Trustee  for  some  time. 

The  home  of  Mr.  Donavan  indicates  in  a  marked 
manner  the  qualities  of  character  which  have 
shown  conspicuously  in.  all  the  relations  of  life. 
The  lady  who  became  his  wife  on  the  2d  of  July, 
1861,  was  Miss  Matilda,  daughter  of  Alexander  R. 
Chestnut,  a  native  of  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  and  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Illinois.  Mr.  Donavan  is  a 
man  of  prominence  in  his  locality  and  is  numbered 
among  the  influential  and  enthusiastic  Republicans 
of  the  county.  The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dona- 


van has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  children, 
all  of  whom  died  young  but  one  son,  Alex  R.,  an 
intelligent  and  manly  lad,  in  whom  rest  the  fondest 
hopes  of  the  parents. 


AMES  HAINES.  Among  the  prominent 
business  men  of  Pekin  who  are  counted 
among  the  oldest  and  most  honored  resi- 
dents of  the  county  may  be  mentioned  Mr. 
Ilaines.  He  has  been  connected  with  the  interests 
of  this  section  since  1827,  and  no  name  may  be 
more  properly  placed  in  the  histor}'  of  the  county 
than  his. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Ohio, 
September  10,  1822,  and  is  the  son  of  Joseph  and 
Sarah  (Long)  Ilaines.  The  father's  birth  occurred 
in  New  Jersey  near  the  Pennsylvania  line;  he 
fought  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  being  a 
resident  of  Ohio  at  the  time.  In  thatstatc  he  car- 
ried on  his  trade  of  blacksmith  until  his  removal  to 
Illinois  in  1827,  making  the  journey  hither  by 
teams.  He  located  with  his  family  near  Pekin,  where 
he  erected  a  little  log  cabin  and  also  a  blacksmith 
shop,  built  after  the  same  primitive  style.  He 
also  purchased  land,  and  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  in  1846,  followed  the  combined  occupations 
of  farmer  and  blacksmith. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Sarah  Long,  was  born  in  the  Quaker  City, 
and  died  on  the  farm  in  Tazewell  County  during 
the  cholera  scourge  in  1832.  James,  of  this  sketch, 
passed  the  first  five  years  of  his  life  in  Ohio,  and 
on  coming  with  the  family  to  this  state,  saw  many 
Indians  from  the  Winnebago,  Pottawatomies,  the 
Sac  and  Fox  tribes.  There  were  about  three  red 
men  to  every  white  settler  in  that  early  day,  and  the 
country  round  about  was  little  more  than  a  wil- 
derness, dotted  over  here  and  there  with  rude  log 
cabins. 

Mr.  Ilaines,  of  this  sketch,  attended  his  first 
school  in  a  rude  structure  with  the  most  primitive 
furnishings,  but  later  completed  his  studies  in  the 
more  modern  schools  of  Pekin.  Previous  to  com- 
pleting his  education  he  taught  school  for  several 
terms  in  the  country,  boarding  around  among  the 


376 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


patrons.  He  worked  on  bis  father's  farm  until 
starting  out  in  the  world  on  his  own  responsibility, 
and  until  1848  followed  farming,  together  with 
buying  and  selling  land.  In  the  above  year  he  be- 
gan the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  B.  S.  Pretty- 
man,  of  Pekin;  then  he  entered  the  law  depart- 
ment of  Transylvania  University  in  Louisville, 
Ky.,  from  which  lie  was  graduated  in  the  year  1851. 

After  receiving  his  diploma,  Mr.  Ilaines  located 
in  this  city  for  practice,  but  soon  abandoned  that 
profession  to  engage  in  the  banking  business, 
forming  a  partnership  with  G.  H.  Rupert  and  T.  N. 
Gill.  This  connection  lasted  until  the  outbreak  of 
the  late  war,  when  the  hard  times  which  followed 
caused  him  to  close  out  his  business  in  that  line. 
He  then  engaged  in  the  insurance  and  real-estate 
business,  which  he  is  carrying  on  at  the  present 
time. 

Mr.  Ilaines  has  been  a  very  prominent  factor  in 
forwarding  the  best  interests  of  this  section,  and 
besides  laying  out  three  additions  to  the  city,  has 
been  President  of  the  Peoria  <fc  Springfield  Rail- 
way. He  has  also  been  manager  of  the  Ilaines' 
Illinois  Harvester  Works  several  years,  and  is  the 
oldest  insurance  man  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

The  lady  to  whom  our  subject  was  united  in 
marriage  in  1852  was  Miss  Anna  E.,  eldest  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  W.  S.  Maus.  The  latter  was  born  in 
Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  arid  was  one  of  the  prom- 
inent physicians  of  this  county.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Legislature,  and  held  many  positions  of 
trust  in  the  county  and  state.  Mrs.  Haines  de- 
parted this  life  in  1889,  leaving  one  son,  James, 
Jr.,  who  is  engaged  in  business  with  his  father. 

Mr.  Ilaines  was  Postmaster  for  three  years  under 
Cleveland,  and  was  Supervisor  of  the  township  for 
some  time.  He  is  an  active  Democrat  in  politics, 
and  is  recognized  as  an  influential  member  of 
the  party.  He  was  the  first  County  Superintend- 
ent of  Schools  in  Tazewell  County,  and  is  Vice- 
President  of  Tazewell  County's  Old  Settlers'  As- 
sociation. 

«->4-C-> — 

r.ILLIAM   L.  PRETTYMAN.     Among   the 
names  held  in  honor  in  Pekin,  that  which 
introduces  these  lines  has  for  many  years 
occupied  a  prominent  place.     He  who  bears  it  is  a 


native  of  the  city,  and  has  borne  an  important 
part  in  its  growth,  maintaining  an  unceasing  in- 
terest in  its  prosperity  and  contributing  to  its  up- 
building. He  stands  very  high  in  the  legal  pro- 
fession, and  has  led  a  very  active  and  busy  life. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  this  city  February  1, 
1850,  and  is  the  son  of  B.  S.  Prettyman,  Sr.,  whose 
sketch  the  reader  will  find  on  another  page  in  this 
volume.  When  fifteen  years  of  age,  our  subject 
entered  the  Highland  Military  Academy,  at  Wor- 
cester, Mass.,  and  after  spending  one  year  in  that 
institution,  went  to  Chicago  and  carried  on  his 
studies  in  the  Douglas  University.  In  the  mean- 
time he  read  law,  and  in  1871  was  admitted  to 
practice  at  the  Bar  in  Pekin,  under  Judge  Turner. 
His  father,  who  was  also  a  prominent  lawyer,  took 
him  in  as  partner,  the  firm  being  known  as  B.  S. 
Prettyman  &  Son  until  1876,  when  the  father  re- 
tired. 

Our  subject  was  elected  State's  Attorney  in  1876 
for  a  term  of  four  years,  and  in  1884  was  re-elected 
to  that  responsible  office.  He  is  the  owner  of  val- 
uable farms  located  in  Peoria,  Mason  and  Tazewell 
Counties,  which  are  all  improved  and  occupied  by 
tenants.  Mr.  Prettyman  is  one  of  the  organizers 
and  incorporators  of  the  Peoria  and  Pekin  Street 
Railway  Company,  and  it  was  through  his  in- 
fluence that  the  right  of  way  was  secured.  The 
line  will  be  completed  in  1894,  and  it  is  the  in- 
tention of  the  company  to  erect  a  power-house  in 
this  city  and  also  one  in  Peoria.  Our  subject  is  at- 
torney for  the  Chillicothe  (111.)  Water  and  Electric 
Light  and  Power  Company,  of  which  he  was  one  of 
the  prime  movers.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Spring  Lake  Hunting  and  Fishing  Club. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  1871  to  Miss  Mary 
Frances  Vandervoort,  of  Chicago,  who  was  born  in 
New  York  in  1850.  Their  union  was  blessed  with 
the  following  children:  Fannie,  John  and  William 
S.  Mr.  Prettyman  stands  very  high  in  the  commu- 
nity, and  from  1873  to  1875  was  Alderman  of  the 
Third  Ward,  and  in  1891  was  elected  to  the  same 
position  from  the  First  Ward.  He  is  a  prominent 
Democrat  in  politics,  and  is  Vice-President  of  the 
Tazewell  Club,  and  has  been  Chairman  of  the 
County  Democratic  Central  Committee.  He  is 
one  of  the  public-spirited  men  of  the  city,  is  active 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


377 


in  liis  support  of  all  enterprises  tending  toward  its 
improvement  and  development, and  gives  liberally 
of  his  means  toward  accomplishing  this  end.  He 
has  been  attorney  at  different  times  for  all  the 
railroads  running  through  the  city,  and  is  justly 
regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  this  part 
of  the  state. 


HRISTIAN  SMITH,  who  is  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming  on  section  2,  Morton  Township, 
Tazewell  County,  was  born  in  Woodford 
County,  111.,  on  the  18lh  of  January,  1846,  and  is 
of  French  descent.  His  paternal  grandfather  was 
a  native  of  Lorraine,  France,  and  there  followed 
carpentering  throughout  life.  His  father,  Chris- 
tian Smith,  was  born  in  Lorraine,  and  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  that  country.  While  still  a  youth 
he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America,  in  1831,  and 
for  two  years  resided  in  Pennsylvania.  In  1833 
he  came  to  Woodford  County,  where  he  worked  at 
carpentering  and  also  engaged  in  farming.  Here 
he  married  Miss  Magdelene  Schrock,  who  was  also 
a  native  of  Lorraine,  France.  They  became  the 
parents  of  eight  children:  Mary,  wife  of  Frederick 
Felnreth;  Barbara,  who  died  in  childhood;  Peter, 
deceased;  Anna,  deceased  wife  of  John  Garber; 
Lena,  who  became  the  wife  of  Peter  Newhouser, 
and  after  his  death  married  Valentine  Mininger; 
Joseph,  deceased;  Christian,  of  this  sketch;  and 
John,  who  died  in  childhood.  The  parents,  one 
brother  and  one  sister  died  of  cholera  about  1850. 
Christian  and  Peter  also  suffered  an  attack  of  the 
disease,  but  finally  recovered.  The  father  and 
mother  held  membership  with  the  Mennonite 
Church. 

After  the  death  of  his  parents,  Mr.  Smith  of 
this  sketch  lived  with  an  uncle  for  several  years. 
His  education  was  acquired  in  the  common  schools, 
and  at  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  began  to  earn 
his  own  livelihood,  working  by  the  month.  He  was 
thus  engaged  until  1864,  when,  at  the  age  of  eigh- 
teen, he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops 
to  aid  in  putting  down  the  rebellion,  and  became 
a  member  of  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Eighth 
Illinois  Infantry.  He  served  with  General  Banks 


at  Spanish  Fort,  and  when  the  war  was  over  was 
honorably  discharged,  in  August,  1865.  He  then 
returned  to  Tazewell  County,  where  he  again 
worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand. 

On  the  13th  of  February,  1873,  Mr.  Smith  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Bena,  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  Sweitzer.  Two  children  grace  this 
union,  William  A.  and  Frederick  A.  The  parents 
are  members  of  the  Mennonite  Church,  and  are 
highly  respected  and  well  known  citizens  of  this 
community.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Smith  is  a 
Democrat,  and  has  served  as  School  Trustee  for  a 
number  of  years.  Upon  his  marriage  he  rented  a 
farm  for  eight  years,  and  then  with  the  capital  he 
had  acquired  through  earnest  labor,  economy  and 
perseverance,  he  purchased  eighty  acres  on  section 
11,  Morton  Township.  His  wife  owns  eightv  acres 
on  section  2,  and  a  small  tract  of  timber  land.  His 
possessions  have  all  been  acquired  through  his  own 
labors,  and  he  may  truly  be  called  a  self-made 
man,  for  he  started  out  in  life  a  poor  boy,  depend- 
ent entirely  upon  his  own  resources.  Sleadil}'  he 
has  worked  his  way  upward,  overcoming  the  diffi- 
culties and  obstacles  in  his  path,  and  has  now 
reached  a  position  of  affluence. 


PT,  R  E  D    REULING.    In  giving  an  account 
gj   of  the  different  business  enterprises  of  Mor- 
ton we  desire  particularly  to  call  attention 
to  the  hardware  and  furniture  establishment  which 
is  carried  on  under  the  firm  name  of  Reuling  & 
Weiss.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Germany   May  11, 
1860,  and   is    the   son    of    Henry    and    Fredricka 
(Schroth)   Reuling,   both  of   whom   were   born   in 
Hesse-Darmstadt. 

Henry  Reuling  was  a  butcher  by  trade  and  im- 
ported stock  on  a  large  scale.  He  was  also  an  ex- 
tensive land  owner  in  the  Fatherland  and  a  very 
prominent  man  in  his  locality.  The  parental 
family  included  five  children,  namely:  Jacob, 
Henry,  Margaret,  John  and  our  subject.  The  elder 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reuling  were  devoted  members  of 
the  Lutheran  Church  and  were  most  highly  re- 
garded by  all  who  knew  them.  The  former  died 
in  the  Old  Country  when  our  subject  was  only 


378 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


two  years  of  age,  and  in  1869  the  mother  emi- 
grated with  the  remainder  of  her  family  to  the 
United  States.  She  came  immediately  to  Pekin, 
where  her  elder  children  were  located,  and  is  still 
living  in  that  city,  making  her  home  with  her  son 
John. 

Fred,  of  this  sketch,  attended  school  for  three 
years  in  Germany,  and  after  coming  to  this  coun- 
try completed  his  education  in  the  Pekin  High 
School.  Afterward  he  entered  the  store  owned  by 
his  mother  and  his  brother-in-law,  and  remained 
there  as  clerk  until  1884,  when  he  came  to  Morton 
and  established  himself  in  the  hardware  business, 
putting  in  a  stock  of  goods  worth  $1,500.  His 
business  rapidly  increased,  :md  lie  has  enlarged  his 
store  from  time  to  time  until  now  he  lias  his  estab- 
lishment stocked  with  hardware  and  furniture  val- 
ued at  $5,200.  He  is  also  interested  in  the  bank 
at  Morton,  and  is  a  man  of  whom  the  village  may 
be  proud. 

Fred  Reuling  was  married  in  1888  to  Miss 
Emma,  daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth  Weiss, 
of  Pekin,  where  the  former  is  living,  having  re- 
tired from  business.  Their  union  has  resulted  in 
the  birth  of  three  children,  Eleanor,  Fred  and 
Lulu.  Socially  onr  subject  belongs  to  Pekin  Lodge 
No.  200, 1.  O.  O.  F.,  the  Modern  Woodmen  No. 
678,  of  Morton,  and  in  politics  is  a  strong  Democrat. 


B.  MULLER,  one  of  the  enterprising  and 
progressive  agriculturists  of  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty, now  living  on  section  22,  Washington 
Township,  was  born  on  the  17th  of  June, 
1840,  in  what  was  then  Alsace,  France,  but  is  now 
a  part  of  Germany.  His  father,  Anthony  Muller, 
was  born  and  reared  in  Alsace,  and  there  married 
Miss  Katie  Maner,  a  native  of  the  same  locality. 
By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer,  and  owned  and 
operated  land  in  Franco.  In  1854  he  determined 
to  seek  a  home  in  the  New  World,  and  crossing 
the  briny  deep,  located  in  Lancaster,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  remained  from  May  until  October,  when  he  be- 
came a  resident  of  Naperville,  111.  Purchasing  a 
tract  of  land  he  made  his  home  thereon  for  a  year, 


after  which  he  removed  to  Peoria,  but  soon  became 
a  resident  of  Tazewell  County,  settling  in  Grove- 
hind  Township,  in  March,  1856.  On  the  14th  of 
September  following,  he  was  called  to  the  home 
beyond.  His  wife  died  in  her  native  land  in  1840. 
They  had  only  two  children.  The  daughter,  Grace, 
is  now  the  wife  of  Jacob  Wikle,  a  farmer  of  Peoria 
County,  111. 

Our  subject  was  a  youth  of  fourteen  summers 
when  with  his  father  he  emigrated  to  the  New 
World.  Here  he  began  work  as  a  farm  hand  by 
the  month,  and  was  thus  employed  for  eight  years, 
when  he  determined  that  his  labors  should  benefit 
himself,  and  began  farming  on  rented  land  in 
Groveland  Township.  When  lie  had  acquired 
some  capital  he  purchased  one  hundred  acres  of 
partially  improved  land, and  settling  upon  hisown 
farm,  continued  its  cultivation  from  1862  until 
1875. 

On  the  llth  of  February  of  the  former  year  was 
celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Muller  and  Mary 
(Myers)  Patzmann,  who  was  born  in  Groveland 
Township,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  Myers,  one  of 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  Tazewell  County,  who  came 
thither  from  Alsace,  France,  in  1835.  From  the 
Government  lie  entered  land  and  became  one  of  the 
substantial  farmers  of  the  community.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Muller  were  born  five  children.  Mary 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years;  William 
makes  his  home  in  Deer  Creek  Township;  Fred- 
erick is  now  in  the  south,  and  George  and  Frank 
are  at  home.  By  her  former  husband,  John  G. 
Patzmann,  Mrs.  Muller  had  two  sons,  John,  of 
Washington  Township,  and  Charles,  of  Ford  Coun- 
ty, 111. 

In  1875,  Mr.  Muller  sold  his  farm  in  Groveland 
Township  and  bought  that  upon  which  he  now 
resides.  He  has  a  valuable  tract  of  three  hundred 
and  eighty-seven  and  a-half  acres,  pleasantly  situ- 
ated about  a  mile  from  Washington,  and  has  a 
highly  cultivated  and  improved  farm,  supplied 
with  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences.  His 
home,  a  beautiful  and  commodious  residence,  was 
erected  in  1884.  All  the  improvements  upon  his 
place  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  enter- 
prise. In  politics,  Mr.  Muller  is  a  Democrat,  and 
belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Mutual  Aid 


RESIDENCE  OF  JAMES  HERBERT,   1023  BROADWAY,    PEKIN,    ILL. 


RESIDENCE  OF  J.  B.  Ml'LLER,  SEC.   22,  WASHINGTON  TP.,  TAZEWELL  CO.,  ILL. 


LIBRARY 

of  m 

(f  flJJNOlS 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


381 


and  to  the  Odd  Fellows'  society,  in  which  he  has 
served  as  Past  Grand.  His  wife  holds  membership 
witli  the  Evangelical  Church.  He  is  a  self-made 
man.  who  by  his  own  efforts  steadily  worked  his 
way  upward,  and  the  success  of  his  life  is  the  just 
reward  of  his  labors. 

AMES  HERBERT,  a  well  known  citizen  of 
Pekin, and  locomotive  engineer  on  the  Atch- 
ison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  formerly 
between  Chicago  and  Ft.  Madison,  but  now 
between  Chicago  and  Pekin,  is  one  of  our  foreign 
born  citizens  who  have  contributed  so  largely  to 
the  development  of  Tazewell  County.  The  shire 
of  which  he  is  a  native  was  at  the  time  of  his  birth 
situated  in  Wales,  but  is  now  a  part  of  England, 
and  he  inherits  the  excellent  traits  characteristic 
of  the  people  living  "near  the  line." 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  James  and  Sarah 
(Green)  Herbert,  were  both  natives  of  Wales, 
where  the  former  was  for  many  years  an,,  employe 
in  the  shops  of  the  Great  Western  Railroad.  He 
is  deceased,  but  his  widow  still  survives,  making 
her  home  in  the  land  of  her  birth.  Eight  children 
blessed  their  union,  of  whom  six  are  now  living. 
Of  these  the  third  in  order  of  birth  is  James,  who 
was  born  in  the  village  of  Pontypool,  Monmouth- 
shire, February  8,  1843.  In  early  childhood  he 
gained  the  rudiments  of  au  education  in  the  vil- 
lage schools,  but  at  an  early  age  was  obliged  to 
assist  in  the  maintenance  of  the  family.  Entering 
the  tin  works,  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
tin  sheets,  but  as  frequently  as  possible  he  pros- 
ecuted his  studies  in  the  neighboring  schools,  al- 
ternating work  at  the  tin  furnace  with  attendance 
in  the  schools.  Through  this  employment  he 
gained  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  manufacture 
of  tin,  which  is  a  most  interesting  process,  a  single 
piece  of  tin  passing  through  about  sixty-five  hands. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen  Mr.  Herbert  left  the  tin 
works  and  engaged  in  railroad  repairing  in  the 
shops  of  Pontypool,  afterward  securing  a  position 
as  machinist,  later  promoted  to  be  fireman,  then  to 
hostler,  and  finally  becoming  engineer.  He  was 
about  twenty  years  old  when  he  ran  his  first  en- 
gine, which  went  from  Pontypool  to  Newport, 
Swansea,  Birkenhead  and  Birmingham.  Believ- 


ing,  however,  that  rapid  as  had  been  his  promotion 
in  the  Old  Country,  the  United  States  offered  ad- 
vantages still  more  desirable,  he  emigrated  to 
America  in  April,  1868,  landing  at  New  York 
City.  Obtaining  a  position  as  engineer  on  Long 
Island,  he  was  for  a  time  thus  employed,  after 
which  he  made  his  home  with  a  sister  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

The  year  1861)  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
Herbert  in  Illinois,  and  for  a  time  he  made  his 
home  on  a  farm  near  Peoria  with  an  uncle  and 
aunt.  Later  he  ran  an  engine  in  a  Houring-mill 
for  a  short  time,  after  which  he  went  to  St.  Louis, 
intending  to  return  to  New  York.  Instead  of  this, 
however,  he  secured  a  position  as  passenger  en- 
gineer on  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad.  Three 
months  later  he  obtained  a  position  on  a  switch 
engine,  before  the  Eads  bridge  was  built,  and 
afterward  became  passenger  engineer  on  the  Ohio 
&  Mississippi  Railroad  between  Vincennes,  Ind., 
.and  St..  Louis,  Mo.,  making  his  home  in  the  former 
place.  For  sixteen  years  he  was  thus  engaged,  and 
at  the  expiration  of  that  time  resigned,  intending 
to  retire  from  the  railroad.  But  sixteen  months 
later,  in  Ma3',  1888,  he  accepted  a  position  on  the 
local  freight  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe 
Railroad,  running  between  Chicago  and  Ft.  Madi- 
son. In  September,  1890,  he  was  transferred  to 
the  branch  road,  and  lived  in  Streator  for  two 
years,  coming  to  Pekin  in  1892. 

In  Chicago,  in  1889,  Mr.  Herbert  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Julia  Bazzard,  who  was  born 
in  England  and  is  a  lady  of  estimable  character 
and  amiable  disposition.  Three  children  have 
blessed  this  union,  Gifford  J.,  Bertha  M.  and  Iver 
L.  While  Mr.  Herbert  has  been  obliged,  by  the 
nature  of  his  occupation,  to  devote  his  energies 
almost  exclusively  toil,  he  has  nevertheless  found 
time  to  keep  himself  posted*upon  topics  of  general 
interest,  and  is  a  well  informed  man.  Social^',  he 
is  connected  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers. 


CLARK.     Among  the  residents  of 
Mason   County  who  have   prosecuted  their 
life  work  successfully   and  are  now  enjoy- 
ing the  fruits  of  their  prudence  and  energy,  sur- 


382 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


rounded  with  comforts,  is  the  gentleman  above 
named,  who  is  well  and  favorably  known  to  many 
of  our  readers.  He  is  now  occupying  a  pleasant 
home  in  Havana,  which  is  the  center  of  social 
and  domestic  joys,  being  presided  over  by  a  most 
estimable  lady. 

Mr.  Clark  is  a  native  of  New  York,  and  was 
born  at  Cooperstown,  Otsego  County,  May  9, 1818. 
His  father,  John  Clark,  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, whence  he  removed  to  the  Empire  State, 
where  he  carried  on  his  business  of  a  boot  and 
shoe  merchant.  He  iu  turn  was  a  son  of  John 
Clark,  Sr.,  whose  ancestors  came  from  England 
and  located  in  Massachusetts  in  an  early  day. 
The  maiden  name  of  our  subject's  mother  was 
Prudence  Merritt.  She  likewise  was  born  in  the 
Bay  State,  and  her  father  was  born  in  France. 

Nathan  Clark,  of  this  sketch,  received  his  early 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  New  York, 
and  when  old  enough  began  his  business  career 
as  a  clerk  in  his  father's  store.  Early  in  life  he 
displayed  a  remarkable  talent  for  music,  and 
while  acting  in  the  capacity  of  clerk  carried  on 
his  musical  studies.  When  only  nineteen  years 
of  age  he  played  the  violin  for  Gen.  Winfield 
Scott  to  dance.  He  was  very  proficient  as  a  per- 
former on  the  violin,  trombone  and  bass  viol,  and 
in  Cooperstown,  N.  Y.,  organized  a  band  and  or- 
chestra, of  which  he  was  the  director  for  many 
years. 

In  1857  our  subject  came  west  to  Indiana, 
where  he  remained  until  the  fall  of  1863,  when 
he  located  in  this  county,  and  here  he  purchased 
a  farm,  upon  which  his  family  resided  until 
July,  1892.  For  the  first  five  years  after  settling 
here  Mr.  Clark  filled  the  position  of  conductor  on 
the  Jacksonville  South-eastern  Railroad,  but  at 
the  end  of  that  time  he  returned  to  the  farm, 
which  he  was  engaged  in  cultivating  until  re- 
moving to  Havana.  He  still  owns  his  estate,  how- 
ever, which  comprises  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  fine  land  in  Quiver  Township. 

In  September,  1845,  Nathan  Clark  and  Miss  El- 
vira, daughter  of  Capt.  Philo  Benedict,  were 
united  in  marriage.  The  lady  was  born  in  Ot- 
scgo  County,  N.  Y.,  while  her  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  Danbury,  Conn.,  and  her  mother,  Mrs. 


Rebecca  (Chase)  Benedict,  was  born  in  New  York,    i 
Mrs.  Clark  received  her  education    in   the  Empire    ' 
State,  where  her  father  was  a  well-to-do  merchant,    i 
The  maternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Clark  was  Jonah 
Chase,  of  New  England. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
nine  children,  all  of  whom  are  living,  viz.:  Les- 
lie B.;  Inez  E.,  the  wife  of  John  Clay,  of  Grand 
Rapids,  Mich.;  Addie  S.,  the  widow  of  E.  W. 
Eads;  Sadie  E.,  engaged  in  teaching  school  in 
Biggs'  Station;  Jerome  B.,  located  at  Delavan, 
this  state;  Elbridge  G.,  residing  in  Hoinewood, 
111.;  Marion  M.,  whose  home  is  in  this  city;  Katie, 
Mrs.  Luther  Hoppins,  of  Nebraska;  and  Nathan, 
a  telegraph  operator. 

Besides  being  a  man  of    much  energy,  tact  and 
business  capacit}',    Mr.  Clark  is   also    an    artist  of 
local   reputation  and   has    painted    man}'  fine  pic-  * 
lures,  which  now    adorn   the   walls   of    his    home. 
He  lives  in  a  neat  and  tastily  furnished  frame  resi-  I 
dence  in   the  city  which  marks  the   presence  of  an 
intelligent  and  cultured  household. 


i  ICIIAEL  ALBRIGHT,  one  of  the  oldest 
\l\  settlers  of  Tazewell  Comity,  now  living 
IA  in  Minier,  was  born  in  Lincoln  Count}', 
Tenn.,  December  19,  1820.  His  father, 
Jacob  Albright,  removed  from  Rowan  County,  N. 
C.,  to  Tennessee,  and  about  1816  married  Esther 
Touchstone,  who  was  born  in  Wilson  County,  that 
state.  Her  parents  were  from  Fowl's  Valley,  Pa. 
Michael's  mother  taught  him  the  alphabet  when 
veiy  small  and  also  taught  him  to  read.  His  par- 
ents took  great  pains  to  send  their  children  to 
school  and  were  much  interested  in  their  progress. 
Our  subject  started  to  school  at  the  age  of  five  and 
had  to  walk  three  miles.  About  1828,  his  father 
came  on  horseback  to  Illinois  in  search  of  a  loca- 
tion, and  in  the  spring  of  1829  sold  his  Tennessee 
farm,  and  in  October  located  in  Tazewell  County. 
Slavery  was  the  immediate  cause  of  the  removal, 
for  Jacob  Albright  did  not  believe  in  holding 
slaves. 

The  Albright  family  was  of  German  descent,  and 
the  Touchstone  family  was  of  English  origin.  Both 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


383 


the  paternal  and  maternal  grandfathers  of  our  sub- 
ject were  Revolutionary  soldiers,  and  Jacob  Al- 
bright was  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  Union  dur- 
ing the  late  war.  He  voted  with  the  Democratic 
party  until  the  time  of  Polk,  and  on  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Republican  party  joined  its  ranks. 
He  was  reared  a  Lutheran,  but  he  and  his  wife 
joined  the  Christian  Church  about  1836,  and  were 
ever  faithful  members.  With  others  of  the  church 
they  organized  the  Union  League  in  1864,  for  the 
purpose  of  sending  clothing,  bandages  and  other 
needed  supplies  to  the  soldiers.  Mrs.  William  A. 
Verry  became  President  of  the  League,  and  many 
of  the  most  prominent  men  and  women  of  the 
county  of  whatever  church  or  creed  became  its 
members,  for  the  common  cause  of  a  common 
danger  made  all  unite  their  efforts.  Again  the 
same  universal  and  charitable  spirit  was  mani- 
fested at  the  time  of  the  Chicago  fire,  when  the 
people  banded  together  to  send  relief  to  the  suf- 
ferers. 

In  the  winter  of  1830  occurred  what  was  known 
as  the  deep  snow,  which  fell  to  a  depth  of  four 
teet,  and  drifted  so  badly  in  some  places  that  it 
was  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  deep.  The  roofs  were 
unshingled  and  snow  would  often  drift  in  between 
the  logs.  The  clapboard  roofs  were  held  in  place 
by  logs  laid  across  them,  and  much  suffering  from 
the  cold  was  experienced  by  the  early  settlers.  The 
home  of  the  Albright  family  was  a  two-roomed  log 
cabin.  When  the  great  snow  came  the  people's 
supply  of  flour  gave  out,  and  some  of  the  men  de- 
termined to  make  their  way  on  horseback  to  mill, 
but  on  account  of  the  great  drifts  had  to  return 
home,  and  many  families  had  to  go  without  bread 
for  weeks.  Wild  game  of  all  kinds  was  unfit  for 
the  table,  for  there  was  nothing  for  it  to  subsist 
upon,  and  many  domestic  animals  also  perished. 
The  settlers  were  clothed  in  cotton  and  woolen 
garments,  which  were  spun  and  woven  by  the 
mothers  and  daughters,  and  dyed  with  indigo  and 
copperas.  Most  of  the  shoes  were  made  at  home, 
and  hats  and  caps  were  made  of  skins.  Wheat  was 
harvested  with  a  sickle,  and  our  subject  often 
worked  for  ten  cents  per  da}'. 

Michael  Albright  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Ann  Malick,  who  was  born  in  Northumber- 


land County,  Pa.,  December  13,  1822,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  George  and  Abigail  (Jackson)  Malick. 
Her  parents  came  to  Tazewell  County  in  1836,  and 
in  1845  removed  to  Kendall  County.  In  1847, 
they  started  across  the  plains  with  ox-teams.  The 
family  consisted  of  father,  mother  and  six  chil- 
dren. On  reaching  the  Platte  River,  Hiram  Malick 
was  drowned.  The  oxen  gave  out  before  reaching 
their  destination  and  had  to  be  abandoned.  After 
man}'  hardships  they  reached  Vancouver,  Wash., 
where  they  made  a  claim.  The  father  died  about 
1854,  and  the  mother  passed  away  about  1865. 
The  father  of  Mrs.  Malick  was  an  East  India  mer- 
chant, and  her  mother  was  of  English  descent.  As 
she  married  contrary  to  their  wishes  she  was  disin- 
herited. It  is  said  that  the  blood  of  the  House  of 
Stuart  flowed  in  her  veins.  The  family  crossed 
the  Atlantic  to  America;  some  of  its  members  be- 
came quite  wealthy,  and  to  the  Revolutionary 
War  it  furnished  many  representatives.  David 
Malick,  who  experienced  the  hardships  of  the  terri- 
ble winter  at  Valley  Forge,  died  in  1834. 

Mrs.  Albright  was  a  faithful  Christian  woman, 
and  was  very  active  in  church  and  charitable  work. 
She  died  May  18,  1888,  in  Armington,  and  after 
the  funeral  services, conducted  by  Elder  George  W. 
Minier,  she  was  laid  to  rest.  In  the  family  were  the 
following  children :  Mrs.  Ann  Hickey,  born  in  May, 
1844;  Homer,  June  27,  1845;  Sarah,  who  was  born 
November  1,  1846,  and  died  October  16,  1847; 
Mrs.  Esther  Abigail  Griffin,  born  April  22,  1848; 
Rachel  Jane,  who  was  born  August  29,  1853,  and 
died  July  23,  1854;  Charles,  born  November  1, 
1849;  George  M.,  October  5,  1854,  and  Florence 
C.,  July  23,  1871.  Homer  enlisted  in  the  late  war 
and  served  for  three  years  in  the  Thirty-eighth 
Illinois  Infantry.  Soon  afterward  he  re-enlisted  in 
the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-second  Illinois  Infan- 
try, and  remained  at  the  front  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  Mr.  Albright  was  a  second  time  married  De- 
cember 24,  1890,  to  Mrs.  Caroline  P.  Thompson, 
a  native  of  Indiana.  She  was  born  in  1840,  and 
is  the  daughter  of  Rev.  John  H.  and  Martha  C. 
.(Avey)Hull,  both  natives  of  Ohio.  The  Rev.J.  II. 
Hull  was  very  prominent  in  church  matters  in 
Indiana,  and  was  one  of  the  pioneer  Methodist 
ministers  of  that  state.  He  still  resides  in  Dan- 


384 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ville,  Ind.,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.    The 
mother  died  in  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  in  1850. 

Mr.  Albright  cast  his  first  vote  for  William 
Henry  Harrison,  supported  Fremont  in  1856,  and 
has  since  been  a  Republican.  Few,  if  any,  have 
longer  resided  in  Tazewell  County  than  he,  and 
none  are  more  familiar  with  the  history  of  its  pio- 
neer experiences.  He  is  respected  alike  by  young 
and  old,  rich  and  poor,  and  with  pleasure  we  pre- 
sent his  sketch  to  our  readers. 


HERGET,  President  of  the  Globe 
Distilling  Company,  President  of  the  Pekin 
Electric  Light  Company,  and  President  of 
the  Pekin  Steam  Coopering  Company,  ranks  among 
the  most  prominent  and  successful  business  men 
of  central  Illinois,  and  has  not  only  sustained  the 
reputation  of  the  family  name,  but  by  his  honor- 
able and  worthy  life  has  added  to  its  lustre.  A 
man  of  superior  intelligence,  sound  principles  and 
noble  character,  he  is  always  an  earnest  advocate 
of  the  cause  of  justice  and  right,  and  has  exerted 
a  beneficial  influence  in  the  community  with  whose 
interests  his  own  have  long  been  identified. 

Born  May  9,  1833,  the  subject  of  this  sketcli  is  a 
native  of  Hergeshausen,  Kreis  Deiburg,  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  Germany.  Concerning  the  family  his- 
tory, mention  is  made  in  the  sketches  of  John  and 
Philip  Hergct,  presented  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
In  his  native  land  he  spent  the  days  of  boyhood, 
and  learned  the  trade  of  a  wagon-maker.  In  1852 
he  took  passage  at  Havre,  France,  on  a  sailing-ves- 
sel bound  for  America,  and  after  landing  in  New 
York,  proceeded  to  Gettysburg,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  trade  of  a  carriage-maker  until  the  fall  of 
1853. 

Coming  west  at  that  time  via  the  Ohio  and  Mis- 
sissippi Rivers,  Mr.  Herget  settled  in  Pekin,  where 
he  became  a  carriage-maker  in  the  T.  &  II.  Smith 
Carriage  Works.  In  1858  he  embarked  in  the  re- 
tail grocery  business,  and  two  years  later  he  was 
joined  by  his  brother  John.  In  1870  lie  built  a 
block  containing  two  stores,  and  there,  since  1871, 
he  has  conducted  an  extensive  business,  being  for 


some  time  in  the  wholesale  grocery  and  liquor 
business,  but  now  devoting  his  attention  wholly 
to  the  latter  line  of  work. 

In  1888  Mr.  Herget  assisted  in  the  organization 
of  the  Pekin  Steam  Coopering  Company,  and  lias 
since  been  its  President.  In  the  fall  of  1892  he 
built  the  Globe  Distillery,  which  was  completed 
and  opened  in  April  of  the  following  year.  This 
concern  is  situated  on  the  Jacksonville  South-east- 
ern Railroad,  and  has  a  capacity  of  five  thousand 
bushels  per  day,  being  the  largest  distillery  in  Pe- 
kin. In  addition  to  these  enterprises,  Mr.  Herget 
is  interested  in  the  Globe  Cattle  Company,  which 
owns  about  thirty-eight  hundred  head  of  cattle. 
In  the  organization  of  the  Electric  Light  Com- 
pany he  was  a  prominent  factor,  and  has  been  its 
only  President. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Herget  occurred  in  Pekin 
in  1861,  his  bride  being  Miss  Caroline  Goehner,  a 
native  of  this  city,  and  a  daughter  of  George 
Goehner,  an  old  settler  and  prominent  farmer  of 
Tazewell  County.  Four  children  blessed  their 
union:  Ilejxi'y  G.;  Mary  L.,  wife  of  George  Elir- 
licher,  a  resident  of  Pekiu;  William  P.  and  Carrie 
A.  The  family  stands  high  in  the  social  circles  of 
Pekin.  and  its  members  are  universally  respected 
for  genuine  worth  and  nobility  of  character. 


^HJiteffi^Er-SBrJgig-SilH 


>IIOMAS  J.  BARTON,  a  leading  agriculturist 
of  Malone  Township,  Tazewell  County,  was 
born  in  Chaiitauqua  County,  N.  Y.,  Febru- 
ary 16,  1836.  He  is  of  Scotch  descent,  his  grand- 
father, Joel  Barton,  having  emigrated  from  Scot- 
land to  America,  settling  in  New  York  in  an  early 
day.  The  father  of  our  subject,  Albert  (J.  Barton, 
was  born  in  Old  Brimfield,  Mass.,  July  8,  1808,  and 
spent  his  boyhood  years  upon  a  farm,  receiving  a 
common-school  education.  He  married  Sylvia 
Jordan,  who  was  born  in  Gcnesee  County,  N.  Y., 
in  1816,  and  died  in  Muscatine  County,  Iowa,  in 
1854.  Her  parents,  Elijah  and  Stella  Jordan,  were 
also  natives  of  Genesee  County,  N.  Y. 

After  their  marriage,  Albert  G.  Barton  and  his 
wife  continued  to  reside  upon  a  farm  in  Massachu- 
setts until  the  fall  of  1852,  when  they  removed 


LIBRARY 
OFTHt 
UNIVERSITY  Of 


GEORGE   E.  Me  HOSE. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


387 


in  covered  wagons  to  Muscatinc  County,  Iowa, 
the  trip  requiring  five  weeks.  Arriving  at  their 
destination,  the  father  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  farming  land  and  engaged  in  its 
cultivation  until  1861,  when  he  retired  from  busi- 
ness. His  closing  years  were  spent  in  Wilton, 
Iowa,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1874. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
consisted  of  twelve  children,  five  of  whom  died  in 
infancy.  Lucinda  married  Thomas  Ilecker,  a  resi- 
dent of  Warren  County,  Pa.,  and  they  have  three 
children.  Martha  first  married  George  Ludlow,  of 
Rhodes,  Iowa,  whom  she  bore  two  children,  Elsie 
and  Ernest.  Her  second  union  was  with  Joseph 
Baxter,  and  they  have  four  children.  Elsie  became 
the  wife  of  J.  Stuart,  and  they  with  their  son  live 
in  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa.  Tillie,  the  wife  of  R.  F. 
Ramsey,  lives  in  Allegheny,  Pa.,  and  has  two  sons. 
William  is  married  and  makes  his  home  in  Iowa. 

Upon  the  home  farm  the  youthful  years  of  T. 
J.  Barton  were  somewhat  uneventfully  passed. 
August  4,  1861,  he  married  Martha  Thornton,  who 
was  born  in  Mercer  County,  Pa.,  July  12,  1844. 
Her  parents,  Otis  and  Olive  Thornton,  were  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  the  father  in  1808,  and  the  mother 
July  12,  1810.  He  was  a  fanner  by  occupation, 
and  died  in  1846.  Ten  years  later  the  widowed 
mother  with  her  daughter  came  to  Illinois  and 
settled  in  Tazewell  County,  where  she  died  in 
1860.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Barton  rented  land 
until  1882,  when  he  purchased  a  farm  of  fifty  acres 
on  section  15,  Malone  Townsjiip,  and  here  he  has 
since  resided. 

Four  children  complete  the  household  circle. 
Ida  R.,  who  was  born  September  4,  1862,  married 
Daniel  Ide,  and  they  live  on  a  farm  adjoining  the 
old  homestead;  they  have  six  children,  Walter, 
William,  Daisy  May,  Charles,  Roy  and  Ora.  Alice 
May,  who  was  born  December  3,  1865,  married 
Nelson  Woodruff,  and  they  with  their  daughter 
Nettie  live  in  Malone  Township.  Georgtana,  born 
July  5,  1870,  married  George  Coriell,  of  Manito 
Township,  Mason  County,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Harry.  Guy  C.  was  born  July  12.  1876,  and 
is  a  promising  youth,  who  now  assists  his  father  on 
the  home  farm. 

A  Democrat  politically,  Mr.  Barton  has  been 
10 


elected  upon  that  ticket  to  a  number  of  responsi- 
ble local  offices,  and  is  now  serving  as  Supervisor. 
Social!}',  he  is  a  member  of  Delavan  Lodge  No. 
156,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Grossman  Chapter  No.  155,  R. 
A.  M.,  the  Green  Valley  Lodge  No.  308,  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  Pekin  Encampment  No.  176,  and  Delavan  Lodge 
No.  319,  K.  P. 


E.  MclIOSE.  "Some  men  are  born 
great,  some  achieve  greatness,  and  some 
have  greatness  thrust  upon  them."  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  those  men  who 
achieve  their  own  success.  Most  of  our  public  men, 
and  men  who  have  legitimately  grown  rich,  are 
intelligent  and  persevering,  of  which  class  Mr.  Mc- 
Hose  is  an  honored  member.  He  is  at  present  oc- 
cupying the  honored  position  of  Mayor  of  Havana, 
and  besides  discharging  the  duties  of  that  respon- 
sible ollice  he  is  cngaered  in  building  excursion 
boats  which  ply  the  Illinois  River. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  January 
17,  1840,  and  is  the  son  of  Abram  and  Catherine 
(Mundinger)  McIIose,  the  former  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  and  the  latter  a  na- 
tive of  Germany.  In  an  early  clay  the  father  of 
our  subject  came  west  to  Detroit,  where  he  estab- 
lished and  operated  the  Michigan  Brewery.  He 
departed  this  life  in  Detroit  in  1854.  His  good 
wife,  who  came  to  America  when  only  eleven  years 
of  age,  and  who  had  been  his  efficient  helpmate 
during  their  entire  wedded  life,  followed  him  to 
the  better  land  three  years  after  his  demise. 

George  E.  McIIose  attended  the  schools  of  De- 
troit until  reaching  his  sixteenth  year,  after  which, 
having  learned  the  trade  of  a  ship  carpenter,  he 
followed  that  business  in  Detroit  until  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  late  war.  In  the  fall  of  1861  he 
went  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  in  the  employ  of  the 
Government,  and  there  built  several  transports. 
Thence  he  went  to  Bridgeport,  Ala.,  and  later  re- 
turned to  Tennessee.  In  Chattanooga  he  took 
charge  of  forty  men  employed  in  the  construction 
of  vessels  for  the  Government,  and  built  for  Gen- 
erals Sherman  and  Burnside  the  following-named 
vessels:  "Stone  River,"  "Kingston,"  "Holston" 
and  ''Chickamauga." 

After   the   close    of   the  war  Mr.  McHose  pur- 


ill  1  IklmtliU 

U/,  MtU 


388 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


chased  ''Holston"  and  "Stone  River,"  and  was 
engaged  in  steam  boating  on  tlie  Mississippi  River, 
carrying  both  freight  and  passengers,  until  1870. 
In  that  year  he  sold  the  vessels  and  came  to  Ha- 
vana, where  he  has  since  made  his  home,  and  fol- 
lowed the  business  of  building  pleasure  and  pas- 
senger boats.  He  constructed  the  Government  fish 
boat  "Lotus,"  which  was  used  by  the  fish  commis- 
sion on  the  Illinois  River,  and  also  built  the  screw 
propeller  "City  of  Peoria."  He  owns  many  excur- 
sion boats  which  p\y  the  waters  of  the  Illinois 
River,  and  for  the  last  quarter  of  a  century  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  all  river  improvements. 

In  1862  Mr.  McIIose  and  Miss  Jennie,  daughter 
of  W.  S.  Dillon,  were  married,  and  to  them  was 
born  a  son,  James.  The  wife  and  mother  departed 
this  life  in  1880,  greatly  mourned  by  all  who  knew 
her.  Our  subject  was  for  several  years  President 
of  the  Illinois  River  Bridge  Company,  and  in 
1887  was  elected  Mayor  of  Havana  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket.  After  serving  a  term  of  two  years 
he  was  again  elected  to  that  office  in  1890,  and  re- 
elected  in  1892. 

Previous  to  this  he  served  as  Alderman  of  the 
Third  Ward  for  two  years,  find  he  has  also  rendered 
eflicient  service  as  School  Director.  Socially,  he 
is  a  member  of  Havana  Lodge  No.  88,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.;  Havana  Chapter  No.  86,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Com- 
mandery  No.  42,  K.  T.  He  is  a  charter  member  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Mutual  Aid,  which  body 
he  served  as  President  for  several  years.  While  in 
Detroit  he  was  a  member  of  Union  No.  7,  of  the 
Fire  Department,  and  after  locating  in  Havana  or- 
ganized the  present  fire  department,  of  which  he  is 
Chief. 


ON.  IRA  B.  HALL,  Vice-President  of  the 
™'  Tazewell  County  National  Bank  of  Dela- 
van,  was  born  in  Exeter,  Washington 
County,  R.  I.,  November  29,  1812.  He  is 
the  eldest  son  of  Preserved  and  Eunice  (Browning) 
Hall,  natives  of  Rhode  Island.  The  ancestry  is 
traced  through  Caleb,  P-reserved  and  John  to 
William  Hall,  who  with  two  brothers  emigrated  to 
America  from  England  about  the  middle  of  the 


sixteenth  century  and  settled  in  Rhode  Island, 
where  William  married  Miss  Alice  Tripp,  January 
26,  1670. 

Preserved  Hall,  father  of  our  subject,  came  to 
Illinois,  and  settled  in  Delavan,  Tazewell  County, 
in  the  fall  of  1844.  He  was  one  of  a  family  of] 
nine  children,  and  remarkable  sjs  it  may  seem,  up 
to  that  time  (1844)  there  had  not  been  a  death  in 
the  family  for  about  sixty-four  years.  He  was  a 
mechanic  by  trade,  though  he  followed  a  variety 
of  callings  during  his  active  life.  For  many  years 
he  was  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  was  a  man  of 
education  and  good  business  judgment  and  com- 
manded the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him.  His 
death  occurred  October  26,  1847,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-eight.  His  wife  passed  away  September  29, 
1849,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven. 

The  common  schools  of  Rhode  Island  combined 
with  good  parental  training  gave  our  subject  an 
excellent  education,  which  in  later"  years  he  en- 
larged by  close  observation  of  men  and  things. 
His  first  business  engagement  was  with  a  publish- 
ing house  in  New  York,  but  he  soon  went  back  to 
his  native  state  and  for  some  years  was  engaged 
in  teaching  school.  Later  he  went  to  Kentucky, 
where  he  also  taught  school.  In  the  fall  of  1839 
he  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Springfield, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  business  that  brought 
him  into  contact  with  many  of  the  leading  men  of 
the  day.  Lincoln  and  Douglas  were  among  his 
warm  friends. 

Coming  to  Delavan  in  1840,  Mr.  Hall  became 
proprietor  of  the  Delavan  House,  which  soon  be- 
came the  headquarters  for  the  most  prominent 
men  of  the  country  as  they  passed  through  the 
city  en  route  from  Springfield  to  Peoria  and 
Chicago.  Mr.  Hall  started  in  life  without  means, 
but  he  possessed  the  elements  of  character  that 
were  of  great  value  to  a  man  in  those  days  as  well 
as  in  these  closing  years  of  the  century.  Such 
was  his  course  in  life  that  he  won  for  himself  the 
confidence  of  all  who  knew  him.  After  leaving 
the  hotel  business  in  1845,  he  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  having  purchased  a  large  tract  of 
land  adjoining  Delavau.  From  this  farm  he  has 
platted  several  additions  to  the  city,  and  in  this 
way  has  accumulated  wealth.  lie  owns  consider- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


389 


able  valuable  property  in  this  city  and  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Tazewell  County  National  Bank,  of 
which  he  is  Vice-President. 

A  Democrat  in  politics,  Mr.  Hall  was  in  former 
years  very  prominent  in  the  party.  In  1870  he 
was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  and  served 
with  marked  ability.  Though  now  in  the  twilight 
of  his  life,  he  still  takes  an  activ.e  interest  in  the 
issues  of  the  age,  and  each  da}'  he  may  be  found 
in  the  private  office  of  the  bank  carefully  perusing 
the  daily  papers  and  taking  as  deep  an  interest  in 
vital  questions  as  he  did  a  half-century  ago.  He 
has  been  twice  married.  His  present  wife,  with 
whom  he  was  united  February  11,  1846,  was 
formerly  Miss  Sarah  A.  Briggs.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Samuel  Briggs,  originally  of  Providence,  R.  I., 
but  later  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Delavan.  One  of 
her  brothers  is  Lieut.  Thomas  B.  Briggs,  U.  S.  A., 
now  retired  from  the  service  and  a  resident  of 
Delavan.  Six  children  have  blessed  this  union. 
On  another  page  of  this  volume  further  mention 
is  made  of  their  two  sons,  O.  C.,  who  is  a  farmer 
and  stockman  and  a  member  of  the  City  Council, 
and  James  N.,  Cashier  of  the  Tazewell  County 
National  Bank. 


ON.  WILLIAM  A.  CALLENDER  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Callender  Bitters  Company  of 
Pekiu,  he  being  the  inventor  and  patentee. 
This  tirm  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
Left  Liver  Bitters,  and  is  doing  a  good  business 
along  that  line.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Lexing- 
ton, Ky.,  October  11,  1818,  and  is  a  grandson  of 
Col.  Philip  Callender,  a  native  of  Scotland,  who 
on  emigrating  to  America,  settled  in  Virginia,  and 
when  the  Revolutionary  War  broke  out,  entered 
the  Colonial  service  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  Col- 
onel. The  father,  Joseph  Callender,  was  born  in 
Culpeper  Court  House,  Va.,  and  from  his  native 
state  removed  to  Kentucky.  He  engaged  in  ship- 
ping produce  down  the  Mississippi  River  to  New 
Orleans,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  that  city 
under  General  Jackson  during  the  War  of  1812. 
Later  he  returned  to  Lexington,  Ky.,  and  engaged 
in  farming,  and  afterward  followed  the  same  pur- 


suit in  New  Castle,  Ky.,  where  he  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-eight  years,  his  death  resulting  from  in- 
juries caused  by  a  tree  falling  upon  him.  lie  mar- 
ried Ruth  Reynolds,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky 
of  German  parentage, and  thirteen  children  graced 
their  union,  eleven  of  whom  are  yet  living. 

AVilliam  A.  Callender  is  the  eldest.  He  was 
reared  in  Henry  County,  in  the  heart  of  the  blue 
grass  region  of  Kentucky,  and  remained  at  home 
until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when,  in  1836,  he  went 
to  Cincinnati,  where  he  served  an  apprenticeship 
to  the  machinist's  trade.  In  1842  he  was  married 
in  Covington,  Ky.,  to  Mary  Wolfe,  a  native  of  that 
place.  Later  he  went  to  Lawrenceburg,  Ind., 
where  he  built  and  operated  a  distillery  for  sev- 
eral years,  after  which  he  built  a  still  house  in 
Ohio.  Later  his  home  was  in  Covington,  Ky.,  but 
in  1858  he  went  to  Hamilton,  Ohio,  where  he  built 
a  distillery  with  a  capacity  of  twelve  hundred 
bushels.  In  this  line  of  business  he  was  very  suc- 
cessful, but  his  partners  robbed  him  of  $500,- 
000.  In  1855  he  located  in  Peoria,  and  in  the 
year  1858  built  the  lirst  distillery  in  Pekin,  the 
Hamburg.  He  also  built  the  Star  Distillery,  and 
erected  another  in  Wesley  City,  which  he  carried 
on  for  five  years.  From  that  time  until  1872  he 
wag  engaged  in  the  milling  business.  He  then  sold 
out  and  returned  to  Peoria,  where  he  invented 
and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  the  Callender 
Liver  Bitters,  carrying  on  business  at  that  place 
until  the  1st  of  August,  1892,  when  he  came  to 
Pekin.  He  does  all  the  compounding  himself,  and 
manufactures  the  only  bitters  that  are  warranted 
to  cure  all  diseases  of  the  liver,  stomach  and 
blood.  The  firm  is  now  William  A.  Callender  &  Co. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Callender  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren, but  only  three  are  now  living:  John  W., 
who  is  now  foreman  of  the  A.  Lair  &  Woodward 
Compounding  Company,  of  Peoria;  Lillie,  wife  of 
A.  Chandler,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.;  and  William  H.,  a 
railroad  employe  now  living  in  Monticello,  111. 
The  mother  of  this  family  died  in  Peoria  in  1876. 

Mr.  Callender  has  been  honored  with  a  number 
of  offices.  While  in  Kentucky  he  served  in  the 
State  Legislature  for  two  years,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1848,  which 
framed  the  present  constitution  of  Kentucky. 


390 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


While  in  Peoria  he  served  as  Alderman  for  ten 
years.  He  has  always  been  a  supporter  of  the 
Democracy,  since  1844  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Odd  Fellows'  society,  since  1850  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  since  1868 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church. 


NATHAN  B.  HODGSON,  who  is  exten- 
sively  engaged  in  fanning  and  stock-raising 
on  section  26,  Elm  Grove  Township,  Taze- 
well  County,  was  born  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  this  township,  August  20,  1851.  He  is 
descended  from  one  of  the  early  American  fami- 
lies. The  great-grandfather,  John  Hodgson,  was 
born  in  this  country  in  1731,  and  was  a  son  of 
George  Hodgson,  who  was  born  about  1701,  in 
Ireland,  of  English  parentage.  In  his  youth  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America,  becoming  the 
founder  of  the  family  in  this  land.  Amos  Hodg- 
son, grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  from  that  stale  emigrated  to  Illinois  in 
an  early  day.  lie  wedded  Mary  Barnett. 

Daniel  Hodgson,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  the  Buckeye  State,  and  during  his  boyhood 
came  with  the  family  to  Illinois  in  the  autumn  of 
1830.  lie  spent  his  life  here  as  an  agriculturist, 
subduing  the  virgin  soil  and  developing  a  line 
farm.  He  was  a  famous  hunter  of  his  day  and 
brought  down  large  quantities  of  game.  His  sons 
have  inherited  his  tastes  in  that  direction  and  are 
among  the  most  noted  marksmen  in  this  part  of 
the  state.  Mr.  Hodgson  died  in  Tazewell  County 
at  an  advanced  age.  His  wife,  who  was  former- 
ly Mary  Ann  Largent,  is  now  living  with  her  son, 
Isaac  L.,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  She  was  born 
in  Virginia,  and  was  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Elizabeth  (Frazier)  Largent,  both  of  whom  were 
Virginians  by  birth,  and  at  an  early  day  came  to 
the  north,  settling  near  Pekin,  111.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hodgson  were  born  seven  children,  who  are 
yet  living,  Isaac  L.,  who  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead; Almina,  wife  of  W.  S.  Manker,  of  Elm 
Grove  Township;  Elmira,  wife  of  N.  Bennett,  of 
the  same  township;  Nancy,  wife  of  John  Hill,  of 
Elm  Grove  Township;  D.  Louis,  who  is  living  on 


a  part  of  the  home  farm;  and  Amy,  wife  of  Ed 
Miars,  of  McLean  County,  111. 

Jonathan  B.  Hodgson  has  spent  his  entire  life  in 
Elm  Grove  Township,  where  he  was  reaped  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  aiding  in  the  labors 
of  the  field  during  the  summer,  and  attending  the 
public  schools  of  the  neighborhood  through  the 
winter  season.  On  attaining  his  majority  he 
started  out  in  life  for  himself  and  has  since  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits.  As  a  companion 
and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose  Martha 
Matilda,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Prunty.  She  was 
one  of  four  children,  the  others  being  Clara,  wife 
William  Cooper,  of  Colorado;  Anna,  wife  of 
Charles  Bennett,  of  EJm  Grove  Township;  and 
Lewis,  of  Colorado.  The  wedding  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hodgson  was  celebrated  November  6,  1873, 
and  their  union  has  been  blessed  with  five  children: 
Martha  V.,  Daniel  Burr,  Flora  May,  Sarah  A.  and 
Leonard  Boone. 

In  1873  Mr.  Hodgson  bought  his  first  farm,  a 
tract  near  Tremont,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
December,  1882.  He  then  removed  to  his  present 
farm,  which  is  pleasantly  located  about  three 
miles  southwest  of  Tremont.  It  comprises  two 
hundred  and  twelve  acres  of  fine  land,  and  in  con- 
nection with  its  cultivation  he  is  successfully  en- 
gaged in  stock-raising,  making  a  specialty  of  hogs. 
He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  progressive  and  pros- 
perous farmers  of  the  community.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Democrat.  He  is  interested  in  educational 
matters  and  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  School 
Trustees.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen. 


ETER  BROONER.  A  lifetime  of  earnest 
endeavor  in  pursuing  his  chosen  calling, 
^  coupled  with  strict  integrity,  honesty  of 
purpose  and  liberality,  has  tended  to  place 
Mr.  Brooner  among  the  highly  honored  and  suc- 
cessful agriculturists  of  Salt  Creek  Township,  Ma- 
son  County,  where  he  is  now  living  retired  on 
his  fine  estate,  comprising  three  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres  on  sections  14,  22  and  23.  He  is 


RESIDENCE  OF  J.  B.  HODGSON,  SEC.  26,  ELM  GROVE  TP.,  TAZEWELL  CO.,  ILL. 


RESIDENCE  OF  PETER  BROONER,  SEC.  22,  SALT  CREEK  TP.,  MASON  CO.,  ILL. 


LIBRARY 

OF  IHl 

UNIVfcKSIlT  i»  MUNUiS 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


393 


a  native  of  this  county,  having  been   born  in   the 
above  township,  April  7,  1838. 

Ephraim  Brooner,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Warrick  County,  Ind.,  and  came  to  Menard 
County,  this  state,  in  1829,  at  which  time  he  loca- 
ted near  Old  Salem.  After  a  short  residence  there 
he  came  to  Mason  County,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred at  the  age  of  thirty-three  years.  His  wife, 
who  prior  to  her  marriage  was  Miss  Mary  Green- 
way,  was  born  in  1811  in  Kentucky,  but  was 
reared  to  womanhood  in  the  Hoosier  State.  After 
the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Brooner  married 
Reason  Virgin  and  died  when  sixty-seven  years 
of  age. 

Peter,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  youngest  son  in  his 
parents'  family  of  eight  children,  three  of  whom 
grew  to  mature  years  and  are  sttll  living.  He  was 
thrte  years  of  age  when  his  father  died,  and  he 
remained  with  his  mother  until  attaining  .his 
eighteenth  year,  when  he  began  life  for  himself,  by,, 
working  out  on  farms  by  the  month.  He  was  thus 
employed  for  a  period  of  thirteen  years,  when,  in 
1864,  he  began  the  cultivation  of  a  farm  of  his 
own. 

The  lady  who  became  the  wife  of  our  subject, 
September  8,  1873,  was  Miss  Mary  E.,  daughter  of 
David  Swing.  She  was  born  in  Clermont  Count3-, 
Ohio,  December  23,  1847,  which  was  also  the 
birthplace  of  her  father.  The  latter  was  a  car- 
riage-maker by  trade,  at  which  he  worked  in  Cin- 
cinnati for  fourteen  years.  Later  he  purchased  a 
farm  in  Clermont  County  which  he  cultivated 
until  removing  here  in  1868.  His  wife,  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  Brooner  was,  prior  to  her  marriage, 
Miss  Lucy  Greenway,  who  was  born  in  the  Blue 
Grass  State  in  1819.  Her  parents  removed  to 
Indiana  when  she  was  a  babe  of  twelve  months, 
and  there  she  acquired  her  education  and  lived 
until  1837,  when  she  came  to  this  county.  After  a 
residence  here  of  five  years  she  returned  to  Ohio, 
and  made  her  home  in  that  state  until  1868,  when 
we  again  find  her  in  this  county.  She  is  still 
living,  and  resides  in  Mason  City. 

Mrs.  Brooner  is  the  oldest  of  seven  children  in- 
cluded in  the  parental  family,  and  is  a  twin  of 
Joseph,  who  is  now  deceased.  Soon  after  his 
marriage  our  subject  located  on  his  present  fine 


estate,  and  being  an  industrious  man  his  diligence 
and  perseverance  soon  transformed  the  raw  prairie 
into  rich  and  fertile  fields.  By  his  union  with 
Miss  Swing  he  has  become  the  father  of  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Marietta  and  three  who  were  un- 
named are  deceased.  Those  living  are  Hattie  T. 
and  Dora  E. 

As  stated  in  our  opening  paragraph  Mr.  Brooner 
is  the  proud  possessor  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty-five  broad  acres  which  he  has  placed  under 
the  best  methods  of  improvement.  He  now  rents 
his  property,  and  from  the  income  thus  received  is 
enabled  to  take  life  easy.  He  is  actively  inter- 
ested in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  of 
his  town  and  county,  and  is  a  prominent  worker  in 
the  ranks  of  the  Democratic  party.  His  life  has 
been  an  honorable  and  upright  one,  and  his  ster- 
ling worth  and  many  excellencies  of  character 
have  gained  him  the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom 
he  Ijas  been  brought  in  contact. 


DAM  GUMBEL.  An  honorable  position 
among  the  agriculturists  of  Forest  City 
(I  Township,  Mason  County,  is  held  by  the 
gentleman  above,  named,  who  is  the  pos- 
sessor of  two  hundred  acres  of  land  located  on 
section  24.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles  Gumbel,  who 
was  born  in  Hesse-Cassel,  Germany,  in  1812,  and 
there  followed  the  combined  occupations  of  black- 
smith and  farmer.  He  was  married  in  the  Father- 
land to  Miss  Sabina  Ritter,  also  a  native  of  the 
above  place,  who  died  in  the  Old  Country. 

Mrs.  Sabina  Gumbel  became  the  mother  of  eight 
children,  of  whom  Ernest  makes  his  home  in  War- 
saw, this  state;  Elizabeth  married  the  Rev.  George 
Himniel  and  lives  in  Forest  City  Township;  John 
makes  his  home  in  Manito  Township;  and  Adam, 
of  this  sketch,  is  the  youngest  of  the  family.  After 
the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Charles  Gumbel  was 
married  to  Catherine  Deisher,  also  a  native  of  the 
above  province  in  Germany.  Their  union  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  four  children,  all  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased. They  came  to  America  in  1850  and  lo- 
cated on  a  farm,  where  our  subject  is  at  present 


394 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


making  his  home.  There  the  father  built  a  log 
house,  in  which  the  family  lived  until  1863,  when 
he  erected  a  commodious  frame  structure,  which 
his  son  is  now  occupying.  His  first  purchase  of 
land  in  the  New  World  included  forty  acres, 
which  was  the  largest  amount  he  could  pay  for,  as 
there  had  been  much  sickness  in  his  family.  He 
left  at  his  death,  in  1884,  however,  an  estate  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  finely  improved 
land.  Religiously,  ho  was  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church,  in  which  lie  was  Class-leader,  and 
in  politics  he  was  a  stancli  Republican. 

Adam  Gumbel,  of  this  sketch,  was  born  No- 
vember 7,  1840,  in  Ilesse-Cassel,  Germany,  and 
was  a  lad  of  nine  years  when  he  accompanied  his 
father  on  his  emigration  to  the  United  States.  As 
there  were  no  schools  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
new  home,  his  education  was  ver}'  much  neglected, 
and  many  years  of  his  life  after  he  was  old  enough 
to  do  so  were  spent  in  working  on  his  father's  farm. 

When  attaining  his  twenty-sixth  year,  our  sub- 
ject assumed  the  management  of  the  home  farm, 
and  that  same  year  was  married  to  Miss  Chris- 
tina Stem,  a  native  of  Saxony  and  the  daughter 
of  Conrad  Stein.  Her  death  occurred  in  1875, 
and  the  following  year  Mr.  Gumbel  was  married 
to  Miss  Matilda,  daughter  of  Garrett  Bruning,  an 
old  settler  in  this  county,  who  came  from  Ger- 
many and  is  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Gumbel  was 
born  May  22,  1851,  and  has  become  the  mother  of 
six  children:  Oscar  Adolph,  Krnest  Frank,  George 
Henry,  Myra  Margaret,  Carl  Clarence  and  Reuben 
Adam. 

Our  subject  is  the  proprietor  of  two  hundred 
acres  of  land,  the  greater  portion  of  which  is  the 
old  homestead.  The  house  which  lie  occupies  was 
erected  by  his  father  many  years  ago,  but  he  has 
lately  remodeled  it.  built  a  fine  barn,  set  out  an 
orchard  and  placed  those  improvements  upon  the 
farm  which  indicates  him  to  be  a  man  of  push  and 
enterprise.  He  gives  his  attention  exclusively  to 
the  cultivation  of  land,  and  besides  raising  wheat, 
corn  and  oats  breeds  fine  grades  of  stock. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gumbel  are  members  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church  at  /ion,  in  which  the  former  has 
served  as  Trustee.  He  has  been  a  School  Director 
of  District  No.  1  for  ten  years,  and  has  given  his 


children  good  educations  in  both  the  German  and 
English  languages.  Politically,  he  is  a  true  Re- 
publican, and  has  been  Road  Commissioner  for 
three  years.  William  Gumbel,  a  brother  of  our 
subject,  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War  as  a 
member  of  Company  K,  Eighty-fifth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, of  which  he  was  Sergeant.  He  died  in 
1890,  leaving  a  wife. 


ILLIAM  IT.  HARRIS,  the  able  and  popular 
Postmaster  at  Tremont,  was  born   in  this 
town    December  24,  1844,  and  is  the  only 
child   of   John    IT.  and   Sarah  (Fairbanks)  Harris. 
His  father  was  born  in  Westchester  County,  N.  Y., 
in  1792,  and   when   quite  a  young  man   went  to 
New  York  City,  where  he  worked  as  a  journeyman, 
learning  the   hatter's    trade.     Soon  afterward   he 
embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account  as  a  hat 
manufacturer  and  built  up  a  very  extensive  trade, 
continuing  in  business  in  that  city  until  1835.    He 
received    orders   from   all   over    the  county,  and 
operated   two    factories,  one  in  the   city  and  the 
other  at  Sing  Sing.     He  also  had  a  branch  store  in 
Charleston,  S.  C.,   and  during  the    War  of   1812 
was  twice  taken  prisoner  by  the  British  on  his  way 
to  and  from  that  place, but  both  times  was  parolled. 
During  his  first  year's  residence  in  New  York, 
Mr.    Harris   was    made    a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity.     He  was  also  married  during  that  year. 
In  1835  he  determined  to  seek  a  home  in  the  west, 
and  in   company  with  Josiah  James  and  William 
Sampson,   was  appointed  a  committee  to  arrange 
for    the    purchase   of    lands  for  a  colony  of  New 
York    people  who    desired  to  locate  in  the  west. 
The  committee  made  a  settlement  at  Tremont  ind 
entered  land  in  this  vicinit3'.     Mr.  Harris  acted  as 
Treasurer  of  the  colony  until  the  land  was  all  sold. 
In  1836  he  closed  out  his  business  interests  in  New 
York  and  brought  his  family  to  his  Illinois  home. 
He    was    twice    married.      He    wedded    Catherine 
Montross,  a    native   of    New    York,  who  died  in 
1840,   leaving  three  children,  Elizabeth,  now  the 
widow  of  Dr.  S.  R.  Saltonstall,  of  Tremont;  Dr.  J. 
M.,  of  New  York  City,  and  J.  II.,  of  San  Francisco. 
In    1843   Mr.    Harris  wedded  Sarah  Fairbanks, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


395 


who  was  born  in  Weare,  N.  H.,  October  29,  1800, 
and  w[io  was  a  lady  of  noble  character,  the  influ- 
ence of  her  beautiful  life  being  fresh  in  the  hearts 
of  her  descendants  to-day.  Mr.  Harris  was  a  large 
land  owner,  having  over  one  thousand  acres  in  one 
body.  He  took  a  very  prominent  part  in  the  de- 
velopment and  upbuilding  of  this  section,  and  at 
one  time  gave  twenty  acres  of  land  and  $2,000  in 
cash  for  the  permanent  location  for  the  county 
seat  in  Tremont.  He  was  also  a  very  prominent 
and  influential  member  in  the  Baptist  Church,  and 
his  influence  was  ever  found  on  the  side  of  right. 
In  early  days  he  was  a  Whig  in  politics,  but  after- 
ward became  a  Republican.  His  death  occurred  in 
1882,  at  the  age  of  ninety,  and  his  wife  passed 
away  in  1880. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Ezekiel  Harris, 
was  a  native  of  Wales,  and  his  father  was  a  school 
teacher  of  Dublin.  In  early  life  the  former  crossed 
the  Atlantic  and  located  in  Westchester  County, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  reared  a  family  of  twelve  children. 
He  died  at  an  advanced  age,  and  his  wife  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  one  hundred. 

William  Harris,  whose  name  heads  this  record, 
has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Tazewell  County,  where 
he  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  usual  manner 
of  farmer  lads.  For  many  years  he  was  engaged 
in  the  nursery  and  fruit  business  and  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  meeting  with  success  in  his  under- 
takings. In  1869  lie  married  Frances,  daughter  of 
Felix  and  Harriet  Fenner,  early  settlers  of  Taze- 
well County.  His  father  was  a  Pennsylvanian  by 
birth,  and  her  mother  was  a  native  of  Chemung 
County,  N.  Y.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris  have  been 
born  seven  children,  Charles,  a  carpenter  of  Peoria; 
Frank,  at  home;  Thomas,  of  Clinton  County,  Pa.; 
Lee,  the  local  editor  of  the  Pekin  Times,  of  Pekin, 
111.;  A.  W.;  Mamie,  who  died  aged  ten  years,  and 
Walter,  who  died  at  the  age  of  one  year. 

Mr.  Harris  manifested  his  loyalty  to  the  Govern- 
ment during  the  late  war  by  enlisting  in  Company  . 
H,  Seventieth  Illinois  Infantry,  in  1862.  Forsome 
time  he  was  confined  in  a  hospital,  and  was  dis- 
charged at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlist- 
ment. Socially,  lie  is  a  member  of  Tremont  Lodge 
No.  462,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  with  which  he  has  been 
connected  for  twenty-seven  years.  In  politics  he 


has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and  is  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  party's  principles.  He  served  for  four 
years  as  Township  Collector,  was  Assessor  two 
years,  for  several  years  was  a  member  of  the  Town 
Board  of  Trustees,  and  in  March,  1893,  was  ap- 
pointed Postmaster  at  Tremont  by  President  Cleve- 
land, which  position  he  now  fills  in  a  creditable 
and  acceptable  manner. 


ENRY  F.  SMITH,  Secretary  of  the  Pekin 
Milling  Company,  is  one  of  the  native 
sons  of  this  city.  lie  was  born  February 
18,  1866,  and  is  a  son  of  Hon.  Teis  Smith, 
who  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  progressive 
citizens  of  Tazewell  County.  Here  he  was  reared  to 
manhood.  His  fathei  was  born  in  Hamswerum,  Ost- 
friesland,  March  21,  1827,  and  was  the  eldest  child 
of  Conrad  and  Margaret  (  Vandervclde)  Smith,  who 
were  also  natives  of  Germany  and  belonged  to  old 
families  of  that  country.  He  acquired  a  good 
education,  and  in  the  spring  of  1848  crossed  the 
briny  deep  to  New  Orleans,  whence  he  went  to 
St.  Ixniis,  where  for  nearly  a  year  he  worked  at 
his  trade  of  wagon-making.  His  parents,  brothers 
and  sisters  arrived  in  that  city  in  1849,  and  soon 
after  that  removed  to  Peoria,  111.  In  August  they 
came  to  Pekin, and  Teis  and  Henry  Smith  worked  at 
wagon-making  for  a  time,  after  which,  in  connec- 
tion with  their  brother  Frederick,  they  bought  a 
small  shop  and  established  the  firm  that  existed 
until  1870.  It  is  now  theT.  &  II.  Smith  Company, 
wagon  manufacturers,  and  they  also  incorporated 
the  Pekin  Plow  Company.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject was  also  the  founder  of  the  Teis  Smith  &  Co.'s 
Bank,  and  the  Smith,  Hippen  &  Co.,  grain  mer- 
chants. 

In  the  spring  of  1852  the  father  of  our  subject 
married  Elizabeth  Neef, a  native  of  Germany,  and 
to  them  were  born  six  children,  but  only  one  is 
now  living,  Mrs.  Maggie  C.  Neef,  of  Pekin.  The 
mother  died  in  1862  and  Mr.  Smith  afterward 
married  Miss  Sieverdena  Neef,  a  cousin  of  his 
former  wife.  They  had  three  children,  two  yet 


396 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


living:    Henry  F.,  Secretary  of   the  Pekin  Milling 
Company,  and  Theresa,  wife  of  .1.  W.  Ilarmel. 

Mr.  Smith  died  September  12,  1870,  but  his  wife 
is  still  living  in  this  city.  From  the  organization 
of  the  party  lie  was  a  stanch  Republican,  and  was  a 
devout  member  and  liberal  supporter  of  the  Ger- 
man Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  took  an 
active  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community,  and  his  life  was  one  of 
usefulness.  His  aims  were  high,  noble  and  patri- 
otic, and  his  business  dealings  were  always  straight- 
forward and  honorable.  From  a  small  beginning 
he  steadily  worked  his  way  upward  until  he  be- 
came connected  with  some  of  the  leading  indus- 
tries of  this  city.  He  was  connected  with  several 
banking  houses  outside  of  Pekin,  was  a  director 
of  several  railway  companies,  was  a  Trustee  and 
prominent  member  of  the  Pekin  Agricultural  and 
Mechanical  Society,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Pe- 
kin Railway  Construction  Company.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  State  Board  of  Equalization. jMMJl! 
the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  City  Council.  This  is  a  summary  of  the  pri- 
vate and  public  interests  which  engrossed  his  time 
and  attention  and  made  him  one  of  the  leading 
and  influential  citizens  in  this  section  of  the  state. 

Henry  F.  Smith  attended  the  Weslcyan  Univer- 
sity for  two  years  in  Warren  town,  Mo.,  and  was 
graduated  from  the  commercial  department  of  the 
Wesleyan  University  of  Bloomington.  He  was  then 
in  the  employ  of  Schipper  &  Block  for  one  year, 
when  he  became  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Ger- 
man-American National  Bank,  in  which  he  served 
as  teller  for  three  years,  or  until  the  fall  of  1890. 
He  then  bought  out  the  senior  partner  in  the 
foundry  business  of  Voth  <fe  Duisdieker  and  con- 
tinued in  partnership  with  the  latter  gentleman 
under  the  name  of  Duisdieker  &  Smith  until  July, 
1892,  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  various  kinds 
of  machinery.  In  the  beginning  of  that  year  he 
became  interested  in  the  milling  business,  and  in 
July  of  that  year  sold  his  other  business  to  his 
partner  in  order  to  devote  his  entire  time  and  at- 
tention to  milling. 

Mr.  Smith  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Pe- 
kin Milling  Company,  which  was  incorporated  in 
1892  with  J.  W.  Harmel  as  President  and  Treas- 


urer; Henry  Block,  Vice-President, and  I-I.  F.  Smith, 
Secretary.  They  enlarged  the  mill,  built  tl^e  ware- 
houses and  increased  the  capacity  to  one  hundred 
and  seventj'-five  barrels  of  flour  per  day.  The 
mill  is  supplied  with  a  full  roller  system,  is  run  by 
a  steam  engine  of  eighty  horse  power,  and  the 
wheat  used  is  shipped  from  Kansas  and  Missouri. 
Their  principal  grades  of  flour  are  "Crystal," 
"Golden  Medal"  and  "Beats  'em  All." 

On  the  27th  of  October,  1887,  in  Pekin,  was  cel- 
ebrated the  marriage  of  Mr.  Smith  and  Miss  Lena 
Steinmetz.  The3r  have  three  children,  Mary  L., 
Loraine  II.  and  Teis  P.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  Republican,  and  socially  is  connected 
with  the  National  Union,  with  Empire  Lodge  No. 
126,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Pekin  Chapter  No.  25,  R.  A.  M.; 
and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Woodmen's  soci- 
ety. In  connection  with  his  other  interests  he 
owns  and  carries  on  a  stock  farm  comprising  two 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  Mason  County,  four 
mtles'fedirtirbf  Manito.  Excellent  business  abil- 
ity, sagacity  and  enterprise  are  numbered  among 
his  chief  characteristics  and  will  no  doubt  win  for 
him  the  success  which  attended  his  father's  efforts. 


OHN  W.  NOLTE,  proprietor  of  the  Pekin 
Steam  Laundry,  is  a  widely  known  and 
prominent  young  business  man,  who  was 
born  in  this  city,  March  19,  1867.  He  is  the 
son  of  Justice  C.  Nolle,  a  native  of  German}^  who 
when  sixteen  years  of  age  came  to  America  and 
located  in  St.  Louis  with  his  parents,  where  they 
died  soon  after  of  cholera.  Their  son  was  em- 
ployed in  teaming  in  the  Mound  City  until  com- 
ing to  Delavan,  this  county,  when  he  located  on  a 
farm  on  the  prairie  and  was  engaged  in  its  culti- 
vation until  coming  to  Pekin  some  years  later. 
While  living  in  the  city  he  was  engaged  in  team- 
ing on  quite  an  extensive  scale,  but  is  living  at  the 
present  time  on  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  within  the 
corporate  limits  of  the  city.  His  wife,  before  her 
marriage  known  as  Miss  Rosanna  Davis,  was  born 
in  New  York  City,  and  was  married  to  Mr.  Nolle 
;n  Pekin. 

Of  the  four  sons  and   one  daughter  comprised 
in  the  parenlal  family,  our  subject   is   the   eldesl 


UBRAOT 
Of  !Ht 

OF  ILLINOIS 


DANIEL  BROWN. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


399 


hut  one.  He  was  reared  in  this  city,  attended  the 
common  schools  until  reaching  his  thirteenth  year, 
when  he  found  employment  with  the  Pekin  Plow 
Works,  and  for  four  years  was  in  the  finishing 
room.  Later  he  was  engaged  as  clerk  for  A.  Fuld, 
a  general  clothing  merchant  in  the  city,  and  re- 
mained with  him  for  about  a  twelvemonth.  Then 
in  1887  he  went  to  work  for  the  Pekin  Steam 
Laundry  Company,  with  whom  he  continued  as 
manager  for  two  years,  and  at  the  end  of  that 
time  went  to  Lincoln,  this  state,  where  he  estab- 
lished a  steam  laundry,  which  he  operated  with 
groat  success  until  March,  1892. 

Returning  to  this  city  in  the  above  year,  Mr. 
Nolle  bought  out  the  Pekin  Steam  Laundry,  and 
in  April  of  the  following  year  he  built  his  present 
brick  building,  which  is  30x95  feet  in  dimensions 
and  is  located  at  No.  360  Elizabeth  Street,  oppo- 
site the  court  house.  He  is  a  practical,  energetic 
and  persevering  young  business  man  and  has  met 
with  more  than  ordinary  success  in  his  under- 
taking. He  uses  modern  methods  in  his  laundry, 
which  contains  the  latest  improved  machinery, 
thus  enabling  its  proprietor  to  turn  out  first-class 
work.  lie  gives  employment  to  six  people,  and  is 
proving  himself  worthy  in  every  respect  to  be 
placed  among  the  prominent  business  men  repre- 
sented in  this  volume. 


DANIEL  BROWN,  for  many  years  one  of 
the  most  influential  agriculturists  of  Taze- 
well  County,  was  born  in  Dillon  Town- 
ship, November  1,  1829,  and  here  met  his 
death  April  11,  1884.  So  prominent  was  he  in 
this  section  that  his  name  is  still,  after  a  lapse  of 
ten  years,  mentioned  as  the  synonym  for  all  that  is 
manly,  honest  and  true.  lie  was  a  member  of  a 
leading  pioneer  fainily  of  the  county  that  settled 
on  the  banks  of  the  Mackinaw  in  1828. 

Before  William  Penn  obtained  a  grant  to  Penn- 
sylvania, James  Brown  resided  in  Marcus  Hook, 
that  .state,  and  it  is  supposed  that  he  emigrated  to 
America  as  early  as  1680,  as  after  coming  to  this 
country  he  married  a  daughter  of  William  Clay- 
ton, who  brought  his  family  hither  in  1677.  He 
was  a  weaver  by  trade,  and  like  most  of  the  trades- 


men of  Colonial  times  he  engaged  in  farming.  Ob- 
taining a  patent  in  1683  to  one  hundred  and  fif- 
teen acres  on  Chichester  Creek,  he  gave  to  the 
property  the  name  Poddington,  and  on  the  21st 
of  June,  1705,  transferred  the  place  to  his  son 
William.  He  also  had  in  his  possession  several 
other  tracts  of  land  which  he  sold  prior  to  his 
removal  to  Nottingham.  One  of  his  brothers, 
William,  from  whom  our  subject  is  descended, 
came  to  this  country  from  England  in  the  seven- 
teenth century  and  settled  in  Lancaster  County, 
Pa.  Three  brothers,  William  being  one  of  the 
number,  founded  the  Society  of  Friends  in  Amer- 
ica, and  from  that  time  to  the  present  the  descend- 
ants of  the  "Browns  of  Nottingham"  have  ad- 
hered to  the  faith  of  their  forefathers. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  William  Brown,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  March  13,  1805.  At  the 
East-land  meeting  house,  he  married  Miss  Rachael 
Milner,  the  ceremony  being  performed  in  the  rites 
of  the  Quaker  Church.  In  1828  they  left  the  Key- 
stone State,  accompanied  by  their  seven  children, 
a  brother  of  Mrs.  Brown,  Daniel  Milner  by  name, 
together  with  her  mother,  Mary  Milner,  and  two 
manumitted  slaves.  They  commenced  their  west- 
ward journey  on  the  28th  of  August,  and  stopped 
for  ten  days  at  Richmond,  Ind.,  where  the  father 
visited  his  uncle,  Samuel  Brown,  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  and  a  hero  of  the  Revolutionaiy  War. 
Leaving  Richmond,  the  emigrants  traveled  through 
forests  so  dense  as  to  obscure  the  light  of  day.  On 
the  20th  of  October.  1828,  they  arrived  at  the  home 
of  John  Wilson, a  brother-in-law  of  the  father,  hav- 
ing made  the  entire  journey  in  a  covered  wagon. 

The  house  occupied  by  the  Wilson  family  was  a 
typical  pioneer  structure,  and  was  a  log  cabin  18x 
18.  Across  one  side  of  the  building,  about  six 
feet  from  the  floor,  was  a  shelf  which  was  reached 
by  a  ladder  and  constituted  the  only  sleeping 
apartment  the  house  afforded.  This  was  the  bed- 
room of  the  women  and  children,  while  the  men 
slept  in  the  wagons.  About  New  Year's,  William 
Brown  purchased  from  Enoch  T.  Orendorff,  a  claim 
on  which  was  a  log  cabin  20x18,  and  another  near- 
by 12x14  feet,  the  latter  being  used  for  the  loom. 

The  surroundings  were  primitive,  the  land  un- 
improved, settlers  few  and  wild  animals  plentiful. 


400 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


p]very  spring  and  fall  the  Kickapoo  and  Delaware 
I  ndians,  in  passing  to  and  from  Peoria  (then  called 
Ft.  Clark),  camped  on  Cedar  Bluff,  four  miles  north- 
west of  Delavan,  where  they  sought  game  in  the 
timber  that  skirts  the  Mackinaw  River.  Often  the 
squaws  were  to  be  seen  and  always  with  their  ba- 
bies fastened  to  their  backs  with  a  strap,  and 
while  the  men  of  the  tribe  brought  in  game  from 
their  hunting  expeditions,  they  performed  the 
manual  labor  and  procured  the  other  provisions, 
consisting  chiefly  of  corn-meal,  which  they  begged 
from  the  settlers.  When  moving  they  carried  the 
tents  and  other  camping  outfit,  the  men  carrying 
the  hunting  material  only. 

The  original  claim  consisted  of  fifteen  acres  un- 
der cultivation,  but  afterward  other  property  was 
purchased  and  the  farm  enlarged  to  sixty  acres.  A 
house  was  built  for  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1829  father  and  sons  began  to  work  at 
the  trade  of  a  blacksmith.  In  March  the  father 
went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  purchased  some  Ten- 
nessee iron  and  English  steel,  and  this  was  con- 
veyed to  Pekin  in  a  flat  boat.  The  up-rooted 
trees  washed  out  by  floods  obstructed  the  channels 
of  the  western  rivers,  and  had  to  be  removed  be- 
fore a  steamboat  could  effect  a  passage.  During 
the  administration  of  J.  Q.  Adams,  who  was  elec- 
ted to  the  Presidency  in  1824.  snag  boats  were 
built  for  the  purpose  of  removing  the  snags  from 
the  rivers  in  the  west,  and  as  an  immediate  result 
great  prosperity  followed.  Glass  for  window  panes 
was  introduced  into  the  county  in  1829,  when 
Aaron  and  Enoch  T.  Orendorff  each  built  a  brick 
residence  and  used  glass  for  the  windows.  During 
the  following  year  Mr.  Brown  bought  some  glass 
and  put  several  window  panes  in  his  house. 

In  hunting,  the  pioneers  of  Tazewell  County 
took  great  pleasure,  and  thereby  furnished  the 
meat  for  the  family.  Deer,  turkeys  and  prairie 
chickens  were  plentiful.  For  some  years  wolves 
were  very  numerous,  and  in  the  autumn  evenings, 
especially  if  a  storm  threatened,  a  distant  growl 
could  be  heard;  the  refrain  would  be  taken  up  un- 
til on  every  hand  resounded  their  continuous 
howling.  Then  woe  to  the  lamb  that  strayed  from 
the  sheepfold,  or  the  belated  traveler  without  a 
safe  retreat  near  at  hand! 


A  well-to-do  and  progressive  citizen,  William 
Brown  became  quite  prominent  in  this  locality, 
and  represented  his  district  in  the  Legislature,  be- 
ing a  member  of  the  House  at  the  same  time  with 
Abraham  Lincoln.  Of  his  family  we  note  the  fol- 
lowing: Miriam  married  Jeremiah  Bailey;  Isaiah 
went  to  California  in  1852,  and  died  there  leaving 
a  family;  Joshua  is  a  prominent  resident  of  Holder, 
McLean  County,  this  state;  Hester  married  Jesse 
W.  Fell,  well  known  for  his  philanthropy,  and  a 
prominent  factor  in  establishing  the  various  state 
institutions  at  Normal,  his  home;  Milner  married 
Rebecca  Russell,  a  native  of  Loudoun  County,  Va., 
and  a  daughter  of  James  and  Susan  (January) 
Russell,  the  former  of  whom  was  a  direct  descen- 
dant of  Capt.  James  Russell,  an  oflicer  in  Crom- 
well's Army.  Milner  Brown  and  his  wife  had  one  • 
child,  Mary  Milner,  the  wife  of  Samuel  D.  Wood, 
her  third  cousin ;  they  live  on  a  large  estate  left 
them  by  her  father. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  completed  his  educa- 
tion at  Knox  College,  in  Galesburg,  and  became 
one  of  the  wealthiest  agriculturists  of  Tazewell 
County.  November  13,  1859,  he  married  Miss 
Arietta  Lillie,  a  native  of  New  York  and  the  daugh- 
ter of  Elisha  Lillie,  who  was  born  in  Vermont,  of 
a  family  prominent  in  the  history  of  that  state. 
He  was  a  commissioned  ollicer  in  the  War  of  1812, 
and  in  early  life  settled  in  Connecticut,  whence 
he  removed  to  New  York.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
ninety.  His  wife  was  Cynthia,  daughter  of  Wat- 
rous  Clark,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  a  sister 
of  Lot  Clark,  partner  in  the  building  of  the  first 
Niagara  suspension  bridge,  Congressman  from  New 
York  from  1823-1825,  and  for  years  a  leader  of 
the  Democratic  party  of  his  state.  He  was  at  an 
early  day  owner  of  ten  thousand  acres  of  land 
near  Delavan.  Mrs.  Brown  was  one  of  six  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  living,  with  the  exception 
of  Lewis,  who  went  to  California  in  1849,  and 
there  married  a  niece  of  Ben  Butler.  A  lady  of 
culture,  Mrs.  Brown  came  to  Illinois  and  engaged 
in  teaching  school  at  Delavan,  and  prior  to  her 
marriage  followed  that  profession  successfully. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage,  Mr.  Brown  was  set- 
tled on  the  farm  where  he  resided  throughout  his 
entire  life.  He  had  two  sons,  the  younger  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


401 


whom,  Daniel  Milner,  is  engaged  in  business  in 
•  Keosauqua,  Van  Buren  County,  Iowa.  January  10, 
1889,  he  married  Miss  LotellaC.  Regur.  The  elder 
json,  Lewis  E.,  who  was  educated  in  Knox  College, 
resides  on  the  home  farm.  He  is  a  Republican, 
and  prominent  in  politics.  For  some  years  lie  was 
extensively  engaged  in  raising  blooded  stock,  but 
does  not  give  so  much  attention  to  that  branch  of 
agriculture  as  in  former  years.  He  superintends 
the  management  of  the  large  estate  and  is  a  young 
man  of  ability.  lie  was  married  June  6,  1894,  to 
Miss  Minnie  Brereton,  of  Pekin,  111. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Brown  was  widely  mourned. 
It  was  felt  throughout  the  count}'  that  one  of  its 
foremost  citizens  had  been  lost.  Commenting  on 
his  decease,  a  local  paper  says:  "Daniel  Brown  was 
a  man  of  great  force  of  character,  of  indefatigable 
energy,  but  of  a  most  gentle  and  humane  nature, 
loving  and  forgiving  in  his  family,  and  consider- 
ate and  generous  toward  his  neighbors  and  friends. 
Among  the  hundreds  who  gathered  about  his  grave 
were  not  to  be  found  the  rich  only,  but  many  of 
the  poor  whom  he  had  at  times  befriended,  and 
who  will  remember  him  as  a  true  counsellor  and 
timely  benefactor. 

"Mr.  Brown  was  a  man  of  excellent  public 
spirit,  taking  great  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  im- 
mediate neighborhood  and  section,  and  well  illus- 
trating that  better  quality  in  men  that  delights  in 
the  upbuilding  of  communities  first  of  all,  rather 
than  in  public  honors.  He  amassed  a  fortune  by 
diligence  and  faithfulness  in  business,  leaving  an 
estate  of  one  thousand  acres  of  valuable  land,  but 
above  all  is  the  heritage  of  a  good  name,  which  he 
has  left  to  his  family." 


IklLLIAM  P.  FAULKNER  is  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Mason  County.  Coming  here 
about  fifty-five  years  ago,  he  has  wit- 
nessed the  great  change  wrought  by  the  hand  of 
man  in  bringing  this  section  of  country  from  .a 
state  of  nature  to  its  present  condition  as  one  of 
the  richest  and  most  highly  developed  counties  in 
Illinois,  and  he  ma}'  well  take  pride  in  what  he 
has  done  to  aid  in  producing  this  wonderful  re- 


sult. As  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  he  was  one 
of  the  most  prosperous  of  that  class  of  people, 
and  after  accumulating  a  sufficient  amount  of 
property  to  provide  the  comforts  of  life  for  his 
declining  years  he  retired  from  active  labor,  and 
now  makes  his  home  in  Mason  City.  To  him  be- 
longs the  distinction  of  having  cut  the  logs  for 
the  first  house  ever  built  here,  and  from  that 
time  to  the  present  he  has  watched  the  growth  of 
the  place  with  commendable  pride  and  interest. 

Near  Moore's  Hill,  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  December  23, 
1825.  lie  traces  his  lineage  to  Ireland,  whence 
his  paternal  grandfather,  Thomas  R.  Faulkner, 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  and  made  a  set- 
tlement in  New  York.  He  was  one  of  the  heroes  of 
the  Revolutionary  War,  and  aided  in  the  achieve- 
ment of  the  independence  of  the  Colonies.  Thomas 
R.,  Jr.,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in  Genesee 
County,  N.  Y.,  August  9,  .1801,  and  removed 
thence  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.  Later,  he  came 
to  Mason  Count}',  and  here  his  death  occurred 
in  1865.  While  not  active  in  political  affairs, 
he  was  firm  in  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican 
party.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Phoebe  Heaton,  was  born  in  New  England  and 
died  in  Mason  County  in  May,  1839. 

At  the  age  of  four  years  our  subject  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  Madison  County,  Ind., and  there 
he  remained  until  he  was  thirteen  years  old, 
meantime  gaining  the  rudiments  of  his  educa- 
tion. With  his  parents  he  came  to  Illinois  in 
1838  and  settled  in  Fulton  County,  but  the  so- 
journ there  was  a  brief  one,  for  in  the  spring  of 
the  following  year  the  family  removed  thence  to 
Mason  County.  Here  William  P.  grew  to  man- 
hood, and  upon  selecting  a  life  occupation  lie- 
chose  that  of  a  farmer,  in  which  he  was  engaged 
until  April,  1889.  As  a  raiser  of  stock  and  grain 
he  met  with  more  than  ordinary  success,  and  is 
now  the  owner  of  four  hundred  and  twenty-six 
acres  lying  in  this  county.  The  entire  tract  is 
well  cultivated  and  improved  with  good  buildings. 

March  21,  1851,  William  P.  Faulkner  and  Miss 
Melissa  Virgin  were  united  in  marriage.  This 
lady  was  a  daughter  of  Abram  Virgin,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Mason  Count}'.  At  her  death, 


402 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


in  1877,  she  left  one  son,  Francis  R.,  who  lives 
in  this  county.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife, 
Mr.  Faulkner  married  Mrs.  Mahulda  (Swiger) 
Phillip,  and  two  sons,  Walter  and  William,  have 
been  born  to  bless  their  union.  The  various  issues 
of  the  age  receive  from  Mr.  Faulkner  merited 
consideration,  and  he  gives  his  support  to  the 
cause  of  Prohibition,  believing  this  to  be  the  most 
important  question  of  the  day.  In  educational 
affairs  he  has  been  active,  and  during  his  sixteen 
years'  service  as  Director  of  Schools  was  instru- 
mental in  advancing  the  standard  of  scholarship 
and  promoting  the  welfare  of  the  schools  of  his 
locality. 


I  ESSE  S.  WILSON,  who  for  many  years  has 
followed  farming  and  now  carries  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits  on  section  25,  Trcmont 
Township,  Tazewell  Count}',  was  born  in 
Tremont  Township  on  the  23d  Of  October,  1861. 
His  grandfather,  William  Wilson,  was  a  Kentuck- 
ian  by  birth,  and  married  Nancy  Spencer,  also  a 
native  of  that  state.  In  1828  they  came  with  their 
family  to  Illinois  and  located  in  Sangamon  Coun- 
ty, where  they  resided  for  a  year.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  they  came  to  Tazewell  County, 
where  they  spent  their  remaining  days.  Their  first 
location  was  in  Little  Mackinaw  Township,  and  in 
1831  they  removed  to  Hopedale  Township. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of 
this  section  of  the  state  and  over  bore  his  part  in 
the  arduous  task  of  developing  the  county.  He 
died  upon  the  old  homestead  in  1863,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-three,  and  in  his  death  the  community 
lost  one  of  its  best  citizens.  Edward  Wilson,  fa- 
ther of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Kentucky  and 
was  a  child  of  only  four  summers  when  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  Illinois.  In  1845  he  located  in 
Tremont  Township.  More  extended  mention  is 
made  of  him  in  the  sketcli  of  Benjamin  F.  Wilson 
on  another  page  of  this  work. 

Our  subject  has  always  lived  in  Tremont  Town- 


ship, and  agriculture  has  been  the  work  of  his  life. 
He  became  familiar  with  farming  in  all  its  details 
during  his  early  years  and  now  has  a  valuable 
tract  of  land,  which  gives  evidence  of  the  careful 
supervision  of  the  owner.  On  the  5th  of  April, 
1888,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sophia 
Hittle,  who  was  born  in  Mackinaw  Township  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Lewis  and  Addie  (Sparks)  Hittle. 
In  their  family  were  four  children,  two  sons  and 
two  daughters,  namely:  Mrs.  Wilson;  Orville,  now 
a  farmer  of  Mackinaw  Township;  Maud,  wife  of 
Ben  Miller,  of  Mackinaw;  and  Roy,  who  makes  his 
home  in  Mackinaw.  The  father  was  bom  in 
Mackinaw  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
earliest  families  of  the  county.  His  wife  is  a 
native  of  Ohio.  He  is  now  successfully  engaged 
in  the  drug  business.  Two  children  grace  the 
union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson,  Walter  and  Orvetta. 
Our  subject  holds  membership  with  Mackinaw 
Lodge  No.  132,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.,  and  with  Pekm 
Chapter  No.  25,  R.  A.  M.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
Greening  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Mackinaw.  In 
politics  he  is  a  stalwart  supporter  of  Democratic 
principles  and  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Road  Commissioners.  A  public-spirited 
and  progressive  citizen,  he  manifests  a  commen- 
dable interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  wel- 
fare of  the  community  in  which  he  makes  his 
home.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  representa- 
tive young  citizens  of  Tazewell  County  and  is  one 
of  the  most  extensive  farmers  of  this  region.  His 
successful  business  career  is  the  result  of  well  di- 
rected efforts,  energy  and  perseverance. 


J^'ACOB    IIOFMANN   owns   and    operates  a 
fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres 
on  section   18,  Mackinaw  Township,  Taze- 
_        well  County.     His  place  is  one  of  the  best 
improved   in    this    locality.     The    fields   are  well 
tilled,  and  the  buildings  are  such  as  are  found  on 
a  model  farm  and  are  always  kept  in  good   repair. 
Everything  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance  and 


RESIDENCE  OF  JACOB  HOFMANN,  SEC.  18,  MACKINAW  TP.,  TAZEWELL  CO.,  ILL. 


HICKORY  GROVE    STOCK  FARM, 

PROPERTY  OF  J.  S.  WILSON,  SECS.  24  AND  25,  TREMONT  TP.,  TAZEWELL  CO.,  ILL. 


LiBRAftY 
Of  «tt 

OF  ILLINOIS 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


405 


ndicatcs   to  the  passer-by  the  careful  supervision 
of  the  owner. 

Mr.  Hofmann  was  born  in  Wurtemberg,  Ger- 
inauy,  April  27,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and 
Hannah  (Dick)  Ilofiuann  The  father  was  born 
'in  Germany  in  November,  1811,  and  was  a  weaver 
and  farmer.  lie  served  as  a  soldier  for  four  years 
but  took  part  in  no  war.  In  the  family  were  seven 
sons  and  two  daughters,  but  Jacob  and  Benjamin 
were  the  only  ones  who  ever  came  to  the  United 
States. 

Our  subject  remained  at  home  until  fifteen  years 
of  age  and  then  began  earning  his  own  livelihood 
and  also  contributed  of  his  wages  to  the  support 
of  the  family.  At  length  he  determined  to  seek  a 
home  beyond  the  Atlantic,  and  when  a  young 
man  of  twenty  bade  adieu  to  friends  and  Father- 
land and  sailed  for  the  New  World.  His  brother 
furnished  the  money  for  the  passage,  but  after  a 
short  time  the  loan  was  all  paid.  Coming  to 
Tazewell  County,  he  worked  by  the  ruontlr  as  a' 
farm  hand  for  live  years. 

On  the  expiration  of  that  period  Mr.  Hofmann 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Christina  Fornoff, 
who  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  though  her 
parents  were  born  in  Darmstadt,  Germany.  There 
were  eleven  children  born  of  this  union  and  the 
family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken.  They  are, 
John,  Ida,  Jacob,  Philip,  Ann,  Lizzie,  August, 
Gottleib,  Harriet,  Katie  and  Mary.  The  parents 
are  providing  them  with  good  educational  privi- 
leges. Some  of  them  have  attended  the  Mackinaw 
High  School,  and  three  have  been  students  in  the 
German  schools  of  Pekiu.  The  parents  are  mem- 
bers of  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 

For  eleven  years  Mr.  Hofmann  engaged  in  the 
operation  of  rented  land  and  then  purchased  his 
present  farm.  It  was  in  a  dilapidated  condition, 
buthe  at  once  began  improving  it  with  the  success 
before  mentioned.  He  raises  some  of  the  finest 
crops  in  the  Mackinaw  Valley  and  has  gathered  as 
high  as  eighty  or  ninety  bushels  of  corn  to  the 
acre.  He  also  makes  a,  specialty  of  the  breeding 
of  Durham  cattle  and  Chester  White  hogs. 

In  politics  Mr.  Hofmann  is  a  Democrat  and  has 
held  some  local  olHces.  In  1891,  accompanied  by 
his  brother,  he  made  a  trip  to  Germany  and  spent 


three  months  in  visiting  his  native  land,  together 
with  Scotland  and  Kngland.  The  journey  proved 
a  ver}'  pleasant  one,  but  he  is  content  with  Amer- 
ica as  his  home,  for  here  he  has  found  success  and 
become  a  prosperous  citizen. 


I 


RA  F.  RANDOLPH.  Our  subject  is  a  man  of 
more  than  average  ability,  and  one  who  has 
made  the  most  of  his  opportunities.  He  is  a 
representative  agriculturist  and  prominent  citizen 
of  Sand  Prairie  Township,  Tazewell  County,  liv- 
ing upon  a  good  estate  on  section  35.  He  was 
born  May  20,  1834,  in  Plainfield,  Essex  County, 
N.  J.,  while  his  father,  Morris  Randolph,  was  born 
in  Middlesex  County,  that  state,  in  January,  1807. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  blacksmith 
by  trade,  which  occupation  he  followed  until 
1852,  When  he  moved  upon  a  farm  in  his  native 
county  and  for  four  years  followed  farm  pursuits. 
In  1856  he  came  west  to  this  county,  and  pur- 
chasing a  farm  in  Malone  Township,  one  mile 
south  of  the  city,  he  engaged  in  its  cultivation, 
and  made  that  place  his  home  until  his  decease, 
which  occurred  March  18,  1886.  The  lady  to 
whom  he  was  married  was  Miss  Maria  Lyon.  She 
was  likewise  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  was  born 
in  December,  1806,  in  Essex  County.  She  was  a 
lady  of  good  education,  and  married  the  father  of 
our  subject  November  4, 1829.  She  joined  the  Bap- 
tist Church  when  a  young  girl,  and  was  true  to 
the  faith  of  that  body  until  her  death,  March  21, 
1878.  Her  husband  was  likewise  a  member  of  that 
denomination,  and  in  early  life  voted  the  Whig 
ticket.  Later  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  Republi- 
cans, and  in  all  the  affairs  of  life  bore  himself  in  an 
upright  manner,  and  was  regarded  as  a  man  of 
true  worth. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Randolph  had  nine  children:  Mary 
Margaret,  who  died  in  infancy;  Sarah  Ann,  Ira  F.; 
Juliet,  now  deceased;  Lydia  M.,  Daniel,  Charles, 
Albert  and  Julia.  Sarah  Ann  married  Jacob  Boice 
and  lives  in  Summerville,  N.  J.  Lydia  was  the 
wife  of  Nathan  Blackford,  and  until  her  decease, 
in  1892,  resided  in  Plainfield,  N.  J.  Daniel  mar- 


406 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ried  Miss  Hannah  Bird,  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
and  they  make  their  home  on  a  farm  south  of 
Green  Valley.  Charles  lives  on  a  farm  in  Malone 
Township,  this  county.  Julia  married  Philip  Davis, 
an  extensive  farmer  near  Forest,  Livingston  Coun- 
ty, this  state. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  early  life  in 
attending  the  district  schools  near  Plain  Held,  and 
on  arriving  at  his  majority  he  began  clerking  in  a 
general  merchandise  store  in  his  native  place.  He 
was  thus  employed  for  about  seven  years,  when 
he  returned  to  the  home  farm  and  aided  his  father 
in  its  cultivation  until  the  removal  of  the  family 
to  this  state,  when  he  accompanied  them  hither; 
he  continued  to  reside  under  the  parental  roof 
until  his  marriage,  in  the  fall  of  1862.  The  lady 
of  his  choice  was  Miss  Rebecca  Wilson,  daughter 
of  Matthew  and  Hannah  (Walmagott)  Wilson, 
formerly  residents  of  Ohio,  but  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ira  Randolph  the  following 
five  children  have  been,  born:  Lillie,  Frank  Ed- 
ward, Charles  M.,  Ira  W.  and  Nelson  A.  The 
eldest  son  was  married  in  1893  to  Miss  Hattie 
Lawler,  and  Ira  W.  was  married  the  previous  year 
to  Miss  llattie  Petty.  In  his  political  faith  our 
subject  is  a  Republican  of  the  deepest  dye. 


AVID  CLYDE  WHITE.  For  many  years 
Mr.  White  has  enjoyed  a  reputation  not 
only  as  a  substantial  farmer,  but  also  as 
an  intelligent  and  thoroughly  posted  man 
in  public  affairs.  He  has  had  a  vast  amount  of 
experience,  and  his  most  trivial  business  trans- 
actions are  characterized  by  good  judgment  and 
strict  integrity.  He  is  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Forest  City  Township,  Mason  County,  and  has 
been  of  much  benefit  to  the  community.  He  is  one 
of  the  large  land  owners  of  this  section,  owning 
four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  property  pleasantly 
located  on  sections  20  and  21. 

William  W.  White,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  his  birth  oc- 
curred in  the  year  1818.  lie  in  turn  was  a  son  of 
Zachariah  White,  also  a  native  of  the  Keystone 


State,  who  in  early  life   followed   the  trade  of  ; 
blacksmith   and  machinist,  but  afterward*  became 
a  well-to-do  farmer.     The  family  originally  cairn 
from  England   and   made   settlement  in  Pennsyl-| 
vania  in  about  1790.     The  lady  to  whom  William 
W.  White  was  married  was  Miss  Elizabeth  Civile. 
who  was   born  in  1817    in   Pennsylvania  and  was' 
the    daughter  of  David  and    Ann  (Sloan)  Clyde,; 
natives    of    Scotland.     Her    parents    on  coining 
to  America  made  their  home  first  in    New  York 
and   afterwards  in  Pennsylvania,  where  Mr.  Clyde 
was  a  brick  and  stone  mason. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  reared  and 
married  in  Pennsylvania,  after  which  they  re- 
moved to  Marshall  County,  W.  Va.,  and  lived 
upon  a  farm  until  1865,  when  they  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  purchased  land  on  section  28,  Forest  City 
Township.  Here  Mrs.  White  died  in  October  of 
the  above  year,  and  the  father  in  November  of 
the  year  following.  Of  their  family  of  eleven 
children  nine  are  now  living.  Sarah  J.  is  the 
wife  of  V.  H.  Maxwell  and  lives  in  Slay  ton, 
Minn.;  David  C.,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  next  in 
order  of  birth;  Vachad  M.  is  residing  on  section 
34  of  this  township;  Milton  married  Emma  1'ier- 
son  and  makes  his  home  at  Sigourney,  Iowa;  John 
C.  married  Anna  R.  Wilson  and  is  living  in  Dallas, 
Tex.;  Ellen  A.  is  now  Mrs.  Martin  A.  Smith  and 
resides  in  Iowa  Park,  Tex.;  Ellbert  is  a  fanner 
on  section  28  of  this  township;  Wilfred  A.  is  also 
a  farmer  of  section  17  of  this  township,  and  Anna 
M.,  the  wife  of  A.  C.  Watt,  is  also  living  in  Iowa 
Park,  Tex. 

The  eldest  son,  /achariah  A.,  M.  D.,  was  for 
three  months  during  the  late  war  Sergeant  of  Com- 
pany II,  First  West  Virginia  Infantry.  He  was 
later  made  surgeon  of  the  First  West  Virginia 
Cavalry  and  remained  with  his  regiment  during 
the  entire  period  of  the  war.  He  was  taken 
prisoner  in  West  Virginia  and  taken  from  there 
to  'Charleston,  S.  C.,  and  later  to  Salisbury, 
N.  C.,  where  he  was  placed  under  lire  of  the 
Union  guns  in  order  to  try  and  stop  their 
advance.  He  was  fortunate  enough  to  send  a 
letter  to  his  father,  which  the  latter  took  to  the 
Governor  of  West  Virginia  and  by  him  to  the 
Secretary  of  War,  who  secured  his  exchange,  after 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


407 


which  he  returned  home  for  a  short  time,  when  he 
again  rejoined  his  regiment.  After  the  war  /ach- 
ariah  White  located  in  Wayuesburgh,  Pa.,  where 
he  was  made  Deputy  United  States  Revenue  Col- 
lector under  President  Johnson,  and  in  1867  he 
met  his  death  very  suddenly  when  in  the  act  of 
getting  into  a  stage  coach. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  members  of 
the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church,  in  which  they 
were  prominent  workers.  The  father  was  an  ac- 
tive politician  in  West  Virginia,  but  in  no  sense 
an  office-seeker.  He  was  one  of  the  original  Abo- 
litionists of  that  state  and  lived  on  the  line  of  the 
Underground  Railroad.  The  grandparents  of  our 
subject  on  both  sides  were  Whigs  in  politics,  and 
Grandfather  Clyde  was  a  Presidential  elector  in 
1844,  at  the  time  James  G.  Birney  ran  for  Pres- 
ident. 

David  C.  White,  of  this  bketch,  was  born  August 
26,  1842,  in  Marshall  County,  W.  Va.,  and  was 
reared  to  manhood  there  and  thoroughly  trained 
to  farm  pursuits.  He  received  his  primary  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  and  completed  his 
studies  in  the  Waynesburgh  (Pa.)  College.  While 
a  student  there  he  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  Com- 
pany II,  First  West  Virginia  Infantry,  and  served 
a  term  of  three  months.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
he  returned  to  the  college,  and  later,  when  a  com- 
pany of  students  was  raised,  he  joined  it  and  it 
was  afterwards  known  as  Company  F,  Fifteenth 
Pennsylvania  Cavalry.  He  enlisted  as  a  private 
but  was  soon  promoted  to  be  Corporal,  afterwards 
Sergeant,  and  finally  was  made  First  Lieutenant  of 
his  company.  The  regiment  thus  organized  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  of  Antietam,  Stone  River, 
Chickamauga,  Chattanooga  and  Missionary  Ridge. 
They  also  fought  in  all  the  engagements  from 
Chattanooga  to  Atlanta,  from  which  latter  place 
they  returned  to  Nashville  under  the  command  of 
General  Thomas  and  drove  Hood  into  Missis- 
sippi. From  there  they  went  to  Ilunlsville,  Ala., 
and  were  engaged  in  various  raids  through  that 
state,  spending  the  winter  of  1864-65  at  Knoxville, 
Tenn.  During  that  time  they  participated  in  the 
Sloneman  Raid,  and  in  the  spring,  when  going  to 
North  Carolina,  captured  and  destroyed  the  town 
and  prison  at  Salisbury.  From  there  they  skir- 


mished through  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  hunt- 
ing for  Jefferson  Davis,  and  going  into  Alabama, 
rendezvoused  at  Iluntsville,  at  which  place  they 
were  mustered  out  of  service  and  arrived  home 
July  3,  1865,  after  a  service  of  three  years  and 
three  months.  Mr.  White  had  command  of  his 
company  during  the  greater  part  of  the  last  year 
of  the  war  and  was  wounded  during  a  fight  with 
the  Cherokee  Indians  in  the  Smoky  Mountains,  in 
North  Carolina,  by  a  musket  ball,  which  passed 
through  his  thigh.  lie  had  his  horse  shot  from 
under  him  at  Dandridge,  Tenn.,  and  during  the 
entire  period  was  never  off  duty  nor  in  the  hos- 
pital except  on  a  visit  to  some  sick  comrade. 

The  father  of  our  subject  had  removed  to  this 
state  during  the  war  and  located  in  Mason  County. 
The  latter,  however,  entered  college  with  the  in- 
tention of  studying  law.  but  was  prevailed  upon 
to  join  the  family  in  their  new  home.  He  was 
married  in  1867  to  Miss  Mary  E.,  daughter  of 
John  and  Martha  (Gittin)  McKuight,  both  natives 
of  Ohio,  who  came  to  this  county  in  1848  and 
located  in  Walker's  Grove.  Mr.  McKnight  is 
now  deceased  and  his  good  wife  makes  her  home 
with  our  subject.  Mrs.  White  was  born  February 
28,  1842,  and  after  her  marriage  with  our  subject 
made  her  home  with  his  mother  until  1874,  when 
they  located  upon  their  present  fine  estate.  Mr. 
White  has  since  purchased  from  time  to  time  until 
he  now  owns  four  hundred  broad  and  fertile  acres, 
on  which  area  number  of  as  atttactive  and  sub- 
stantial buildings  as  can  be  found  anywhere  in  the 
county. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  six 
children,  of  whom  those  living  are  John  C.,  Lewis 
E.  and  Laura.  With  his  wife  and  family  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  of  which  he  has 
been  Clerk  since  its  organization  in  this  town- 
ship. He  has  also  been  Superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school  for  eight  years  and  takes  an  active 
part  in  all  good  works.  As  may  be  expected  he  is  a 
Grand  Army  man,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  Forest  City.  He  has  likewise  been 
Master  and  is  now  Chaplain  of  the  Grange,  and  as 
a  Mason  he  belongs  to  the  Blue  Lodge  No.  476  at 
Manito,  of  which  he  is  Past  Master. 

Mr.  White  has  aided   greatly  in   advancing   the 


408 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


standard  of  scholarship  in  this  vicinity  and  lias 
been  Township  Treasurer  of  Schools  for  the  past 
seventeen  years.  His  eldest  son  is  a  graduate  of 
Brown's  Business  College  at  Peoria,  and  Lewis 
E.  is  a  student  at  Dixon  College.  In  1892  our 
subject  was  a  candidate  for  the  State  Board  of 
Equalization  from  District  No.  13,  and  the  same 
year  his  name  was  placed  before  the  Republican 
convention  as  Representative  to  the  State  Legisla- 
ture. He  has  been  Supervisor  for  his  township 
and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  Drainage  Com- 
mittee of  Mason  and  Tazcwell  Counties. 


<& 


OHN  M.  McREYNOLDS.  With  the  progress 
of  Mason  County,  and  more  especially  the 
history  of  Quiver  Township,  the  subject  of. 
this  sketch  has  been  intimately  associated 
for  many  years,  having  contributed  materially  to 
the  development  of  its  resources  and  the  growth 
of  its  industries.  His  life  occupation  has  been 
that  of  fanning,  in  which,  through  industry  and 
perseverance,  he  lias  met  with  success  and  gained 
prosperity.  The  farm  which  he  occupies  consists 
of  two  hundred  and  thirty  acres,  embellished  with 
suitable  and  substantial  buildings  and  bearing  first- 
class  improvements. 

Robert  McReynolds,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Columbia  County,  Pa.,  April  13,  1791, 
and  was  the  son  of  Hugh  McReynolds.  The  former 
married  Miss  Susannah  Moyer,  also  a  native  of  the 
above  county,  and  the  daughter  of  John  Moyer,  a 
native  of  Germany,  who  after  coming  to  this  coun- 
try located  in  the  Keystone  State.  The  paren  ts  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  Columbia  County  until  1838, 
when  they  came  to  this  county  and  made  their  home 
first  in  Havana  Township,  on  the  farm  now  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  Heston.  It  was  an  uncultivated  tract 
at  that  time,  and  during  the  years  which  they  lived 
upon  it  they  made  many  substantial  improvements, 
and  in  1848  came  to  Quiver  Township  and  pur- 
chased the  property  now  occupied  by  J.  W.  Him- 
meleyros.  There  the  father  of  our  subject  carried 
on  farm  pursuits  for  many  years,  and  afterward 
removed  to  Havana,  where  he  lived  and  held 


some  importantoftices,  which  he  filled  satisfactorily 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  November  15,  1872. 
His  good  wife  followed  him  to  the  better  land  two 
years  later,  dying  June  16,  1884. 

The  parental  family  included  nine  children,  all 
of  whom  grew  to  mature  years,  and  the  following 
seven  are  still  living:  John  M.,  of  this  sketch; 
Sarah,  Mrs.  Fisk;  Andrew  J.;  Nancy  Jane,  Mrs. 
Cross;  Margaret.  Mrs.  Cross;  Mary,  Mrs.  Coppel; 
and  Hannah  C.,  now  Mrs.  Appleman.  The  parents 
of  these  children  were  members  in  good  standing 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  de- 
nomination Mr.  McReynolds  was  Steward  and 
Class-leader.  Meetings  were  often  held  in  their 
farm  house,  which  was  built  with  that  purpose  in 
view,  and  once  as  many  as  fifty  people  took  break- 
fast with  them  on  Sunday  mornings.  The  father 
of  our  subject  was  also  one  of  the  prominent  mi'ii 
of  this  county,  and  was  afforded  the  high  esteem 
and  confidence  of  its  best  residents.  He  was  a 
Dejuocrat  in  politics,  and  held  the  ollices  of  Coun- 
ty ^Commissioner,  County  Assessor  and  was  Asso- 
'  ciate  justice  in  1848,  and  ten  years  later  filled  the 
office  of  County  Judge.  He  was  widely  known 
throughout  the  state,  and  was  an  intimate  friend 
of  Peter  Cartwright. 

John  M.  McReynolds  was  born  September  8, 
1822,  in  Columbia  County,  Pa.,  and  was  a  lad  of 
sixteen  years  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  removal  to 
this  state.  He  received  a  meagre  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  that  state,  and  since  then,  by 
extensive  reading,  has  become  well  posted  upon 
general  topics,  and  is  a  man  of  broad  information. 
Mr.  McReynolds  remained  upon  his  father's  farm 
until  1847,  when,  having  been  married  the  pre- 
vious year,  he  removed  to  a  home  of  his  own. 
His  wife  was  Miss  Catherine  A.,  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and  Catherine  Den  tier,  early  settlers  of  this 
state.  She  was  a  nativeof  Pennsylvania,  and  died 
December  1 3,  1 855,  after  having  become  the  mother 
of  five  children:  Robert  H.,  Lemuel  W.,  Eliza  J., 
Arminda  F.  and  Willis  D. 

Mr.  McReynolds  was  again  married  February  2, 
1860,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Mary  C. 
Cadwallader,  natives  of  Fulton  Count}',  tnis  state. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Reece  and  Sarah  (Hum- 
phrey) Cadwallader,  both  of  whom  are  now  de- 


LIBRARY 
OFIW 


MRS.  J.  A.  NEIKIRK. 


J.  A.  NEIKIRK. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


413 


ceased.  Mrs.  McReynolds  was  born  April  16, 1839, 
and  received  a  good  education  in  Mason  County. 
By  her  union  with  our  subject  the  following  chil- 
dren were  born:  Clara  C.  (deceased),  A.  C.,  Louella 
M.,  Oscar  R.,  John  C.,  Ralph  B.  and  Pearl  E. 

Our  subject  has  resided  upon  his  present,  farm 
since  1847.  It  was  then  in  a  wild  condition, 
and  wolves,  deer  and  other  animals  infested  the 
country.  He  is  now  one  of  the  oldest  living  set- 
tlers in  Quiver  Township,  and  owns  a  valuable 
property  of  two  hundred  and  thirty  acres.  lie 
gives  his  attention  to  mixed  farming,  and  has  on 
his  place  some  of  the  finest  breeds  of  hogs  and 
cattle. 

Mr.  McReynolds  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  he  served  as 
Recording  Steward  for  over  thirty  years,  during 
which  time  he  never  missed  a  quarterly  meeting. 
He  is  serving  at  the  present  time  as  Trustee,  Class- 
leader  and  Sunday -school  teacher.  He  has  given 
his  children  the  very  best  advantages  for  obtain- 
ing an  education,  and  for  many  years  has  been 
Director  on  the  School  Board.  He  takes  .-inactive 
part  in  politics,  ana  is  a  strong  Republican  with 
Prohibition  proclivities.  He  now  fills  the  office  of 
School  Trustee,  and  in  times  past  has  been  Super- 
visor and  Assessor.  He  was  one  of  the  Trustees  of 
the  Methodist  Church  at  Topeka  during  the  erec- 
tion of  their  fine  church  edifice,  which  cost  $4.000, 
and  is  President  of  the  Mason  County  Farmers' 
Mutual  Fire  and  Lightning  Association;  he  has 
held  this  office  for  the  past  six  years,  which  indi- 
cates his  efficiency. 


AMES  ALEXANDER  NEIK1RK.  Located 
in  Forest  City  Township  lies  one  of  the 
finest  rural  homes  in  Mason  County.  Here 
Mr.  Neikirk  has  resided  for  many  years, 
meanwhile  adding  to  his  property,  on  which  first- 
class  buildings  have  been  erected  and  other  sub- 
stantial improvements  introduced  which  prove  his 
thrift  and  enterprise  as  an  agriculturist. 

Referring  to  the  parental  history  of  our  subject, 
we  find  that   his  father,  George  Neikirk,  was  born 
in  Washington  Count}-,  Md.,  January  19,  1798.  He 
in  turn  was  the  only  son  of  Michael  Neikirk,  a  na- 
il 


tive  of  Pennsylvania,  where  in  early  life  he  fol- 
lowed the  trade  of  a  weaver  and  later  became  a 
fanner.  The  first  representatives  of  the  family  in 
America  came  from  Holland  and  located  near 
Philadelphia.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Bowser)  Neikirk, 
the  mother  of  our  subject,  was  also  born  in  Mary- 
laud,  the  date  of  her  birth  being  July  16,  1803. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  John  and  Magdalene 
(Buyers)  Bowser,  of  whom  a  further  history  will  be  ( 
found  in  the  sketch  of  E.  J.  Bowser  on  another 
page  in  this  volume. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Neikirk  were  married  in 
their  native  state  and  afterward  lived  in  Washing- 
ton County  until  the  fall  of  1841,  when  they  re- 
moved to  Seneca  County,  Ohio.  In  that  place 
they  made  their  home  until  the  fall  of  1853,  when 
they  came  to  Mason  County  and  located  on  sec- 
tion 13,  Forest  City  Township,  at  a  time  when  the 
country  was  very  sparsely  settled.  The  estate  at 
that  time  included  about  five  hundred  acres,  to 
which  the  father  added  until  at  his  death  he  was  the 
proprietor  of  two  thousand  acres  of  valuable  land. 
His  death  occurred  April  23,  1855,  and  his  good 
wjf.e,  who  survived  him  man}1  years,  died  February 
7,  1873. 

Of  the  parental  family  of  six  sons  and  three 
daughters  seven  are  now  living,  namely:  James  A., 
of  this  sketch;  William  K.,  John  E.;  Mary  E.,  now 
the  wife  of  T.  II.  Cheek,  of  Sherman  Township; 
George  W.;  P^mma  P.,  Mrs.  Sherer;  and  Belle,  who 
married  O.  W.  Van  Ormau.  Those  deceased  are 
Solomon  and  Eli.  The  mother  of  these  children 
was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
In  politics,  the  father  was  an  old-line  Whig,  and 
was  a  well  informed  man.  Three  of  his  sons, 
Eli,  John  and  George,  served  as  soldiers  during 
the  Civil  War,  the  eldest  being  Second  Lieutenant 
of  Company  C,  Twenty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry. 
The  elder  Mr.  Neikirk  was  one  of  the  largest  land 
owners  in  Mason  County  and  occupied  a  high  po- 
sition in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

Our  subject  was  born  April  15,  1825,  in  Wash- 
ington County,  Md.,  and  was  there  reared  and  ed- 
ucated. Like  all  farmer  lads  he  received  a  thor- 
ough training  in  farm  work,  and  at  the  time  his 
parents  removed  to  this  state  he  came  hither  with 
them,  January  26,  1853,  he  married  Miss  Barbara 


414 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Ann,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (Gotschall) 
Den  tier.  Her  father  was  born  in  Lancaster  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  March  13,  1780,  and  her  mother  was  a  na- 
tive of  Northumberland  County,  that  state,  where 
her  birth  occurred  February  26,  1799.  They  were 
married  in  Pennsylvania,  where  they  continued  to 
reside  until  their  decease,  the  father  dying  April 
22,  1864,  and  the  mother  departing  this  life  Sep- 
tember 5  of  the  following  year. 

Only  two  of  the  fifteen  children  comprising 
the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dentler  are  now  liv- 
ing, Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Aaron  Graves,  and 
a  resident  of  Guernsey  Count}',  Ohio,  and  Mrs. 
Neikirk.  The  latter  was  born  November  6,  1825, 
in  Lewisburgh,  Pa.,  and  received  her  education  in 
the  schools  of  Butler  County,  that  state.  After- 
ward she  taught  school  for  some  time  in  Lawrence 
County  and  also  followed  that  vocation  after  re- 
moving to  Seneca  County,  Ohio.  Her  parents 
were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Three  of  her  brothers  served  as  soldiers  in  the  Civil 
War. 

Mrs.  Neikirk's  grandfather,  Jacob  Dentler,  was 
born  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  and  married  Miss 
Barbara  Funk,  whose  ancestors  came  from  Ger- 
many. He  also  traced  his  lineage  to  the  Father- 
land, the  family  originally  living  near  the  Rhine. 
Her  maternal  grandfather,  Michael  Gotschall,  was 
born  in  Northumberland  County,  Pa.,  and  served 
as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War;  he  married 
Miss  Catherine  Mottier,  whose  parents  came  from 
Wittenberg,  Germany. 

After  his  father's  decease  our  subject  moved 
upon  his  present  farm,  which  comprises  five  hun- 
dred and  sixty-five  acres  of  valuable  land.  Here 
in  1872  he  erected  a  substantial  residence,  which 
cost  when  complete  $3,000.  Although  he  still  su- 
perintends his  farm  he  has  retired  from  active  ag- 
ricultural labors.  The  improvements  on  the  estate 
are  his  handiwork,  and  its  high  state  of  cultivation 
is  due  to  his  excellent  judgment. 

Of  the  eight  children  born  to  our  subject  and 
his  wife  those  living  are:  Mary  L.,  widow  of  E.  S. 
Maring;  Louis  N.,  who  married  Elizabeth  Maxwell 
and  makes  his  home  in  this  township;  Edith  N., 
the  wife  of  Isaac  K.  Smith,  of  Seneca  County, 
Ohio,  and  George  F.,  a  soldier  in  the  Regular 


United  States  army.  Mrs.  Neikirk  is  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in 
which  she  is  an  active  worker. 

In  politics  our  subject  votes  with  the  Republi- 
can party,  and  in  1880  was  elected  Supervisor  of 
Forest  City  Township.  He  discharged  the  duties 
of  the  office  in  a  most  admirable  manner,  and  dur- 
ing his  incumbency  was  instrumental  in  securing 
the  thorough  drainage  of  the  county.  He  lias  been 
a  member  of  the  School  Board  and  has  always 
been  greatly  interested  in  educational  matters.  A 
natural  mathematician,  he  completed  without  any 
assistance  his  studies  in  algebra,  geometry,  trig- 
onometry and  surveying.  lie  has  a  finely  selected 
library,  which  contains  among  other  volumes  a 
full  set  of  Encyclopedia  Britannica.  Having  long 
been  a  thoughtful  student  of  standard  works  by 
the  best  authors,  he  possesses  a  large  and  varied 
fund  of  information  in  scientific  and  historical 
lore,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  best  informed 
men  in  the  township. 


§>HOMAS  II.  LEONARD,  who  carries  on  farm- 
ing on  section  35,  Elm  Grove  Township, 
Tazewell  County,  was  born  at  his  present 
place  of  residence  April  16,  1838.  His  grandfa- 
ther, Ezekiel  Leonard,  was  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina; he  married  Rebecca  Hodgson,  also  of  that 
state.  In  1803,  they  removed  with  their  family 
to  Ohio,  becoming  pioneer  settlers  of  Clinton 
County,  where  Mr.  Leonard  entered  land  and 
opened  up  a  farm,  there  making  his  home  for 
twenty-eight  years.  In  1831,  he  came  with  his 
wife  and  children  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Elm  Grove 
Township,  where  he  again  entered  land.  Upon 
the  farm  which  he  improved  he  spent  his  remain- 
ing days,  passing  away  March  1,  1849,  at  the  age 
of  sevent3r-seven.  His  wife  was  called  to  her  final 
rest  in  July,  1851.  They  had  seven  children,  five 
of  whom  grew  to  mature  years. 

Thomas  Leonard,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  North  Carolina,  April  13,  1801,  and  from  his 
third  year  until  he  had  attained  the  age  of  twenty 
lived  in  Ohio.  At  that  time  he  came  west  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


415 


settled  in  Elm  Grove  Township,  where  he  took  up 
land  from  the  Government.  The  wild  and  unim- 
proved tract  he  transformed  into  a  good  farm,  mak- 
ing it  his  home  throughout  his  remaining  days.  It 
is  now  the  property  of  our  subject.  In  the  Buck- 
eye State  Thomas  Leonard,  Sr.,  married  Hannah 
Starbuck,  who  was  born  in  January,  1802,  in 
North  Carolina.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Gear  Star- 
buck,  who  was  born  on  Nnntucket  Island,  and  who 
went  to  North  Carolina,  thence  removing  to  Ohio, 
where  he  lived  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
when  past  the  age  of  ninety  years.  Unto  Thomas 
and  Hannah  Leonard  were  born  nine  children,  as 
follows:  Nathan, of  Johnson  County,  111.;  Matilda, 
wife  of  AVilliam  Lindsej',  of  Mackinaw  Township, 
Tazewell  County;  Eli,  who  died  in  1884,  at  the 
age  of  sixty  years;  Allen,  of  Elm  Grove  Township; 
Alfred  E.,  now  of  Florida;  Rebecca,  who  died  in 
1884,  at  the  age  of  fifty;  Levi  G.,  of  Elm  Grove; 
Thomas  II.,  of  this  sketch,  and  Susanna,  who  became 
the  wife  of  William  Eads,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
twentj'-five.  The  father  of  this  family  was  called 
to  his  final  rest  in  January,  1876,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-live,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  April, 
1864,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two. 

Our  subject  has  always  lived  upon  his  present 
farm.  He  was  early  inured  to  the  arduous  labors 
of  the  field,  and  to  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit  of 
his  services  until  he  had  attained  his  majority, 
when  he  took  an  interest  in  the  old  home.  Five 
years  later  he  assumed  the  entire  management, and 
has  since  carried  on  the  work  of  further  cultiva- 
tion and  improvement.  He  is  a  man  of  practical, 
yet  progressive  ideas,  and  his  enterprise  is  shown 
in  his  business.  His  farm  comprises  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  and  upon  eighty  acres  of  this  are 
three  miles  of  tiling.  He  has  expended  $2,000  in 
draining  the  place,  and  has  transformed  the  other- 
wise swampy  land  into  rich  and  fertile  fields. 

Mi*  Leonard  was  married  May  25,  1865,  to  Mary 
E.  Loy,  a  native  of  Pckin  Township,  Tazewell 
County,  and  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Mary  A. 
(Largent)  Loy,  the  former  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
the  latter  of  Virginia.  Five  children  have  been 
born  to  them,  Emer  A.,  now  of  Tremont;  Ehnon 
Loy,  who  is  living  in  another  house  on  the  old 
homestead;  Mertie  M.  and  Ednie  T.,  who  are  with 


their  parents,  and  Mary  C.,  who  is  now  attending 
school.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the 
community,  the  household  is  the  abode  of  hospi- 
tality, and  its  members  rank  high  in  social  circles. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Leonard  is  a  stalwart  Democrat, 
and  for  some  years  held  the  office  of  Path  Master. 
He  was  afterward  Road  Commissioner  for  three 
years,  and  in  1887  was  elected  Supervisor,  which 
position  he  filled  for  four  terms.  He  is  now  serv- 
ing his  third  year  as  School  Trustee  of  his  town- 
ship. In  all  his  public  offices  he  has  been  found 
faithful  and  true,  discharging  his  duties  with 
promptness  and  fidelity,  which  have  won  him  high 
commendation.  The  best  interests  of  the  commu- 
nity have  ever  found  in  him  a  friend,  and  he  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  progressive,  leading  and 
representative  farmers  of  his  township.  His  life 
has  been  an  honorable  and  upright  one,  and  has 
won  him  the  confidence  and  high  regard  of  many 
friends. 


l  OHN  II.  HERGET.  Though  scarcely  yet  in 
the  prime  of  life,  Mr.  Merge t  has  already 
attained  a  success  that  is  gratifying  alike  to 
himself  and  his  friends.  He  is  the  son  of  one 
of  the  progressive  and  prominent  citizens  of  Pekin, 
Hon.  John  Herget,  and  for  further  facts  in  regard 
to  the  family  history  the  reader  is  referred  to  the 
biography  of  that  gentleman,  presented  on  another 
page.  This  city  is  the  only  home  our  subject  has 
known,  and  here  he  was  born  October  21,  1863. 
In  boyhood  and  youth  he  was  given  the  best  edu- 
cational advantages  the  city  afforded,  and  by  dili- 
gent application  acquired  a  broad  information 
upon  general  topics,  so  that  he  is  now  well  posted. 
A  young  man  of  genial  manners,  he  is  also  an  en- 
tertaining conversationalist,  and  one  with  whom  it 
is  a.  pleasure  to  meet. 

At  the  age  of  fifteen  Mr.  Herget  entered  the 
employ  of  J.  &  G.  Herget,  wholesale  grocers  and 
liquor  dealers,  and  for  ten  years  remained  with 
them,  being  principally  in  the  shipping  depart- 
ment. Later  he  became  one  of  their  traveling 
salesmen,  and  was  on  the  road  for  four  years,  his 
route  being  principally  in  Illinois.  Meantime  he 


416 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


formed  a  partnership  with  his  father  and  Henry 
Herget,  and  the  firm  erected  the  Star  &  Crescent 
Distillery,  which  they  opened  and  operated  suc- 
cessfully until  selling  the  concern  in  1892.  At 
the  present  time  Mr.  Herget  is  interested  in  the 
Globe  Cattle  Company,  one  of  the  most  extensive 
enterprises  of  its  kind  in  Illinois.  Their  accom- 
modations are  such  that  they  can  stable  and  feed 
four  thousand  head  of  cattle  in  their  sheds  at  one 
time. 

In  Pekin,  May  2,  1889,  Mr.  Herget  was  united 
in  marriage  witli  Miss  Linnie  Reeves,  who  was  born 
in  this  city,  and  who  is  a  popular  young  lady.  Her 
father,  Benjamin  Reeves,  is  one  of  the  old  set- 
tlers of  Pekin,  as  well  as  one  of  its  most  promi- 
nent citizens,  and  for  many  years  filled  the  posi- 
tion of  Deputy  Sheriff.  To  the  political  questions 
of  the  day  Mr.  Herget  gives  an  intelligent  interest, 
and  believing  that  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party  are  best  calculated  to  promote  the  prosper- 
ity of  the  people,  he  gives  to  that  organization  his 
hearty  support. 


ANIEL  W.  PUTERBAUGH,  who  for 
many  years  carried  on  farming  in  Taze- 
well  County,  and  became  one  of  its  exten- 
sive land  owners,  is  now  living  a  retired 
life  in  Mackinaw,  enjoying  the  rest  which  he  has 
so  trul}'  earned  and  richly  deserves.  He  was  born 
in  Miami  County,  Ohio,  October  24,  1824,  and  is 
a  son  of  Jacob  and  Hannah  (Ilittle)  Puterbaugh. 
When  a  child  of  ten  summers,  the  father  left 
Pennsylvania  and  removed  with  his  parents  to 
Greene  County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared  to  man- 
hood. He  then  went  to  Miami  County,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming  and  in  operating  a  sawmill. 
His  wife  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  after 
her  marriage  her  parents  removed  to  Indiana,  and 
thence  to  Tazewell  County,  about  1827.  Her  fa- 
ther became  the  first  white  settler  of  Ilittle  Town- 
ship, which  was  named  in  his  honor.  He  was  one 
of  the  first  County  Commissioners  who  selected 
Mackinaw  as  the  county  seat,  and  was  a  very 
prominent  and  influential  citizen  in  those  early 
days.  A  devoted  member  of  the  church,  he  lived 


an  honorable  and  upright  life,  and  all   who  kne 
him  respected  him. 

Jacob  Puterbaugh  first  came  to  Tazewell  Count 
in  1838,  making  the  journey  in  a  light  wagon.  II 
was  favorably  impressed  with  the  countr3',and  th 
following  year  brought  his  family.  From  th 
Government  he  entered  a  small  tract  of  land  and 
devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  farming  through- 
out his  remaining  days.  His  death  occurred  in 
1858,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1863.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Dunkard  Church,  and  his  wife  cf 
the  Christian  Church.  In  politics  he  was  a  Whig, 
and  he  held  a  number  of  local  offices. 

Our  subject  acquired  the  greater  part  of  his  edu- 
cation in  log  schoolhouses  of  Ohio,  and  pursued 
his  studies  to  a  limited  extent  after  coining  west. 
On  attaining  his  majority  he  began  working  the 
farm  on  shares  with  his  father,  being  thus  em- 
ployed two  years.  Asa  companion  and  helpmate 
on  life's  journey,  he  chose  Sarah  J.,  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Margaret  (Scarlet)  Smith.  She  was 
•the_ first  wliite  child  born  in  Mackinaw  Township, 
tiie  date  being  September  9,  1829.  Her  father 
came  from  Tennessee  to  Tazewell  County  about 
the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  Ilittle  family,  and 
Mrs.  Puterbaugh  saw  many  of  the  Indians  that 
lived  in  the  neighborhood.  She  proved  to  her 
husband  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate,  and 
after  about  forty-five  years  of  married  life  was 
called  to  her  final  rest,  October  17,  1892.  In  the 
family  were  six  children:  James  S.,  of  Mackinaw; 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  W.  II.  Dabb,  professor  of  music 
at  Minier;  Ella;  Maggie,  wife  ot  J.  D.  Clark,  of 
Mackinaw;  Almeda;  and  D.  G.,  proprietor  of  a 
restaurant  in  Mackinaw. 

Mr.  Puterbaugh  received  from  his  father  forty 
acres  of  prairie  and  eight}'  acres  of  timber  land. 
In  1853  he  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Macki- 
naw, but  with  the  exception  of  that  year  through- 
out his  entire  business  career  he  followed  farming. 
He  won  a  high  degree  of  success,  and  at  one  time 
owned  six  hundred  and  nineteen  acres  of  valuable 
land.  For  thirty  years  he  has  been  an  Elder  in 
the  Christian  Church,  in  which  his  wife  also  held 
membership.  In  politics  he  has  been  a  Prohibi- 
tionist for  the  past  six  years.  He  is  a  worthy  rep- 
resentative of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  families 


LIBRARY 

OFTHt 

UNWERSm  OF  lUJfWC 


LEMUEL  ALLEN. 


POETRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


419 


of  the  county.  Through  long  years  he  has  been 
numbered  among  the  valued  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity, and  this  volume  would  be  incomplete 
without  the  record  of  his  life. 


1EMUEL  ALLEN,  ex-County  Superintendent 
(7g)  of  Schools  of  Tazcwell  County,  and  one  of 
JiX-,  the  highly  respected  citizens  of  Pekin,  was 
born  March  23,  1818,  in  Loudoun  County,  Va., 
within  sight  of  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains  and  of 
the  Bull  Run  Battle  ground.  His  father,  James 
Allen,  was«born  in  1769  in  Virginia, and  the  grand- 
father, William  Allen,  was  a  native  -of  Ireland. 
When  a  boy  he  crossed  the  briny  deep,  locating  in 
New  Jersey,  where  he  worked  for  a  time  as  a  farm 
hand.  On  his  removal  to  the  Old  Dominion  he 
located  upon  the  farm  which  was  the  birthplace  of 
our  subject,  and  there  spent  his  remaining  days. 
James  Allen  was  reared  in  that  state,  purchased 
.the  old  homestead  and  subsequently  became  the 
owner  of  six  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  valuable 
land.  He  married  Elizabeth  Lee,  a  native  of 
Prince  William  County,  Va.  Her  father  owned 
part  of  the  land  upon  which  the  battle  of  Bull  Run 
was  fought.  Both  parents  died  in  Loudoun  County. 

Lemuel  Allen  was  the  youngest  in  a  family  of 
thirteen  children,  four  of  whom  are  yet  living. 
His  educational  privileges  were  very  limited.  He 
remained  at  home  until  lie  had  attained  his  ma- 
jority, and  in  1839  came  to  Illinois  on  horseback. 
It  was  his  intention  to  educate  himself,  and  for  a 
year  he  was  in  the  preparatory  school  in  Waverly. 
He  then  taught  his  first  school  in  St.  Louis  Coun- 
ty, Mo.,  thus  entering  upon  the  work  which  he 
has  followed  through  life.  He  became  assistant  to 
his  former  teacher  in  Waverly,  who  was  then 
Principal  of  the  schools  in  Springfield,  111.,  and 
after  a  year  he  taught  in  Decatur,  where  he  num- 
bered among  his  pupils  Richard  J.  Oglesby,  after- 
ward Governor  of  the  state.  In  the  spring  of 
1843,  in  connection  with  Mr.  Oglesby,  he  rented 
land  and  engaged  in  farming,  but  when  the  summer 
was  over  he  sold  out  to  his  partner. 

In  the  fall  of   1843,  in   Uecatur,  Mr.  Allen  wed- 


ded Mrs.  Margaret  Pratt,  daughter  of  Col.  John 
Robinson,  a  merchant  and  stock-dealer  of  Picka- 
way  County,  Ohio.  Her  father  was  born  in  Dela- 
ware, and  at  an  early  day  removed  to  Pickaway 
County.  He  married  Mary  Short,  a  native  of 
Delaware,  and  their  third  child,  Margaret,  was  born 
on  the  10th  of  November,  1803.  In  Ohio  she  be- 
came the  wife  of  William  Pratt,  of  Maryland,  and 
on  the  15th  of  September,  1835,  they  located  in  what 
is  now  Piatt  County,  111.,  but  afterward  removed 
to  Decatur,  where  Mr.  Pratt  died,  leaving  a  daugh- 
ter, Annie  A. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Allen  engaged  in  farm- 
ing until  1846,  when  he  came  to  Pekin.  There  was 
no  schoolhouse  here,  but  he  rented  a  room  and 
engaged  in  teaching  for  three  years.  A  small 
brick  schoolhouse  was  then  erected  and  he  held 
the  first  school  therein.  After  six  months  he  re- 
moved to  the  farm  and  continued  its  cultivation 
for  three  years,  when  he  once  more  took  charge  of 
the  school  in  this  place.  In  1850  he  located  upon 
the  site  of  his  present  home,  where  he  had  eighty 
acres  situated  on  the  bluff,  and  now  has  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-eight  acres. 

In  the  same  year  Mr.  Allen  was  chosen  County 
Superintendent  of  Schools,  and  was  elected  four 
times,  filling  the  office  for  ten  consecutive  years, 
after  which  he  returned  to  the  farm.  He  then 
served  as  County  School  Commissioner,_and  also 
taught  several  terms,  but  of  late  years  has  been  en-* 
gaged  in  the  cultivation  of  his  property.  He 
planted  all  the  trees  upon  it,  set  out  two  orchards, 
and  also  engaged  in  raising  grain.  About  forty 
acres  of  his  farm  is  probably  underlaid  with  coal. 
Through  his  friendship  with  Governor  Oglesby 
Mr.  Allen  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  first 
Board  of  Trustees  of  the  University  of  Illinois  at 
Champaign,  and  held  the  office  for  four  years.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Washingtonian  Society  and 
Sons  of  Temperance,  and  is  a  stalwart  Republican. 
He  voted  for  William  Henry  Harrison,  and  also  for 
his  illustrious  grandson,  Benjamin  Harrison.  He 
aided  in  organizing  the  Baptist  Church  at  Pekin, 
and  for  a  half-century  has  been  one  of  its  Deacons. 
On  the  18th  of  October,  1893,  their  many  friends 
celebrated  the  golden  wedding  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Allen,  for  during  fifty  years  this  worthy  couple 


420 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


have  traveled  life's  journey  together.  All  who 
know  them  esteem  them  highly,  and  it  is  with  pleas- 
ure that  we  present  to  our  readers  this  record  of 
their  lives. 


eilARLES  L.  WILSON,  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer of  the  American  Distilling  Company, 
is  one  of  the  prominent  business  men  of 
Pekin,  where  he  is  residing.  His  father,  John  Wil- 
son, was  born  in  Poughkeopsie,  N.  Y.,  of  which 
state  the  grandfather,  Henry  Wilson,  was  also  a 
native.  The  latter  was  an  early  settler  in  Peoria, 
near  which  city  he  was  engaged  in  farming  at  the 
time  of  his  decease.  Though  now  somewhat  re- 
tired from  active  duties,  John  Wilson  is  still  inter- 
ested in  various  important  enterprises  connected 
with  the  progress  of  Pekin  and  Peoria,  his  home 
being  in  the  latter  city.  He  has  been  successful  as 
a  cattle  dealer,  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  American 
Distilling  Company  in  this  city  and  senior  member 
of  the  John  Wilson  &  Co.  stock  firm,  also  of  Pekin. 
He  married  Miss  Emily  Woodruff,  a  native  of  the 
Buckeye  State,  and  the  daughter  of  George  Wood- 
ruff, also  an  early  settler  of  Peoria. 

Charles  L.,  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  the  above 
city  August  6,  1863,  and  was  there  reared  to  man- 
hood, graduating  from  the  high  school.  Later  he 
took  a  course  in  the  business  college  of  that  city, 
and  in  1882  went  west  to  Burton,  Harve}-  Coun- 
ty, Kan.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business  in  company  with  his  brother  A.  W.,  under 
the  style  of  Wilson  Bros.  Two  years  later  our  sub- 
ject purchased  his  brother's  interest  in  the  store 
and  continued  alone,  carrying  on  the  largest  en- 
terprise in  the  place  until  1887,  when  he  sold  out 
and  came  to  Pekin.  After  his  advent  in  this  city 
he  accepted  a  position  as  bookkeeper  with  the 
Hamburg  Distilling  Company,  by  whom  lie  was 
employed  until  January  of  the  following  year, 
when  the  company  sold  out  to  the  trust.  He  was 
still  retained  in  the  capacity  of  bookkeeper,  how- 
ever, until  1892,  when,  in  the  fall  of  that  year, 
lie  purchased  an  interest  in  the  American  Distilling 


Company,  and  after  its  incorporation  was  elected 
Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  same. 

In  addition  to  the  above  enterprise,  Mr.  Wilson 
is  extensively  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  with  his 
father,  owning  fifteen  acres  of  ground  in  the  city, 
and  cattle  sheds  which  will  accommodate  four  thou- 
sand animals.  He  is  also  interested  in  the  whole- 
sale house  known  as  the  Wilson  Grocery  Company, 
which  is  doing  business  with  a  capital  of  $100,- 
000.  The  distillery  has  a  capacity  of  five  thousand 
bushels  a  day,  and  gives  constant  employment  to 
one  hundred  men. 

In  Burton,  Kan.,  December  11,  1889,  Charles  L. 
Wilson  married  Miss  Georgia  Easly.  Mrs.  Wilson 
was  born  in  that  state,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Dr. 
Peter  Easly,  a  prominent  physician  of  Burton. 
Their  union  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  a  daugh- 
ter, Edith.  Our  subject  has  been  identified  with 
the  Republican  party  for  many  years,  and  is  a  lead- 
ing factor  in  all  worthy  movement*. 


eHARLES  F.  MURREL.  The  plain  state- 
ment of  facts  embraced  in  the  life  of  Mr. 
Murrel,  a  man  well  and  favorably  known 
to  the  people  of  Mason  County,  is  all  that  we 
profess  to  be  able  to  give  in  this  volume,  yet, 
upon  examination  of  these  facts,  there  will  be 
found  the  career  of  one  whose  entire  force  through 
the  world  has  been  marked  by  great  honesty  and 
fidelity  of  purpose.  He  is  now  living  in  the  city 
of  Havana,  where  he  won  the  honored  position 
of  Superintendent  of  the  water  works,  to  which 
he  was  appointed  May  3,  1891. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Henry.  Marshall  Coun- 
ty, this  state,  January  20,  1856.  and  is  the  son  of 
John  and  Elizabeth  (Lehman)  Murrel,  the  father 
a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  the  mother  born 
in  England.  John  Murrel  came  to  Marshall  Coun- 
ty in  an  early  day,  where  he  was  classed  among  the 
pioneers  and  where  he  lived  until  his  decease,  in 
1862.  Mrs.  Murrel  was  brought  to  America  by  her 
parents  when  quite  young,  they  locating  in  Putnam 
County,  this  state,  where  they  engaged  in  farm- 
ing pursuits.  Mr. .Murrel  was  a  very  successful 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


421 


agriculturist  and  made  a  specialty  of  breeding  fine 
grades  of  stock,  keeping  on  his  place  a  large  num- 
ber of  thoroughbred  animals,  among  which  were 
valuable  horses.  He  always  took  an  important 
part  in  public  affairs,  was  upright  and  honest  in 
all  his  dealings,  and  was  looked  upon  as  one  of 
the  leading  citizens  of  Marshall  County. 

Charles  F.  Murrel,  of  this  sketch,  attended 
school  in  Marshall  County  until  reaching  his  tenth 
year,  at  which  carty  age  he  started  out  in  the 
world  on  his  own  account,  and  was  variously  em- 
ployed for  four  years,  when  he  hired  out  on  a 
canal  boat,  running  between  Clullicothe  and  Chi- 
cago. After  making  a  few  trips,  he  remained  in 
Chicago  in  the  employ  of  a  man  named  M.  C. 
Gregory,  in  a  boiler  and  engine  supply  house, 
for  whom  he  worked  for  about  six  months.  At 
the  expiration  of  that  time  he  found  work  with 
Eugene  Howard,  engineer  on  the  tugboat  "O.  B. 
Green,"  and  under  his  instruction  he  learned  naval 
engineering. 

Having  become  a  competent  engineer,  Mr.  Mur- 
rel secured  a  first-class  license  after  being  duly  ex- 
amined by  John  P.  Far,  who  was  boiler  inspector 
of  Chicago,  and  accepted  a  position  on  a  com- 
pound canal  boat  running  between  Chicago  and 
Lockport,  loaded  with  grain  for  Norton  <fe  Co. 
He  had  full  charge  of  the  boat  for  one  season, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1878  went  to  St.  Louis,  where 
he  found  employment  in  the  St.  Louis  Machine 
Shops,  and  the  next  spring  was  made  Chief  En- 
gineer of  the  steamer  "C.  W.  Anderson,"  plying 
between  St.  Louis  and  Peoria.  He  acted  in  that 
capacity  for  one  season,  when  he  hired  out  to  the 
Toledo,  Peoria  &  Western  Railroad  Company  as 
a  locomotive  engineer,  which  position  he  held 
until  1887.  Later  we  find  him  acting  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  engineer  of  the  water  supply  for  the 
Jacksonville  South-eastern  Company,  by  whom 
he  was  employed  until  the  spring  of  1891,  when 
he  came  to  Havana,  and  May  3  was  appointed  to 
his  present  position  of  Superintendent  of  the 
water  works.  He  has  full  charge  of  the  works, 
lays  all  the  water  mains  in  the  city,  and  often  has 
in  his  emplov  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  men. 

July  2,  1877,  Charles  F.  Murrel  was  married  to 
Miss  Jennie,  daughter  of  James  Salisbury.  The 


lady  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  this  state,  of 
which  place  her  father  was  a  pioneer.  She  is  a  de- 
voted member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  with  her  husband,  occupies  a  nice  residence 
pleasantly  located  in  the  city.  Socially,  our  sub- 
ject is  a  member  of  Mason  Lodge  No.  143, 1.  O. 
O.  F.,  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Havana  Build- 
ing &  Loan  Association.  He  is  classed  among 
the  most  respected  citizens  of  the  community, 
and  in  politics  is  a  strong  supporter  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party. 


,ETER  MEIREIS.  The  following  is  a  brief 
sketch  of  the  career  of  Mr.  Meireis,  whose 
present  substantial  position  has  been  reached 
entirely  through  his  own  perseverance  and 
whose  life  shows  what  can  be  accomplished  by  a 
person  with  enlightened  views.  During  his  child- 
hood he  experienced  many  disadvantages  and  for 
years  had  to  struggle  against  a  seemingly  adverse 
fate.  But  notwithstanding  discouragements  he 
pushed  ahead  and  the  result  proves  the  wisdom  of 
his  course.  He  is  at  present  residing  in  Havana, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  carrying  on  a  prosperous 
business  in  the  manufacture  of  brick. 

A  native  of  Germany,  our  subject  was  born 
May  10,  1835,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Catha- 
rine (Larch)  Meireis,  the  former  of  whom  lived 
and  died  in  the  Fatherland.  He  spent  the  first 
nineteen  years  of  his  life  in  Germany,  where  he 
was  given  a  good  education,  and  in  1855  decided 
to  try  his  fortune  in  America,  and  boarding  a  sail- 
ing vessel,  landed  in  New  York  City  several  da}'s 
later.  He  remained  in  that  place  for  about  three 
months,  when  he  came  west  to  Beardstown,  this 
state,  and  in  1864  made  his  advent  into  Havana, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  brick  in 
company  with  John  G.  Reichel.  This  connection 
lasted  for  about  three  years  when  our  subject  pur- 
chased his  partner's  interest  and  conducted  the 
business  alone,  until  taking  into  the  concern  A. 
England.  They  operated  together  for  about  thir- 
teen years,  but  for  the  last  five  years  Mr.  Meireis 
has  carried  on  the  business  alone.  His  brick  yards 
are  located  near  the  Jacksonville  South-eastern 


422 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Railroad  tracks,  and  there  he  manufactures  build- 
ing and  joining  brick  of  a  very  superior  quality, 
and  has  furnished  the  material  for  the  erection  of 
many  of  the  best  business  blocks  in  the  city. 

In  May,  1864,  Peter  Meireis  and  Miss  Catherine 
Ringel  were  united  in  marriage.  The  lady  was  also 
born  in  Germany,  and  died  in  March,  1873.  He 
was  later  married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Ilaeix,  who 
by  this  union  has  become  the  mother  of  eight 
children,  namely:  Carrie,  Katie,  George,  Mary,  Al- 
bert, Henry,  Minnie  and  Frieddie.  Both  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  and  have  done  much  to  advance  all  relig- 
ious causes  throughout  the  community. 

The  political  sympathies  of  our  subject  are  with 
the  Democratic  part}'.  He  is  a  man  of  good  hab- 
its and  is  well  thought  of  in  the  community  where 
he  has  resided  for  so  many  years,  and  as  one  of 
the  self-made  citizens  of  Mason  County  we  are 
pleased  to  present  his  sketch  in  this  RECORD. 


AMUEL  W.  SMITH,  the  owner  and  occu- 
pant of  a  finely  improved  farm  situated 
on  section  22,  Havana  Township,  Mason 
County,  is  an  honored  representative  of  a 
family  that  settled  in  Rhode  Island  prior  to  the 
War  of  the  Revolution.  He  is  the  son  of  James 
and  Charlotte  (Smith)  Smith,  the  former  of  whom 
was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  tin  plate  and 
sheet  iron.  They  were  married  in  Warren,  R.  I., 
and  there  continued  to  reside  until  death. 

Of  two  children  born  to  his  parents  our  subject 
is  the  only  survivor.  He  was  born  in  Warren,  R. 
I.,  December  6,  1835,  and  was  reared  in  the  place 
of  his  birth  until  sixteen  years  old.  At  that  age 
he  came  as  far  west  as  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  for 
a  time  he  attended  the  high  school,  and  later  was 
a  student  in  the  select  school  of  Charles  Mathews, 
a  brother  of  Stanley  Mathews.  After  completing 
his  studies  he  was  employed  as  bookkeeper  for  a 
grain  and  distillery  firm  in  Cincinnati.  Leaving 
thatcity  in  1858  he  came  to  Tazewell  County,  and 
was  employed  as  bookkeeper  in  Pekin,  later  in  Ha- 
vana, where  in  the  summer  of  1863,  he  kept  books 


for  Mr.  McFadden.  He  was  also  engaged  in  the 
grain  business  there. 

In  1873  Mr.  Smith  came  to  his  present  farm, 
where  his  original  tract  consisted  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres.  He  now  owns  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  well-improved  laud,  embel- 
lished with  first-class  farm  buildings.  His  resi- 
dence was  erected  in  1893  at  a  cost  of  $2,000  and 
is  one  of  the  most  attractive  rural  homes  in  the 
township.  The  barn  which  was  built  in  1890  cost 
$700,  and  contains  ample  space  for  the  s.i«...ter  of 
stock  and  storage  of  grain.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  prac- 
tical, progressive  farmer,  who  through  energy  and 
perseverance  has  made  a  success  of  his  chosen  oc- 
cupation. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Smith  occurred  in  1865,  and 
united  him  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Walker.  This 
lady  was  born  in  Havana,  111.,  in  January,  1849, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  William  and  Catherine 
(Wheeler)  Walker,  natives  respectively  of  Ken- 
tucky and  Indiana,  who  in  an  early  day  settled  at 
;  Havana.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  the  parents  of 
,  offe.  C.lViM,'  Albert  B.  Politically  our  subject  was 
reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Republican  party,  and  in 
later  years  affiliated  with  the  Democrats  but  is 
now  independent  in  his  views.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Peterville  Grange,  in  which  in  former  years 
he  held  official  positions.  For  a  number  of  years 
he  has  been  Director  of  School  District  No.  2,  and 
is  now  Township  Trustee. 


iiENJAMIN  II.  IRONMONGER,  formerly 
proprietor  of  the  Mason  City  Flour  Mills, 
was  born  in  Staffordshire,  England,  Octo- 
ber 1,  1832.  He  is  of  English  descent 
through  a  long  line  of  ancestry.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Benjamin,  spent  his  entire  life  in  that 
country,  which  was  also  the  birthplace  of  Joseph 
Ironmonger,  our  subject's  father.  The  latter  emi- 
grated to  America  in  1845,  and  landing  in  New 
York,  proceeded  thence  to  Virginia,  but  afterward 
removed  west  and  settled  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where 
he  followed  his  occupation  of  an  engineer.  His 
wife,  whose  maiden  name  was'Elizabeth  Hickman, 
was  born  in  England  and  died  in  Jackson  ville,  111. 
At  the  age  of  thirteen  years  our  subject  accom- 


LIBRARY 

or  rot 


ALEXANDER   STUART. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


425 


panied  his  parents  to  America  and  remained  witli 
them  for  some  years  thereafter.  Under  his  father's 
tutelage  he  learned  the  trade  of  an  engineer  and 
acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  engineering, 
and  of  mao.hinery  in  general.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  he  embaiked  in  the  milling  business  at  Dela- 
van,  111.,  in  partnership  with  Arthur  Stubbs,  the 
concern  being  known  as  the  "Young  American 
Mills."  After  three  years  thus  occupied  the  firm 
sold  out  the  business,  and  in  1871  our  subject  came 
to  Mason  City,  where  he  built  a  mill. 

Business  was  carried  on  under  the  firm  name  of 
Ironmonger  &  Co.,  the  company  being  Messrs. 
Johnson  and  Tibbets.  Later  Mr.  Johnson  disposed 
of  his  interest  to  Morgan  Barngrover,  and  in  1880 
that  gentleman  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Tibbets, 
the  firm  being  then  changed  to  Ironmonger  &  Tib- 
bets.  This  connection  continued  until  the  death 
of  Mr.  Tibbets,  in  April  of  1887,  at  which  time 
our  subject  assumed  the  full  control.  Through- 
out the  surrounding  counties  he  transacted  an 
extensive  business,  and  the  flour  being  of  a  superior 
quality,  found  a  very  ready  saJe.  Three  grades 
were  manufactured,  the  "Gold  Drop,"  "Sunrise" 
and  "Wife's  Delight." 

Though  of  foreign  birth  and  antecedents,  Mr. 
Ironmonger  was  reared  under  American  institu- 
tions, and  the  United  States  has  no  more  loyal  or 
law-abiding  citizen  than  he,  nor  one  who  more 
heartily  favors  the  Republican  form  of  Govern- 
ment. In  politics  the  Republican  party  finds  in 
him  an  intelligent  supporter  of  its  policy.  He  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  the  public  schools  and 
public  improvements  of  all  kinds,  and  was  one  of 
the  prime  factors  in  the  organization  of  the  water 
works  Sociall3',  he  is  a  member  of  Mason  City 
Lodge  No.  143,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

In  1855  Mr.  Ironmonger  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  George  Stubbs. 
Mrs.  Ironmonger  was  born  in  England,  where  her 
education  was  commenced,  and  after  emigrating 
to  the  United  States  she  was  a  student  in  the  pub- 
lic schools.  Three-  sons  and  four  daughters  were 
born  of  this  marriage,  namely:  Olive  E.,  wife  of 
John  G.  Green,  of  Mason  City;  Hattie,  deceased; 
Laura,  who  married  Henry  Stevenson,  of  Ne- 
braska; Minnie  R.,  Benjamin  F.,  Arthur  J.  and 


Joseph  D.,  who  are  at  home.  In  their  religious  belief 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ironmonger  are  Presbyterians,  and 
the  church  of  that  denomination  in  Mason  City 
has  in  him  one  of  its  most  liberal  supporters;  he 
has  served  as  an  Elder  for  a  number  of  years. 
Coming  to  this  country  without  means,  he  has  ac- 
quired a  handsome  competence  by  the  exercise  of 
those  traits  that  mark  him  as  a  man  of  more  than 
ordinary  push  and  foresight,  endowed  with  excel- 
lent powers  of  calculation  and  discrimination. 


LEXANDER  STUART.  There  is  in  the 
development  of  a  successful  life  a  princi- 
ple which  is  a  lesson  to  every  man,  a  lesson 
leading  to ,  higher  and  more  honorable 
positions  than  the  ordinary.  Let  a  man  be  indus- 
triously ambitious  and  honorable  in  his  ambitions, 
and  he  will  rise,  whether  having  the  prestige  of 
family  or  the  obscurity  of  poverty.  These  reflec- 
tions are  called  forth  by  the  study  of  the  life  of 
Mr.  Stuart,  who  is  a  retired  capitalist  residing  in 
Havana. 

Mr.  Stuart  is  of  Irish  birth  and  education,  and 
was  born  in  County  Darz,  in  Juty,  1815.  He  is 
the  son  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Hamilton)  Stuart, 
also  natives  of  Ireland,  where  the  mother  died  in 
1820,  and  the  father  in  1835.  Alexander  spent 
the  first  twenty  years  of  his  life  in  his  native  land, 
and  when  in  1835  he  landed  on  American  shores  he 
made  his  way  directly  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  short  time,  thence  removed  to  Craw- 
ford County,  that  state,  where  he  was  engaged  on 
a  farm  with  his  brother  for  about  six  months. 

The  next  move  which  our  subject  made  was 
south  to  Louisiana,  where  he  was  employed  by  the 
Government  on  the  Red  River,  clearing  out  a  log 
drift  which  was  interfering  seriously  with  naviga- 
tion. He  remained  there  for  six  months,  receiving 
as  his  wages  $21  per  month  and  his  board.  On 
returning  to  the  Keystone  State  he  aided  his 
brother  in  his  farming  operations  until  the  fall  of 
1836.  At  that  time  lie  was  employed  on  a  flat  boat 
which  was  engaged  in  transportation  of  merchan- 
dise, and  later  found  work  on  a  steamer  plying  the 
lower  Mississippi  River. 

After  having  been  variously  employed  for  some 


426 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


time,  Mr.  Stuart  finally  came  to  Havana,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  different  lines  of  work.  Being 
economical,  he  soon  saved  a  sufficient  sum  of  money 
to  enable  him  to  embark  in  the  grocery  business. 
When  ready  to  begin  his  business  career  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  George  Robinson,  and  they  car- 
ried on  the  grocery  business  for  six  years  under 
the  style  of  Robinson  &  Stuart,  when  the  partner- 
ship was  dissolved. 

In  1840  our  subject  entered  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness, which  lie  was  conducting  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  late  war.  He  then  engaged  as  a  coal  and  wood 
merchant,  and  carried  on  a  large  trade  until  1867. 
Having  meanwhile  accumulated  a  vast  amount  of 
property  he  then  retired  from  active  business,  and 
since  that  time  has  given  his  entire  attention  to 
looking  after  his  varied  interests.  At  present  he 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  the 
county. 

The  lady  whom  our  subject  married  in  1846  was 
Miss  Margaret  Gardner,  a  native  of  New  York  and 
the  daughter  of  Andrew  Gardner,  who  was  an  early 
settler  of  Fulton  County.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stuart 
have  been  born  a  son  and  daughter,  Charles,  who 
is  engaged  in  farming  in  Mason  County,  and  Jen- 
nie, now  the  wife  of  Daniel  Cullinane,  of  this  city. 
Mrs.  Margaret  Stuart  departed  this  life  in  1856. 

With  the  public  enterprises  connected  with  the 
progress  of  Havana  Mr.  Stuart  has  been  closely 
associated.  He  was  the  projector  of  the  wooden 
bridge,  which  was  the  first  structure  of  the  kind  to 
span  the  Illinois  River  at  Havana.  His  career  has 
ever  been  upright  and  honorable.  A  man  of  sterl- 
ing worth  and  strict  integrit}',  he  has  been  the  ar- 
chitect of  his  own  fortune.  In  polities  he  is  a 
Democrat,  stanch  in  his  support  of  party  principles. 
As  one  of  the  valued  citizens  of  Mason  County  he 
well  deserves  representation  in  this  volume. 


-^  RANK  E.  MEYERS,  although  a  young  man, 
has  become  well  known  in  agricultural  cir- 
ii  cles  and  is  recognized  as  a  careful,  ener- 
getic farmer,  who,  by  his  advanced  ideas  and  pro- 
gressive habits,  is  doing  much  to  improve  the 
farming  interests  of  this  section.  He  is  not  only 
prominent  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil,  but  as  a  citizen 


and  neighbor  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem.  He  is 
the  occupant  of  an  estate  located  on  section  36, 
Sand  Prairie  Township,  Tazewell  County,  from 
which  by  a  proper  rotation  of  crops  he  reaps  a 
good  income. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  this  township  October 
21,  1867,  which  is  also  the  native  place  of  his  fa- 
ther, John  Meyers,  whose  birth  occurred  August 
26,  1838.  The  latter  is  a  man  of  good'  education, 
and  March  12,  1863,  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
Hafliger,  also  a  native  of  this  county,  where  she 
was  born  in  Dillon  Township,  March  28,  1840. 
The  3'oung  couple  commenced  life  as  agricultur- 
ists, and  so  successful  were  they  in  this  branch  of 
work  that  in  1893  they  were  enabled  to  remove  to 
Pckin,  where  they  are  now  living  a  retired  life. 
They  are  very  wealthy,  owning  over  five  hundred 
acres  of  valuable  land  in  this  county,  which  is  now 
rented  to  good  advantage. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  John 
Hafliger,  was  born  in  Switzerland  in  1809,  and  on 
coming  to  America  in  1818  located  near  Reading, 
Pa.,  where  he  was  given  good  advantages  for  ob- 
taining an  education.  After  his  graduation  he 
left  the  Keystone  State,  and  going  to  New  Orleans, 
secured  the  position  of  Cashier  in  the  New  Orleans 
Bank.  While  in  the  descent  City  he  belonged  to 
a  company  of  militia,  and  he  now  keeps  as  relics 
of  that  time  an  old  musket  and  sword  which  he 
highly  prizes. 

John  Hafliger  was  married  in  New  Orleans  and 
came  to  Tazewell  County  in  1834.  Here  he  pur- 
chased a  large  tract  of  land,  on  which  he  and  his 
wife  made  their  home  for  a  half-century.  They 
removed  to  Green  Valley  in  1884,  and  are  now  liv- 
ing retired.  The  mother  of  our  subject  had  six 
brothers  and  sisters,  namely:  John,  who  married 
Miss  Sarah  McClintock  and  now  resides  on  a  farm 
near  Delavan;  Joseph,  who  married  Miss  Fannie 
Squires  and  is  also  an  agriculturist  near  that  place; 
Lottie,  the  wife  of  Port  McClintock,  who  makes 
her  home  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  Catherine,  who 
married  John  W.  Dicks  and  resides  in  this  town- 
ship; Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Henry  Kinsey,  who  makes  her 
home  in  Colorado;  and  Fannie,  now  Mrs.  Henry 
Squires,  who  lives  in  Green  Valley. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  prominent  in  local 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


427 


affairs  and  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  of  his 
township  for  seven  consecutive  terms.  He  lias 
also  been  the  recipient  of  various  other  township 
and  county  offices  and  in  every  position  gave  en- 
tire satisfaction.  He  became  the  father  of  three 
children,  Frank  E.,  Joseph  A.  and  Katie  May,  of 
whom  the  latter  is  still  at  home. 

Our  subject  received  his  education  in  his  native 
place  and  continued  to  reside  under  the  parental 
roof  until  his  marriage  with  Miss  Carrie  B.  Lari- 
mer, February  20,  1891.  Mrs.  Meyers  was  born  in 
this  county  and  is  the  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Jane  Larimer,  who  came  hither  from  Ohio  in  an 
early  day.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  a  little  daughter,  Katie  Daisy,  who  was 
born  June  3,  1892.  In  politics  our  subject  is 
Democratic,  and  is  active  in  all  worthy  enterprises 
that  have  for  their  object  the  upbuilding  of  his 
community. 


LUCAS.  In  giving  an  account 
5^,  of  the  different  business  enterprises  of  Pe- 
kin,  we  desire  particularly  to  call  atten- 
tion to  Mr.  Lucas,  who  is  V ice-President  and 
Treasurer  of  the  Independent  Biscuit  and  Cracker 
Company,  and  is  likewise  Treasurer  of  the  Water 
Works  Company.  Since  locating  here  in  1870  he 
has  conducted  his  various  affairs  very  satisfactorily 
on  his  own  responsibility  and  by  fair  dealing  has 
obtained  a  good  share  of  public  favor. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Ger- 
many, .January  13,  1824,  and  is  the  son  of  George 
Lucas,  Sr.,  who  was  likewise  a  native  of  the  Father- 
land  and  one  of  the  clerks  in  the  Mayor's  office  in 
Gimhsheim.  Later  the  father  came  to  America, 
and  in  1868  located  on  a  farm  near  Pekin,  where 
his  decease  occurred  in  1869,  when  seventy-two 
years  of  age.  He  was  a  Protestant  in  religion,  as 
was  also  his  wife,  Mrs.  Helena  (Metzger)  Lucas. 

Jacob  Lucas,  one  of  the  four  brothers,  of  w.hom 
three  are  living,  remained  in  his  native  land  at- 
tending school  until  after  the  Revolution  of  1848, 
in  which  conflict  he  took  part, and  after  the  estab- 
lishment of  peace  came  to  America.  George  Lucas 


left  Rotterdam  in  1848  on  the  sailing-vessel  "Cor- 
nelius Grinnell,"  and  twenty-four  days  later 
landed  in  New  York  City  and  soon  afterward  went 
to  Rochester  and  found  work  on  a  farm  near  that 
city.  After  two  and  one-half  years  spent  in  the  New 
World,  our  subject  returned  to  Germany,  which 
trip  consumed  only  nine  days,  and  in  his  native 
land  followed  farm  work  two  years. 

In  1853  our  subject  came  to  America,  this  time 
coming  west  as  far  as  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he 
spent  one  summer.  It  was  his  intention  to  join 
his  brothers  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  but  as  the  cholera 
was  raging  in  that  city  he  remained  in  the  Buck- 
eye State  until  the  fall,  when  he  went  to  Mound 
City,  where  he  was  employed  in  a  wholesale 
house  for  one  year.  Thence  he  went  to  Hermann, 
Mo.,  where  he  was  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  coun- 
try store.  A  year  later  he  started  in  business  for 
himself  and  was  very  successful  in  his  undertak- 
ing until  the  outbreak  of  the  late  war,  when  the 
hard  times  caused  him  to  lose  all  his  property. 
In  addition  to  this  enterprise  he  also  owned  a 
valuable  farm  of  two  hundred  and  seventy  acres, 
which  he  operated  with  great  profit  after  the  close 
of  the  war. 

In  1870  Mr.  Lucas  sold  out  his  interests  in  Mis- 
souri, and  coming  to  Pekin  opened  a  grocery  store 
which  had  formerly  been  owned  by  his  younger 
brother,  then  deceased.  He  carried  on  a  profitable 
business  in  company  with  another  brother,  whose 
decease  occurred  in  August,  1886,  and  Mr.  Lucas 
then  ran  the.  establishment  alone  for  some  time. 
It  was  one  of  the  best  grocery  houses  in  the  city, 
was  28x80  feet  in  dimensions  and  was  stocked  with 
a  great  variety  of  staple  and  fancy  groceries.  In 
the  meantime  he  had  purchased  another  store  on 
North  Court  Street,  which  he  carried  on  for  five 
years,  and  in  January,  1891,  disposed  of  both 
of  his  groceries. 

Mr.  Lucas  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  In- 
dependent Biscuit  and  Cracker  Company,  of  which 
he  was  Secretary  and  Treasurer  the  first  year.  The 
company  have  a  paid-up  capital  of  $25,000  and 
occupy  a  large  three-story  and  basement  building, 
which  is  located  on  Third  and  Margaret  Streets. 
They  find  a  ready  market  for  the  product  of  their 
factory  and  manufacture  six  hundred  boxes  of 


428 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


crackers  a  day,  besides  numerous  varieties   of  bis- 
cuits. 

Mr.  Lucas  has  a  fine  home  located  on  Broadway, 
in  which  comfort  reigns  supreme.  He  is  one  of 
the  Directors  of  the  German  National  Bank.  His 
life  has  been  crowned  with  success  because  he  has 
earned  it,  and  he  now  enjoys  the  respect  and  es- 
teem of  all  with  whom  he  has  become  acquainted. 


C.  BECK  WITH  resides  on  sections  9,  10 
and  16,  Kilbourne  Township,  Mason  Coun- 
ty, where  he  owns  two  hundred  and  fifty- 
three  acres  of  finely  improved  land  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres  on  section  17, 
which  he  devotes  to  diversified  crops.  The  build- 
ings which  have  been  erected  upon  the  estate  are 
neat  and  substantial,  sufficiently  commodious  for 
their  respective  uses,  and  include  every  necessary 
and  convenient  edifice.  Mr.  Beckwith  pursues  his 
calling  with  zeal  and  intelligence,  winning  from 
the  soil  an  abundant  share  of  the  various  grains 
which  he  cultivates,  and  in  this  way  securing  for 
himself  and  family  all  the  comforts  and  many  of 
the  luxuries  of  life. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Crawford  County,  this 
state,  April  25,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  Elijah  Beck- 
with, a  native  of  Elmira  County,  N.  Y.  The  latter 
came  to  Illinois  in  an  early  day,  and  in  1850  took 
up  his  residence  in  Havana  Township,  this  count}', 
on  a  farm  which  he  made  his  home  until  his  de- 
parture for  Nebraska.  There  his  death  took  place 
in  Ouster  County  January  31,  1893,  when  in  his 
seventy-fourth  year. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Benja- 
min Beckwith,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Empire 
State  and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  War. 
He,  too,  located  at  an  early  day  in  Crawford 
County,  this  state,  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  His  father  was  an  Englishman  by  birth, 
and  coining  to  America  during  the  Revolutionary 
War,  served  as  an  officer  in  the  Continental  army 
during  that  entire  period. 

The  maiden  name  of  our  subject's  mother  was 
Emily  Seaney;  she  was  born  in  Crawford  County 
and  there  lived  until  1850,  when  she  accompanied 
her  husband  to  this  county.  She  is  still  living 


and  makes  her  home  in  Kansas.  II.  C.  was  the 
eldest  of  the  parental  family  of  three  children  and 
was  a  lad  of  nine  years  at  the  time  of  his  parents' 
removal  to  this  county.  His  primary  education 
was  carried  on  first  in  the  subscription,  and  later 
in  the  public  schools  near  his  home.  He  was 
thoroughly  trained  to  farm  pursuits  and  began 
following  the  plow  at  the  very  early  age  of  nine 
years. 

H.  C.  Beckwith  and   Miss  Sarah  E.  Ileston  were 

% 

united  in  marriage  November  30,  1865.  The  lady 
was  born  in  Chester  County,  Pa., and  came  to  this 
state  in  1853.  The  young  couple  after  their 
union  located  on  the  farm  which  Mr.  Beckwith 
owned  and  for  which  he  paid  by  working  out  at 
sixty  cents  a  da}'.  He  is  the  proud  possessor  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty-three  acres  on  sections  9, 
10  and  16,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres 
on  section  17,  making  in  all  a  handsome  property 
of  four  hundred  and  eight  acres.  As  a  matter  of 
course  he  has  been  very  mucli  prospered  iu  his 
farming  ventures  and  is  very  successful  in  every 
branch  of  agriculture. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beckwith  have  been  born  three 
sons  and  one  daughter.  The  latter,  Lizzie,  is  the 
wife  of  Jesse  Craggs  and  lives  in  Kilbourne  Vil- 
lage. The  sons  are  Henry  A.,  Howard  P.  and  Charles 
F.  In  politics  our  subject  is  a  stanch  Democrat 
and  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  in  his  township 
two  terms, for  nine  years  was  School  Director,  and 
was  Highway  Commissioner  for  many  terms,,  in 
each  capacity  winning  laurels  as  an  efficient  pub- 
lic servant.  He  is  a  Director  of  the  Farmers' 
Mutual  Insurance  Company,  and  as  a  reliable  citi- 
zen and  intelligent  man  commands  respect  from 
those  about  him. 


[/  A.  MARSHALL  is  one  of  the  most  enter- 
prising business  men  of  Manito,  being  now 
engaged  in  the  sale  of  buggies,  surries, 
wagons,  hardware  and  stoves,  and  every- 
thing found  in  a  first-class  establishment  of  the 
kind.  He  was  born  September  23,  1846,  in  Madi- 
son County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Joshua  Marshall, 
who  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1814.  His  parents 
were  Joshua  and  Sarah  (Haynes)  Marshall.  The 


RESIDENCE  OF  J.  A.  MARSHALL,  MAXITO,  TAZEWELL  CO.,  ILL. 


RESIDENCE  OF  H.  C.   BECKWITH,  SEC.   16,  KILBOURNE  TP.,  TAZEWELL  CO.,  ILL. 


LIBRARY 
Of  THt 
UNIVERSITY  Of 


•PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


431 


father  of  our  subject  moved  to  Knnkakee,  111.,  in 
1816,  and  built  a  new  hotel,  but  was  burnt  out  in 
1858,  suffering  a  loss  of  16,000.  He  also  met  other 
losses  and  this  caused  his  removal  to  Mason  Coun- 
ty, where  he  was  more  prosperous.  In  1862  he  sold 
the  produce  of  his  farm  for  $6,200,  and  in  his  busi- 
ness interests  met  with  success.  In  March,  1838, 
he  married  Drusilla  Rackstraw,  and  to  them  were 
born  the  following  children:  Mrs.  Samantha  Black, 
Kmeranda,  J.  A.,  of  this  sketch,  Horace  S.,  Allen  J. 
and  Henry  S. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  worked  at  home  upon 
the  farm  until  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  when  he 
determined  to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  for 
himself.  He  purchased  in  Spring  Lake  Township 
three  hundred  acres  of  land  on  which  was  a  good 
house,  barn  and  other  improvements.  His  farm 
residence  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1883,  but  witli 
characteristic  energy  he  built  a  new  residence,  it 
being  30x14  feet  with  an  "L"  14x18.  It  is  two 
stories  in  height  and  cost  $1,600.  There  is  a  fine 
barn  33x30  feet,  with  large  cribs  for  the  storing  of 
his  grain,  in  fact  the  place  is  complete  in  all  its 
appointments,  no  accessory  being  wanted,:  The. 
place  is  enclosed  by  a  good  hedge  and  a  wire  fence, 
and  is  divided  into  fields  of  convenient  size.  There 
is  also  a  four-acre  orchard.  In  1878  Mr.  Marshall 
built  the  North  Elevator  in  Manito,  at  a  cost  of 
$3,500,  and  in  connection  with  his  brother  Horace 
is  engaged  in  grain  dealing,  doing  a  good  business 
in  that  line.  In  the  fall  of  1881  he  came  to  Man- 
ito, purchased  lots  and  built  him  a  home.  He  now 
has  a  fine  residence  14x28  feet,  with  a  front  18x20 
feel,  two  stories  in  height,  witli  a  kitchen  20x14, 
the  cost  of  erecting  which  was  $3,500.  It  is  supplied 
with  all  modern  improvements  and  is  one  of  the 
lint'M,  homes  of  the  village.  He  also  built  his  pres- 
ent hardware  and  implement  store,  which  is  70x32 
feet,  with  an  addition  of  30x100  feet  for  buggies 
and  carriages,  and  an  implement  shed  60x18  feet, 
at  a  cost  of  $3,400.  There  is  a  hall  above  the 
main  building  with  a  stage,  and  seating  capacity  of 
three  hundred.  In  his  store  is  the  public  tele- 
phone, and  he  also  has  a  private  telephone  con- 
nected with  his  house.  In  the  office  is  a  Caligrapli 
type  writer,  which  is  operated  by  his  son  Clarence. 

Mr.  Marshall  was  married  October  23,  1873,  to 


Elizabeth  Docker,  of  Pekin,  daughter  of  William 
and  Letitia  Docker.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
England,  came  to  America  in  1855,  settled  in 
Shawneetown,  111.,  and  embarked  in  the  banking 
business  in  Pekin.  He  afterward  built  the  O  K 
Mills  of  Pekin,  which  he  operated  for  two  years, 
when  he  failed.  In  1868  he  was  elected  City- 
Clerk,  which  position  he  filled  about  three  years. 
He  made  his  home  with  Mr.  Marshall  for  four 
3'ears,  and  then  removed  to  Virginia,  111.,  where 
he  died  in  the  fall  of  1892.  He  was  a  Republican 
in  politics,  was  a  member  of  the  Reformed  Church 
and  served  as  Elder  for  about  twelve  years,  taking 
an  active  part  in  church  work. 

In  1882  Mr.  Marshall  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  in  October.  They 
had  three  children,  two  of  whom  are  now  living, 
Clarence  K.,  born  December  5,  1875,  and  Horace 
A.,  born  June  20,  1878.  They  are  both  receiving 
excellent  educational  advantages,  both  were  grad- 
uated with  honors  a"t  the  Manito  High  School,  and 
will  complete  their  education  at  some  college 
which  will  fit  them  for  any  walk  in  life.  Mr. 
Marshall  was  again  married,  December  10,  1884,  his 
second  union  being  with  Sarah  A.  Strickler,  who 
was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  January  6,  1861, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary  Strickler. 
Her  father  was  a  dealer  in  books  and  stationery  in 
Peoria,  and  died  in  November,  1882.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Marshall  lias  been  born  one  child,  Samuel  J., 
born  November  15,  1886. 

Mr.  Marshall  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  is  a 
well  informed  man,  whose  worth  and  ability  have 
placed  him  in  the  front  rank  in  business  and  social 
circles.  He  is  sagacious  and  far-sighted  and  by 
his  perseverance  and  well  directed  efforts  lie  has 
gained  a  handsome  property  which  numbers  him 
among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  community. 
He  has  done  much  for  the  upbuilding  of  Manito, 
and  its  best  interests  ever  receive  his  support. 


LARK  BARTON,  a  retired  farmer,  who  now 
owns  and  occupies  a  pleasant  home  in  Mack- 
inaw, is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.    He  was 
born   in    Columbia    County,   December  21,    1812, 


432 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  is  of  English  descent.  His  grandparents, 
Elislia  and  Hannah  Barton,  were  botli  natives  of 
England,  whence  they  emigrated  to  the  New  World 
during  Colonial  days.  The  parents  of  our  subject 
were  Elisha  and  Rachel  (Miller)  Barton.  The  fa- 
ther was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
for  a  short  time  engaged  in  merchandising.  He 
died  when  our  subject  was  only  two  and  a-lialf 
yetirs  of  age,  leaving  a  widow  with  six  children  to 
support,  but  Clark  is  the  only  one  now  living.  The 
others  were,  Anna,  wife  of  Dennis  Percil;  Mary, 
wife  of  Dr.  William  S.  Maus;  Abraham,  Cyrus  and 
Elislia.  After  the  death  of  her  first  husband,  Mrs. 
Barton  became  the  wife  of  Peter  Percil,  and  to 
them  were  born  six  children:  Amelia,  wife  of 
Washington  Smith;  Rebecca,  wife  of  Dr.  Harris 
Awl;  Thomas;  Boyd,  deceased;  and  two  who  died 
in  childhood. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Clark  Bar- 
ton we  present  to  our  readers  the  life  record  of 
one  who  is  both  widely  and  favorably  known  in 
Tazewell  County.  He  remained  at  home  with  his 
mother  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  and  in  the 
common  schools  acquired  his  education.  He  was 
reared  on  a  farm,  but  determined  to  engage  in 
other  pursuits.  For  two  years  he  engaged  in  clerk- 
ing in  a  dry-goods  store  in  Bloomsburg,  Pa.,  and 
for  a  like  period  was  employed  in  the  same  capa- 
city in  another  town  of  his  native  state.  In  1835, 
he  determined  to  seek  a  home  and  fortune  in  the 
west. 

Emigrating  to  Tazewell  County,  111.,  Mr.  Barton 
cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early  settlers  of  Mackinaw 
Township.  He  entered  laud  from  the  Govern- 
ment, becoming  owner  of  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres,  and  at  once  began  the  development  of  a 
farm,  which  he  cultivated  and  improved,  making 
it  a  valuable  and  productive  tract.  He  then  sold  it 
and  purchased  a  farm  nearer  Mackinaw,  where  he 
lived  until  1891,  since  which  time  he  has  made  his 
home  in  the  town. 

After  coming  west,  Mr.  Barton  married  Eliza 
Myers,  a  native  of  Armstrong  County,  Pa.,  and  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Catherine  (Shumakcr)  My- 
ers. They  became  the  parents  of  ten  children,  but 
six  of  the  number  died  in  early  life.  Those  still 
living  are  Cyrus  A.,  a  hotel  keeper;  and  Mary  F., 


wife  of  Alfred  Lindsey,  of  Nebraska.  Susan  be- 
came the  wife  of  Benjamin  Bachrnan,  but  is  now 
deceased;  and  Racliel  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
years. 

Mr.  Barton  is  the  oldest  Democratic  voter  in 
Mackinaw  Township,  having  cast  a  ballot  in  sup- 
port of  his  party  in  1836.  He  served  both  as  Tax 
Collector  and  Assessor  for  many  years,  and  aided 
in  organizing  the  townships  and  school  districts. 
His  wife,  a  most  estimable  lady,  is  a  member  of 
the  Christian  Church.  For  fifty-eight  years  he  has 
lived  in  Tazewell  County,  and  has  not  only  wit- 
nessed its  growth  and  development,  but  has  aided 
in  its  upbuilding  and  advancement,  ever  bearing 
his  part  in  the  work  of  public  improvement.  He 
may  well  be  numbered  among  the  founders  of  the 
county,  to  whom  a  debt  of  gratitude  is  due  for 
what  they  have  done  in  its  behalf.  Mr.  Barton  is 
now  well  advanced  in  years,  but  is  still  quite  well 
preserved,  and  we  join  with  his  many  friends  in 
wishing  that  he  may  yet  be  spared  for  many  years 
to  come. 


;ILLIAM  LINDSEY,  a  representative  farmer 
of  Tazewell  County,  now  living  on  sec- 
tion 23,  Mackinaw  Township,  was  born  in 
Christian  County,  Ky.,  on  the  13th  of  October, 
1817,  and  is  a  son  of  James  A.  and  Jane  (Scott) 
Lindsey.  His  grandparents  were  James  and  De- 
lilah Lindsey.  The  former  was  a  North  Carolina 
farmeivand  about  1806  emigrated  from  his  native 
state  to  Kentucky,  where  he  entered  a  large  tract 
of  land  from  the  Governmentand  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  She  was  twice  married,  and 
reared  a  family  of  eight  children:  Rebecca,  Deli- 
lah, Susan,  Temperance,  Aichibald,  John,  James  A. 
and  Suck  field  S.  All  are  now  deceased.  The  fa- 
ther was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War  aided  the  Colonies  in 
their  struggle  for  independence.  His  death  occur- 
red in  Kentucky  about  1840. 

James  A.  Lindsey,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  North  Carolina  in  1793,  and  was  a  lad  of 
thirteen  summers  when  he  went  with  his  parents 
to  Kentucky.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


433 


common  schools,  and  he  prepared  himself  for 
teaching,  which  profession  he  followed  at  various 
intervals  through  life,  both  in  Kentucky  and  in 
Illinois.  He  learned  the  saddler's  trade  and  be- 
came a  civil  engineer,  after  which  he  engaged  in 
surveying  to  some  extent.  He  also  owned  and 
operated  a  farm  in  Kentucky,  where  he  remained 
until  April,  1834,  when  with  a  team  and  buggy  he 
came  to  Tazewell  County,  111.  Here  he  entered 
land  from  the  Government  and  accumulated  quite 
a  large  tract.  To  each  of  his  children  he  gave 
about  sixty  acres. 

Mr.  Lindsey  was  married  in  Kentucky  to  Jane, 
daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Roddy)  Scott, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  .ill 
of  whom  grew  to  mature  years,  although  the  greater 
number  have  now  passed  away.  They  were: 
Elizabeth,  deceased  wife  of  C.  O.  Neville;  James,  a 
local  preacher,  now  deceased;  William;  Alfred,  a 
minister  of  the  Christian  Church,  now  deceased; 
John,  who  was  also  a  Christian  minister,  and  has 
passed  away;  David,  who  has  departed  this  life; 
Delilah,  deceased  wife  of  Edward  S.  Ewing;  Jane, 
widow  of  Dr.  S.  K.  Lynn,  of  Normal,  III.;  Eliza  D., 
deceased  wife  of  John  L.  Boing;  Lucy  A.  M.,  de- 
ceased; Mary  E.,  wife  of  James  E.  Phillips,  of  Nor- 
mal, 111.;  and  Eelix,  a  farmer  of  Kansas.  In  early 
life  the  father  of  this  family  joined  the  Baptist 
Church  and  became  one  of  its  preachers.  Subse- 
quently he  united  with  the  Christian  Churcli,  and 
continued  as  one  of  its  ministers  until  his  death. 
During  the  War  of  1812  he  was  engaged  mostly  in 
lighting  Indians.  In  his  political  views  he  was  a 
Whig.  His  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
nine  years,  and  his  wife,  who  survived  him  about 
twelve  years,  passed  away  at  the  age  of  ninety-two. 

William  Lindsey  remained  with  his  father  until 
twenty-four  years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  Illinois 
and  entered  forty  acres  of  land  from  the  Govern- 
ment, a  part  of  his  present  farm.  He  secured  the 
patent  while  Andrew  Jackson  was  President  of 
this  country.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on 
life's  journey  he  chose  Matilda,  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Hannah  (Starbuck)  Leonard.  Her 
father  was  a  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Rebecca  Leonard, 
natives  of  North  Carolina,  who  removed  with 
their  family  to  Ohio  during  the  childhood  of  their 


son  Thomas.  He  became  a  farmer  of  the  Buckeye 
State,  where  he  lived  until  1825,  when  he  came 
with  an  uncle  to  Illinois.  In  1830  he  removed 
with  a  four-horse  team  to  Tazewell  County,  bring- 
ing with  him  some  sheep,  hogs  and  two  cows.  Hav- 
ing entered  land  from  the  Government  he  began 
the  development  of  a  farm  and  made  his  home 
thereon  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  age 
of  seventy-five.  His  wife  passed  away  at  the  age 
of  sixty-four. 

Mrs.  Lindsey  is  a  native  of  Clinton  County, 
Ohio,  and  has  been  to  her  husband  a  faithful  help- 
mate. Eight  children  were  born  to  them:  Josiah,  who 
is  living  near  the  old  home;  Alfred,  now  Sheriff 
of  Thayer  County,  Neb.;  Thomas,  a  farmer  of  this 
locality;  Nancy  A.,  deceased  wife  of  P.  P.  Hill; 
Leona  E.,  widow  of  P.  P.  Hill,  and  the  present 
Postmistress  of  Mackinaw;  Mary  L.,  wife  of  Will- 
iam N.  Reveal,  of  Hoopeston,  111., and  two  who  died 
in  childhood. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lindsey  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  the  farm  which  is  still  their  home.  Their 
residence  was  twice  destroyed  by  fire  and  their 
barn  was  burned  once.  But  with  characteristic 
energy  Mr.  Lindsey  at  once  replaced  these  build- 
ings. He  became  the  owner  of  four  hundred  and 
fourteen  acres  of  valuable  land  but  has  given  some 
of  this  to  his  children.  His  business  career  has 
been  one  of  success,  and  his  prosperity  is  well  de- 
served. In  national  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
but  at  local  elections,  where  no  issue  is  involved, 
he  votes  independently.  He  and  his  wife  belong 
to  the  Christian  Church,  in  which  he  has  been  an 
Elder  for  a  number  of  vears. 


,  ETER  E.  JOHNSON.  It  is  not  necessary  for 
a  visitor  to  the  rural  district  to  understand 
agriculture  in  order  that  he  may  know  the 
i\  good  farmers  of  a  section.  The  sight  of  the 
tumbled  down  fences,  machinery  exposed  to  the 
wind  and  weather  and  inadequate  shelter  for 
stock  and  crops  is  sufficient  so  stamp  the  proprie- 
tor of  such  a  farm  as  one  lacking  in  enterprise  and 
judgment.  Well  built  farm  structures,  neat  fences 
and  fields,  where  useful  gram  has  the  upper  hand 


434 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  the  weeds,  are  equally  conclusive  proof  of  the 
skill  and  energy  of  him  under  whose  management 
this  state  of  things  exists. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  is  numbered  among 
the  enterprising  farmers  of  Delavan  Township, 
Tazewell  County,  and  was  born  near  the  Scandina- 
vian Mountains  in  the  northern  part  of  Sweden, 
September  8,  1833.  His  father,  Jonas  Johnson, 
was  a  mechanic,  and  came  to  America  in  1844,  lo- 
cating near  Bishop  Hill,  Henry  County,  this  state, 
where  his  wife,  Mrs.  Sarah  Johnson,  died  three 
months  later.  The  father  lived  to  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-seven  years  and  departed  this  life  in 
the  above  county  December  20,  .1891. 

Peter  F.,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  eldest  of  three 
children  comprised  in  his  parents'  family,  and  as 
his  father  was  a  poor  man  when  he  c:ifl|  to  this 
country,  young  Johnson  was  bound  out  soon  after 
the  death  of  his  mother  to  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Horace  Clark,  living  in  Tazewell  County.  He  re- 
mained with  him  until  reaching  his  majority,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  gained  an  education  sufficient  to 
enable  him  to  teach  school.  '••;"- 

After  leaving  the  home  of  Mr.  Clark  our  subject 
worked  for  himself  three  years  and  traded  in 
stock,  during  which  time  he  saved  $500,  with 
which  he  purchased  his  first  eighty  acres  of  land, 
which  forms  a  part  of  his  present  fine  estate.  In 
the  springof  1860  he  moved  upon  the  property  on 
which  he  has  resided  ever  since,  and  now  lias  one 
of  the  finest  tracts  of  land  in  Tazewell  County. 
The  previous  year  he  was  married  to  Miss  Emily 
Bowman,  who  was  born  in  Washington,  this  county. 
By  their  union  were  born  three  daughters  and  two 
sons,  and  Mrs.  Johnson  died  in  July,  1877.  Of 
their  family  a  daughter  died  when  sixteen  years 
of  age,  and  a  son  when  in  his  eighth  year.  Of 
those  living  Ida  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Yontz,  and 
resides  in  Harper  County,  Kan.;  Arthur  L.  married 
Catherine  Harris,  and  is  living  on  a  farm  with  his 
father;  Edith  M.  is  now  Mrs.  John  L.  Trollope, 
and  also  makes  her  home  in  Kansas. 

Our  subject  has  become  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful farmers  and  stockmen  of  this  locality,  and  so 
closely  has  lie  been  identified  with  Delavan  Town- 
ship that  in  acquiring  wealth  he  has  furthered  its 
material  prosperity  and  enhanced  its  progress.  He 


has  been  a  Republican  in  politics  since  I860,  ;md 
has  served  his  fellow-citizens  in  many  positions  of 
trust  and  honor.  His  record  is  that  of  an  upright 
man,  whose  high  personal  character  has  made  him 
an  influence  for  good  in  this  county. 


,ROF.  ALBERT  C.  COIIAGAN.  "Our  schools 
are  the  hope  of  our  country,"  and  no  more 
fitting  subject  for  representation  in  a  work 
of  this  kind  can  be  found  than  one  whose 
talents  are  given  to  promote  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion. Our  subject  is  Principal  of  the  llopedale 
schools  and  is  using  his  most  earnest  efforts  to  ele- 
vate and  enlighten  the*  minds  of  those  who  are 
placed  under  his  instruction. 

Mr.  Cohagan  was  born  in  Morgan  County,  Ohio, 
in  December,  1866,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  Co- 
hagan, also  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State,  who,  on 
coming  to  Illinois  in  1868,  located  in  McLean 
County.  He  became  a  prominent  farmer  of  that 
section  j-iind  having  accumulated  a  handsome  prop- 
erty, is  now  living  retired  in  Lexington,  111.  The 
mother  of  Professor  Cohagan  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage was  Miss  Mary  Henderson,  likewise  a  native 
of  Ohio.  She  reared  a  family  of  four  children,  in- 
cluding three  sons  and  one  daughter.  Charles 
lives  near  Lexington  on  a  farm;  Emmet  also  re- 
sides near  Lexington,  where  he  is  engaged  exten- 
sively in  the  raising  of  fine  stock;  H.ittie  married 
Charles  Brown,  and  they  also  conduct  farming  near 
Lexington. 

Albert  C.  was  reared  to  man's  estate  on  the  farm 
in  McLean  County  and  received  his  primary  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools.  AVhcn  attaining 
his  nineteenth  year  he  became  a  student  at  the 
State  Normal,  and  after  being  graduated  from  that 
institution  taught  school  there  for  two  years.  In 
1891,  however,  he  came  to  Hopedale  and  accepted 
the  position  of  Principal  of  the  high  school,  which 
under  his  direction  has  become  one  of  the  best  ed- 
ucational institutions  in  the  county.  The  Profes- 
sor has  a  host  of  warm  friends  in  this  locality  who 
have  brought  him  to  the  front  as  candidate  for  the 
position  of  County  Superintendent  of  Schools. 
August  29,  1893,  Professor  Cohagan  and  Miss 


UBRARV 

of  im 

01 


E.  N.  HOPPING. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


437 


Helen  Cresswell,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  R.  N.  Cress- 
well,  were  united  in  marriage  in  Normal,  111.  The 
latter  is  a  minister  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at 
Normal  and  has  been  very  active  in  furthering  the 
good  work  in  that  locality.  Mrs.  Cohagan  besides 
being  possessed  of  a  fine  literary  education  has  re- 
ceived thorough  training  in  instrumental  music 
and  taught  that  art  some  time  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage. Her  sister  Alice  is  the  wife  of  the  Rev. 
Orr  Milligan,  a  Presbyterian  minister  having  a 
charge  at  Portland,  Ore.;  and  another  sister,  Mary, 
married  the  Rev.  Frank  Morrow,  Pastor  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  at  Lawrence,  Kan.  The  re- 
maining sisters  and  brothers  of  Mrs.  Cohagan  are, 
Anna,  Mrs.  Dr.  Sherwood,  of  Wenona,  this  state; 
Ida,  who  married  Willard  Cowan,  Cashier  of  the 
First  National  Bank  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa;  Robert, 
n  ranchman  in  California,  where  he  is  also  general 
agent  for  an  insurance  company;  Benjamin,  who 
is  engaged  in  the  latter  business  in  Bloomington; 
Julia,  who  is  single  and  a  teacher  in  the  public 
school  of  Wenona,  111.;  and  Nettie,  also  single  and 
a  teacher  in  Berea,  Ky. 


EPHRAM    N.    HOPPING.     In  recalling   the 
labors  which  have  made  of   this  county   a 
/ ;"'  region  noted  for  its  agricultural  resources, 

we  feel  a  glow  of  admiration  for  all  who  bore  a 
part  in  the  scenes  of  the  early  days,  and  take  great 
pleasure  in  noting  prominent  incidents  in  their 
lives.  One  of  the  early  settlers  is  the  worthy  gen- 
tleman above  named,  who  has  abundantly  shown 
his  industry  and  good  judgment  by  the  accumula- 
tion of  an  excellent  estate,  well  supplied  with  im- 
provements. He  is  now  living  retired  in  the  city 
of  Havana,  and  is  able  to  relate  many  an  interest- 
ing event  in  connection  with  the  early  settlement 
of  Havana  Township.  His  companionship  is  de- 
sirable, and  his  reputation  excellent. 

The  birth  of  Mr.  Hopping  took  place  in  Canada, 
April  2,  1815,  and  his  residence  in  Illinois  began 
in  1860.  He  is  the  son  of  Ephram  Hopping,  Sr., 
a  native  of  New  Jersey,  who  departed  this  life  in 
Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  whitjjer  he  had  removed 
12 


in  1816.     He  married  Mary  Young,  a  member   of 
a  prominent  family  of  Virginia. 

Our  subject  was  an  infant  at  the  time  his  par- 
ents removed  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where  he 
received  a  common -school  education,  and  when 
old  enough  to  do  so,  aided  his  father  in  carrying  on 
the  farm.  He  began  life  for  himself  as  an  agri- 
culturist in  I860,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  located  in  this  county.  During  the  years 
that  have  since  elapsed,  he  has'  acquired  a  solid 
reputation  as  a  straightforward,  honorable  man  and 
as  a  thrifty,  hard-working,  capable  farmer.  He  has 
managed  with  skill  and  profit  his  well  equipped 
farm  on  section  36,  Havana  Township,  since  it 
came  into  his  possession.  There  he  resided  until 
1890,  when,  on  account  of  failing  health,  he  re- 
moved into  the  city  of  Havana. 

With  whatever  will  best  promote  the  highest  in- 
terests of  his  adopted  count}',  Mr.  Hopping  thor- 
oughly identifies  himself.  His  liberality  helps  for- 
ward many  schemes  for  its  improvement,  and  he 
is  numbered  among  its  most  loyal  citizens.  In 
politics  he  votes  with  the  Republican  party.  So- 
cially he  is  prominently  identified  with  the  order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  and  belongs  to  Lodge  No.  143,  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Havana. 

In  1841,  Mr.  Hopping  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Ann  Horsley,  who  was  bom  in  Indiana 
July  15,  1815,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Thomas 
Ilorsley.  The  latter  was  born  in  Virginia  and  be- 
came one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Indiana,  where 
he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life.  Mrs.  Hopping  became 
the  mother  of  four  children,  and  departed  this  life 
April  15,  1851.  Her  sons  and  daughters  were: 
Ephram,  Jr.,  now  residing  in  Arkansas;  Sarah  Ann, 
the  wife  of  Wallace  Caldwell,  of  Nebraska;  Will- 
iam, living  in  Wyoming;  and  Mary  E.,  Mrs.  L.  W. 
Coon,  of  Havana  Township,  this  county. 

The  lady  whom  our  subject  married  January  1, 
1854,  was  Miss  Harriet  Hunter  Andrews.  She  was 
born  in  Versailles,  Ind.,  and  was  the  daughter  of 
Lumau  Andrews,  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  Their 
union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  eight  children,  all 
but  one  of  whom  are  living,  viz.:  Charles,  a  resi- 
dent of  Mason  City,  this  state;  Luman,  residing  in 
Beaver  City,  Neb.;  Luther,  who  located  near  Cedar 
Bluff,  Kan.;  Ida  A.,  Luella  and  Fannie,  who  are 


438 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


at  home;  John,  living  in  Beaver  City,  Neb.;  and 
May,  also  at  home.  The  wife  and  mother  died 
September  28,  1889. 

The  fine  property  of  Mr.  Hopping  is  a  standing 
monument  to  the  energy  which  he  has  put  forth  in 
the  labors  of  life  and  the  good  judgment  which 
has  characterized  his  efforts,  while  his  high  stand- 
ing among  his  fellow-men  is  an  equally  satis- 
factory evidence  of  his  worth  as  a  neighbor  and 
citizen. 


OSEPH  TAYLOR,  a  retired  business  man 
and  large  land  owner  of  Mason  County, 
was  born  in  Barren  County,  Ky.,  August 
20,  1819.  His  father,  John  Taylor,  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  removed  to  Warrick  County,  Ind., 
in  1822,  where  he  improved  a  farm  and  remained 
until  his  death,  at  the  age  of  about  fifty  years.  He 
was  a  descendant  of  Scotch  and  Welsh  ancestry, 
and  in  youth  was  a  Quaker,  though  later  he  did 
not  affiliate  with  that  society.  He  was  a  partici- 
pant in  the  War  of  1812.  The  grandfather  of  our 
subject  was  a  native  of  one  of  the  southern  states, 
presumably  North  or  South  Carolina  or  Georgia, 
and  it  is  believed  that  he  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  War. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Nancy  Sanders  and  was  of  southern  birth,  dy- 
ing some  time  in  the  '70s.  Her  father  refused  to 
enter  the  war  on  account  of  being  a  Quaker,  and 
was  killed  because  of  his  refusal  to  join  the  army. 
Our  subject  is  one  of  twelve  children,  and  was  in 
his  third  year  when  the  family  moved  to  Warrick 
County,  I  ud.,  where  he  was  reared  to  manhood. 
At  the  age  of  ten  he  began  in  life  for  himself  and 
for  some  time  worked  by  the  day  or  month  in  the 
employ  of  others.  When  a  mere  child  he  com- 
menced riding  race  horses,  and  it  was  claimed  that 
he  was  the  best  rider  of  his  time. 

About  1839,  Mr.  Taylor  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Lucinda  Houchin;  she  was  born  one-half 
mile  from  the  Mammoth  Cave  in  Kentucky,  and 
was  there  reared  until  the  age  of  fifteen  years. 
Mr.  Taylor  located  on  land  in  Pike  County,  Ind., 
where  he  improved  a  farm  of  seventy  acres,  and 


he  also  owned  eighty  acres  in  Warrick  County, 
Ind.  In  1851  he  disposed  of  his  property  in  In- 
diana and  came  to  Mason  County,  111.,  where  lie 
invested  his  capital  of  about  $1,050  in  land,  be- 
coming in  time  one  of  the  largest  land  owners  in 
the  county.  His  possessions  aggregated  twelve 
hundred  acres,  the  larger  part  of  which  lie  has 
given  to  his  children,  retaining  for  his  own  use 
but  eighty  acres.  In  connection  with  general 
farming,  he  has  engaged  in  buying  and  shipping 
stock.  Since  his  wife's  death,  in  1883,  he  has  lived 
somewhat  retired  from  business. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taylor  had  ten  children,  of  whom 
five  are  still  living:  Benjamin  R.,  of  Allen'sGrove 
Township;  John  J.,  of  Mason  City;  Malinda  E., 
the  wife  of  E.  J.  Mell,  of  Allen's  Grove  Township; 
Lucy  Ann,  who  is  the  wife  of  William  Cogdal,  of 
Mason  County;  and  Melissa  J.,  who  resides  with 
her  father.  The  deceased  were  named,  Georgie 
Ann,  Davis,  Joseph,  Reason  Alonzo  and  Charles  E. 
The  first  Presidential  ballot  cast  by  Mr.  Taylor  was 
for  Harrison  in  the  campaign  of  1840,  and  since 
that  time  he  has  been  somewhat  independent  in  his 
political  ties,  voting  for  the  men  and  the  measures 
unbiased  by  party  lines.  For  ten  years  or  more  he 
served  as  Assessor  of  Mason  City  Township,  and 
at  various  times  he  has  occupied  other  positions  of 
trust  and  responsibility. 


COVINGTON.  Although  Mason 
County  has  much  in  the  way  of  natural 
resources  and  commercial  transactions  to 
commend  it  to  the  public  at  large,  the  chief  inter- 
est centers  upon  the  lives  of  those  citizens  who 
have  achieved  success  for  themselves,  and  at  the 
same  time  benefited  the  community  in  which  they 
reside.  Prominent  among  these  men  is  he  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch.  He  is  engaged  in  the  furni- 
ture and  undertaking  business  in  Havana,  and  as 
one  of  the  early  pioneers  took  an  active  part  in 
laying  the  foundation  for  the  present  prosperity  of 
this  community. 

Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Nichols)  Covington,  the 
parents  of  our  subject,  were  natives  respectively 
of  Maryland  and  Kentucky.  In  an  early  day,  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


439 


father  located  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  farming,  and  in  politics  voted 
the  Whig  ticket.  Thomas,  of  this  sketch,  was  born 
in  the  above  county  in  Indiana  Novembers,  1826, 
and  there  spent  bis  boyhood  days  engaged  in  at- 
tending the  district  schools  and  aiding  bis  father 
in  cultivating  the  farm. 

In  1848  our  subject  came  to  Mason  County  and 
located  at  Quiver  Mills,  where  he  learned  the  trade 
of  a  cabinet-maker,  which  be  followed  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  Four  years  later  he  came  to  Havana 
and  opened  up  a  furniture  establishment,  which  be 
has  conducted  successfully  to  the  present  time. 
Hecarriesa  full  line  of  furniture  and  undertaking 
supplies  and  is  devoting  bis  entire  time  and  atten- 
tion to  this  line  of  business.  He  is  a  genial,  open 
hearted  gentleman,  ready  at  all  times  to  do  what 
wealth  and  good  feeling  can  accomplish,  both  in 
business  and  social  circles. 

In  1849  Mr.  Covington  and  Miss  Christiana, 
daughter  of  Daniel  Dieffenbacher,  were  united 
in  marriage.  The  latter  was  born  in  Columbia 
County,  Pa.,  August  7,  1803,  and  when  twenty- 
four  years  of  age  was  married  to  Catherine  Long, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  that  county  September  3, 
1808.  Daniel  Dieffenbacher,  in  tbe  fall  of  1837, 
came  to  Mason  County  and  located  in  Havana 
Township,  where  he  engaged  in  fanning  and  soon 
ranked  among  the  well-to-do  agriculturists  of  this 
section  until  bis  decease.  He  was  a  very  public 
spirited  man  and  served  as  one  of  the  School 
Directors  of  his  district  and  also  sat  on  the  first 
grand  jury  in  this  county,  which  was  in  1841.  He 
identified  himself  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  1839.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Covingtou 
died  November  4,  1860. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  become  the  par- 
ents of  one  son  and  three  daughters,  namely: 
Luella,  now  Mrs.  S.  E.  Kirk;  Eva,  tbe  wife  of  Sam- 
uel Bivens,  of  Beatrice,  Neb.;  Agnes,  who  is  at 
home,  and  Oliver  D.,  who  is  Assistant  Cashier  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  this  city. 

Socially,  Mr.  Covington  is  an  Odd  Fellow.  He 
belongs  to  Mason  Lodge  No.  143,  in  which  order 
be  lias  held  all  the  chairs,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
State  Encampment  No.  34, 1. 0.  O.  F.  He  is  also  a 
Knight  of  Honor,  in  which  body  he  takes  great 


interest.  He  is  not  an  active  participant  in  polit- 
ical affairs  other  than  to  vote  the  Republican 
ticket,  preferring  to  give  bis  attention  to  his  busi- 
ness. He  is  respected,  as  his  merits  deserve,  by  all 
who  are  acquainted  with  his  character  and  attain- 
ments. 


LBERT  WEISS.  During  the  last  nine 
years  Mr.  Weiss  has  been  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Pckin  Freie  Prcsse,  a  paper 
which  is  so  well  known  throughout  this 
portion  of  the  state,  that  it  needs  no  special  men- 
tion or  eulogy  in  this  biographical  sketch.  Our 
subject  was  born  in  Mellenbach,  province  of  Thu- 
ringia,  Germany,  Julj-  23,  1855,  and  is  the  son  of 
Johann  Michael  and  Christiana  (Koehler)  Weiss, 
also  natives  of  the  Fatherland.  The  father  was  a 
porcelain  artist  of  considerable  note,  and  late  in 
life  served  for  fifteen  years  as  Mayor  of  Mellen- 
bach. The  last  years  of  his  life  were  passed  in  re- 
tirement, and  be  passed  away  in  October,  1885. 
The  mother  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  in 
Germany. 

Our  subject  is  the  only  sou  and  youngest  child 
but  one  in  his  parents'  family  of  four  children. 
Two  make  their  homes  in  America,  and  the  re- 
mainder still  live  in  the  Fatherland.  Our  subject 
was  given  a  line  classical  education  in  his  native 
land,  and  practiced  the  mechanical  arts  there  from 
1869  to  1878.  Then  he  determined  to  come  to 
America,  and  in  1878,  in  company  with  his  uncle, 
William  Weiss,  arrived  in  Pekin.  His  first  em- 
ployment here  was  as  steam  and  gas  fitter,  in  which 
he  engaged  with  George  II.  Lucas,  the  firm  style 
being  Lucas  &  Weiss.  Later  the  firm  name  was 
changed  to  Fogelmark  &  Weiss,  and  continued 
thus  until  1884,  when  our  subject  withdrew  from 
that  line  of  business  and  engaged  to  work  in  the 
office  of  the  Freie  Presse.  In  the  fall  of  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  purchased  the  plant,  which  had 
been  established  in  1876,  and  is  the  only  German 
newspaper  in  Tazewell  County.  Since  it  has  come 
into  bis  possession  Mr.  Weiss  has  enlarged  it  to 
twice  its  original  size,  from  a  seven-column  folio 
to  a  six-column  quarto,  with  a  four-page  supple- 


440 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


rnent.  It  is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  finds  its 
way  into  the  homes  of  a  large  portion  of  the  Ger- 
man people  of  the  county. 

Our  subject  was  married  June  24,  1880,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  William  Weiss,  an  old  set- 
tler of  this  region.  .Socially,  Mr.  Weiss  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Turners'  .Society,  which  body  he  has 
served  as  President  and  Secretary,  and  is  at  pres- 
ent a  Trustee.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  order 
of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Harugari  Society  of  Pekin. 


IELO  J.  RUST.  Among  the  young  business 
men  of  Pekin  probably  none  have  achieved 
a  success  which,  in  consideration  of  their 
age,  is  more  notable  or  praiseworthy  than 
that  which  Mr.  Rust  lias  already  attained.  From 
a  long  line  of  German  ancestors  he  has  inher- 
ited the  quality  of  eneray  and  thrift  for  which 
that  nation  is  noted,  and  to  these  characteristics' 
he  adds  the  American  qualities  of  push,  enterprise, 
perseverance  and  force  of  will.  For  the  responsi- 
ble position  he  holds,  that  of  Assistant  Cashier  of 
the  banking  house  of  Teis  Smith  &  Co.,  he  is  ad- 
mirably adapted  both  by  natural  ability  and  edu- 
cation. 

This  city  has  been  the  only  home  Mr.  Rust  has 
known, and  here  he  was  born  October  31,  18(59. 
He  is  a  namesake  of  his  grandfather,  Hielo  Rust,  a 
German  gentleman  of  leisure  and  means.  His 
father,  John  II.  Rust,  was  born  in  Wybclsum,  Geiv 
many,  and  in  his  youth  learned  the  trade  of  a 
blacksmith  in  his  native  land.  Thence  he  crossed 
the  Allan  tic  in  1865,  and  arriving  in  the  United 
States,  came  direct  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Free- 
port,  Stephenson  County.  Subsequently  he  came 
to  Pekin,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 

In  this  city  John  H.  Rust  was  united  in  marri- 
age with  Miss  F.  D.  Stuck,  a  native  of  Emden, 
Germany,  who  accompanied  her  mother  to  Amer- 
ica. They  reared  two  children,  Hielo  J.,  of  this 
sketch,  and  Theda,  who  is  at  home.  The  former 
was  reared  principally  in  Pekin,  where  his  edu- 
cation was  commenced  in  the  public  school  and 


completed  in  the  high  school,  graduating  from  the 
latter  in  1885. 

Three  months  after  completing  his  studies,  Mr. 
Rust  accepted  a  position  as  messenger  and  col- 
lecting agent  for  the  firm  of  Teis  Smith  &  Co., 
bankers,  and  his  ability  being  soon  recognized,  he 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  bookkeeper,  and 
about  the  same  time  became  Assistant  Cashier  of 
the  bank,  which  position  he  still  holds.  When  just 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  in  1891,  he  was  nomi- 
nated and  elected  City  Treasurer  upon  the  ticket 
of  the  Democratic  party.  He' assumed  the  duties 
of  the  office  in  May,  1891,  and  served  faithfully 
and  efficiently  until  the  expiration  of  his  term  in 
May,  1893. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Rust  occurred  May  17,  1893, 
and  united  him  with  Miss  Josephine  C.  Roelfs, 
who  was  born  in  Pekin;  she  was  graduated  from 
the  high  school  herein  1893, and  is  a  charming  and 
accomplished  young  lady.  Her  father,  Jacob  A. 
Roejfs,  is  a  hardware  merchant  of  this  city,  and 
further'facts  in  regard  to  the  family  history  may 
ttfe  obtaaiiecf  by  referring  to  his  biographical  sketch 
presented  on  another  page  of  this  volume.  Mr. 
andJVIrs.  Rust  are  the  parents  of  an  infant  son. 
In  his  religious  connections  our  subject  is  identi- 
fied with  the  American  Reformed  Church.  Politi- 
cally the  Democratic  party  in  this  city  finds  in 
him  one  of  its  firmest  friends  and  most  influential 
workers,  and  among  the  young  men  of  the  place 
none  are  more  prominent  in  political  circles  than 
is  he. 


jiILLIAM  P.  POLLARD,  who  follows  farm- 
ing on  section  22,  Manito  Township, 
Mason  County,  has  the  honor  of  being  a 
native  of  this  locality,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Quiver  Township,  July  28,  1850.  His  father, 
Andrew  M.  Pollard,  was  born  near  Maysville, 
Ky.,  in  1807,  and  at  an  early  day  came  to  Spring 
Lake  Township,  Mason  County,  111.  He  engaged 
in  buying  grain  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  late 
war,  when,  in  August,  1861,  he  responded  to  the 
country's  call  for  troops  and  became  a  member  of 
Company  G,  Thirty-eighth  Illinois  Infantry.  He 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  Of  ILLINOIS 


ENOCH   HtERONYMUS. 


PORTRAIT    AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


443 


continued  in  the  service  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
and  in  May,  1866,  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge. He  then  returned  to  Manito  and  opened 
a  general  store,  which  he  carried  on  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  July,  1867.  His  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Phoebe  Houten  and  was 
a  daughter  of  Elijah  Houten.  She  was  born  in 
1824  and  died  in  the  fall  of  1865,  leaving  five 
children,  James  S.,  William  P.;  Mrs.  Eflie  Goff,  of 
Champaign,  111.;  H.  T.  and  Mary  Seibert.  In 
186!)  the  father  married  Miss  Sarah  Golden,  of 
New  Jersey,  who  was  born  in  1842  and  spent  her 
last  da3rs  in  Manito  Township.  By  this  union 
there  were  four  children,  Andrew  M.,  who  was 
born  in  1870  and  is  now  in  business  in  Manito; 
Eph,  who  was  born  in  1872  and  is  also  in  Manito; 
Aaron,  born  in  1874;  and  Louisa,  born  in  1876. 

Under  the  parental  roof  William  P.  Pollard  was 
reared  to  manhood  and  in  the  public  schools  was 
educated.  In  1873,  he  embarked  in  business  for 
himself,  and  for  one  year  followed  farming  at 
Spring  Lake,  after  which  he  began  railroading. 
Later,  however,  he  resumed  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna  Flem- 
ing, daughter  of  Thomas  and  Melissa  Fleming,  of 
Scott  County,  III.  He  continued  farming  for 
four  years  and  then  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he 
secured  a  position  as  fireman  on  a  railroad.  Sub- 
sequently he  was  for  three  years  in  charge  of  the 
car  repair  shops,  after  which  he  returned  to  Spring 
Lake  Township  and  purchased  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  good  land,  upon  which  he  made 
his  home  "for  a  year.  He  then  spent  two  years 
upon  what  is  known  as  the  old  Cox  farm,  after 
which  he  removed  to  the  Gay  farm,  placing 
upon  it  improvements  to  the  value  of  $3,000.  He 
has  made  it  one  of  the  desirable  places  of  the 
neighborhood,  and  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance 
indicates  the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner.  In 
connection  with  general  farming,  he  is  quite  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  breeding  fine  horses  and  has 
fourteen  full  blooded  Percheron  horses  and  two 
very  fine  roadsters.  He  also  raises  hogs  and  cattle. 

To.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  P.  Pollard  have  been 
born  the  following  four  children:  Anna,  born 
April  16,  1871;  Rex,  July  13,  1875;  Ray,  May  6, 
1878;  and  James  S.,  November  1,  1887.  The  par- 


ents are  giving  their  children  good  educational 
advantages  that  they  may  thereby  be  fitted  for 
the  practical  and  responsible  duties  of  life.  In 
politics  Mr.  Pollard  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  now 
serving  as  School  Director.  He  belongs  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  also  to  the 
Ro3ral  Neighbors.  A  wide-awake  and  progressive 
citizen,  the  best  interests  of  the  community  receive 
his  support,  and  he  aids  in  all  worthy  public  un- 
dertakings. An  early  settler  of  the  county,  he  has 
a  wide  acquaintance  and  is  held  in  the  highest 

regard  by  all. 

*^-+-€->- 

ENOCH  HIERONYMUS,  who  follows  farm- 
ing on  section  13,  Hittle  Township,  Taze- 
well  County,  claims  Kentucky  as  the  state 
of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Madison  County  March  7,  1816.  His  grandfather, 
Henry  Hieronymus,  was  born  in  Germany,  or 
else  in  Virginia,  of  German  parentage.  He  emi- 
grated from  the  Old  Dominion  to  Kentucky  about 
1805,  making  the  trip  on  horseback,  accompanied 
by  his  son  William,  father  of  our  subject,  who 
was  then  about  seventeen  years  of  age.  They 
were  so  well  pleased  with  the  Blue  Grass  State 
that  the  son  remained  while  the  father  returned 
for  his  family.  Purchasing  land  of  the  Govern- 
ment, he  gave  his  attention  to  farming  and  the 
breeding  of  race  horses,  and  at  one  time  owned 
the  fastest  horse  in  the  state. 

William  Hieronymus  was  born  in  Virginia  Feb- 
ruary 13,  1788,  acquired  a  good  education,  read 
extensively  and  was  a  fine  mathematician  and 
penman.  He  made  farming  his  life  work,  but  fol- 
lowed carpentering  and  cabinet-making  with  his 
brother  to  some  extent,  becoming  quite  proficient 
in  both  trades,  which  lie  put  to  good  use  in  the 
pioneer  days  of  Tazewell  County.  He  was  a  pub- 
lic benefactor,  for  while  his  sons  operated  the 
farm  he  was  busily  engaged  in  making  plows, 
looms,  barrels,  etc.,  for  his  neighbors.  He  was  a 
natural  mechanic  and  an  expert  workman  both  in 
wood  and  iron.  In  those  pioneer- days  he  tanned 
and  dressed  the  leather  from  which  he  made  the 
shoes  worn  by  himself  and  family. 

On  the  14th  of  August,  1811,  Mr.  Hieron3'mus 
married  Elvira  Darnell,  who  was  born  in  Georgia 


444 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


February  8,  1796.  In  1828  they  came  to  Taze- 
well  County  and  built  a  house  16x20  feet  with  a 
shed  roof,  eighty  rods  from  the  present  home  of 
our  subject.  There  was  no  window  or  floor,  and 
they  lived  in  a  true  pioneer  style.  They  came  in 
company  witli  twenty  others  from  Boone  County, 
Ky.,  bringing  horses,  cows  and  sheep,  and  were 
upon  the  road  about  thirty  days.  The  father  was 
in  limited  circumstances,  but  entered  eight3T  acres 
of  land,  which,  with  the  aid  of  his  sons,  he  de- 
veloped into  a  fine  farm,  and  its  boundaries  he  in- 
creased by  the  additional  purchase  of  eighty  acres. 

In  the  parental  family  were  eight  children: 
Cynthia,  the  deceased  wife  of  Benjamin  Brooks: 
James,  deceased;  Enoch;  Benjamin,  deceased;  Will- 
iam, who  is  living  on  the  old  homestead;  Henry 
and  Catherine,  who  have  passed  away;  and  Eliza, 
the  deceased  wife  of  William  Darnell.  The  par- 
ents were  members  of  the  Christian  Church,  and 
the  father  was  a  Whig  in  politics.  Although  his 
father  owned  slaves,  lie  was  strongly  opposed  to 
slavery,  and  it  was  largely  on  that  account  that 
he  left  Kentucky.  He  died  March  12,  1848,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  June  2,  1857. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the 
old-time  subscription  schools,  and  remained  with 
his  parents  until  twenty-three  years  of  age,  when 
he  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Shared  and 
Catherine  Thompson.  Her  death  occurred  Feb- 
ruary 23,  1882.  On  the  26th  of  June,  1884,  Mr. 
Hieronynnis  married  Virginia  Roberts,  daughter 
of  Ellis  and  Nancy  (Judy)  Roberts.  She  is  a 
cultured  lady,  possessing  many  accomplishments, 
which  with  her  wide  general  knowledge,  largely 
gained  from  traveling,  makes  her  a  very  entertain- 
ing companion.  She  displays  good  taste  and  judg- 
ment in  the  care  of  her  beautiful  home,  and 
there  hospitality  reigns  supreme.  As  Mr.  Hierony- 
mus  had  no  children  of  his  own,  he  reared  three 
of  the  five  children  who  were  left  fatherless  by 
the  death  of  his  brother  James.  They  are,  El- 
vira, wife  of  Benjamin  McAtee,  of  Washington; 
Benjamin  R.,  ft  banker  of  Springfield,  111.;  and 
Thomas  II.,  a  retired  farmer  of  Eureka,  111.  To 
each  he  gave  a  good  farm  of  eighty  acres,  thus 
comfortably  starting  them  out  in  life. 

Mr.  Hieronymus  is  a  self-made  man.     He  began 


in  the  world  with  nothing,  and  from  the  Gov- 
ernment entered  forty  acres  of  prairie  and  forty 
acres  of  timber  land.  To  this  he  added  until  at 
one  time  he  owned  over  eleven  hundred  acres, 
but  the  greater  part  he  has  since  sold,  his  home 
farm  comprising  about  two  hundred  acres.  His 
residence  is  one  of  the  finest  in  Tazewell  County, 
and  upon  it  he  has  spent  over  $11,000.  In  poli- 
tics lie  is  a  Republican.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
prominent  and  faithful  members  of  the  Christian 
Church  of  Flieronymus  Grove.  In  1869,  seeing 
the  need  of  a  church  in  the  neighborhood,  he 
built  the  beautiful  house  of  worship  known  as  the 
Hieronymus  Grove  Church,  which  stands  as  a 
monument  to  his  liberality  and  his  consistent 
Christian  life.  The  poor  and  needy  find  in  him  a 
friend,  and  his  straightforward,  honorable  career 
has  gained  him  universal  confidence  and  esteem. 


O.  CATTRON,  M.  D.  In  Pekin  resides 
one  of  the  best  known  physicians  in  Taze- 
well County.  He  is  now  occupy  ing  a  posi- 
tion in  the  medical  world  which  is  most  desirable 
and  gratifying,  as  his  opinion  is  considered  con- 
clusive by  his  medical  brethren,  and  his  skill  is 
recognized  by  patients  throughout  the  county. 
This  position  has  not  been  gained  without  effort, 
for  Dr.  Cattron  has  been  a  close  student  for  many 
years  in  order  to  qualify  himself  for  any  case  that 
may  come  to  him. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  La  Porte 
County,  Ind.,  December  31,  1852,  and  is  the  son 
of  Samuel  Cattron.  likewise  a  native  of  the  Hoos- 
ier  State.  Grandfather  Valentine  Cattron  was  a 
farmer  in  East  Tennessee.  He  was  born  in  Sulli- 
van County,  that  state,  near  Ready  Creek  postorlicc. 
Later  in  life  he  went  to  Indiana,  locating  near 
Westville,  La  Porte  County,  and  died  in  his  sev- 
enty-sixth year,  and  was  buried  at  Westville  in  the 
year  1840.  He  was  a  large  land  owner  and  was  of 
German  descent. 

Samuel  Cattron  was  born  in  Fountain  County, 
Ind.,  near  Attica,  in  1826,  and  in  1834  moved  with 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


445 


his  parents  to  La  Porte  County.  He  was  an  agri- 
culturist, and  was  so  successful  in  his  occupation 
that  in  1871  he  sold  his  estate  and  moved  into  La 
Porte,  where  he  leads  a  retired  life.  He  is  one  of  the 
pioneer  ministers  of  the  Baptist  Church  and  was 
very  active  in  that  line  of  work  in  the  early  days, 
having  charge  of  two  or  three  churches.  He  was  an 
Abolitionist,  and  during  the  late  war  aided  greatly 
in  breaking  up  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle. 
His  wife  was  Mrs.  Nancy  Ann  (Concannon)  Cat- 
tron, a  native  of  Ohio,  and  the  daughter  of  James 
Concannon,  who  was  born  in  Brown  County,  Ohio. 
She  was  born  in  1826  in  the  same  county,  and  went 
to  Indiana  in  1829.  The  grandfather  and  grand- 
mother of  Mrs.  Cattron  came  from  Scotland  and 
Ireland  respectively,  and  located  in  Kentucky,  but 
later  removed  to  Ohio.  The  father  removed  from 
his  native  state,  Ohio  (where  he  was  born  in  Brown 
County  in  1805),  tolndiana,  locating  in  LaFayette. 
There  he  engaged-  first  as  a  grain  merchant,  and 
later  was  employed  in  boating  on  the  Wabash 
River,  then  on  the  Mississippi  River,  shipping 
grain  to  New  Orleans.  Not  following  this  occu- 
pation very  long,  however,  he  soon  embarked  in 
business  as  a  merchant,  in  1848,  at  Westville,  Ind.? 
and  was  thus  engaged  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  when  seventy-eight  years  of  age. 
The  parents  of  oursubject  were  married  in  1845. 
Of  the  six  children  included  in  the  parental  family, 
five  are  living,  those  beside  our  subject  being: 
James  V.,  a  dentist  at  La  Porte,  Ind.;  A.  E.,  who 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Medical  College  at  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  now  located  at  Sliarpsburg,  Pa.;  Sarah  F., 
Mrs.  James  Mason,  of  La  Porte,  Ind.,  and  May,  who 
is  at  home  witli  her  parents.  W.  O.,  of  this  sketch, 
remained  on  the  farm  until  nineteen  years  of  age, 
in  the  meantime  being  given  a  good  education, 
and  thereafter  taught  school  fora  number  of  years. 
It  being  his  desire  to  follow  a  professional  life,  he 
began  the  study  of  medicine  while  teaching,  read- 
ing under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  C.  S.  Fahnt-stock, 
of  La  Porte,  Ind.  In  1873  he  entered  Hahnemann 
Medical  College  of  Chicago,  and  was  graduated 
witli  the  Class  of  '76.  During  that  time  he  also 
took  a  special  course  in  diagnosis  under  Profes- 
sors Ross  and  Herring  of  the  Cook  County  Hos- 
pital, and  in  this  department  of  work  also  received 


a  diploma;  in  1877  he  received  a  diploma  from 
the  Chicago  Homeopathic  College. 

When  ready  to  locate  for  practice  Dr.  Cattron 
went  to  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  where  he  remained  until 
1889,  and  then  came  to  Pekin,  where  lie  has  built 
up  a  good  patronage.  The  lady  to  whom  he  was 
married  in  La  Porte,  Ind.,  November  29,  1876,  was 
Miss  Lydia  Ella  Jones,  who  died  at  Valparaiso, 
October  6,  1882,  leaving  a  daughter,  Etta.  The 
second  union  of  our  subject  occurred  in  1883,  at 
which  time  Mrs.  Georgia  L.  Haywood  became  his 
wife.  They  had  one  daughter,  Edith,  who  died  in 
infancy. 

Dr.  Cattron  was  very  active  in  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  of  which  he  was  President 
for  two  years.  He  is  likewise  connected  with  the 
Illinois  Medical  Society  and  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Indiana  Institution  of  Homeopathy  since  1878. 
He  is  a  Baptist  in  religion  and  is  a  Trustee  and 
Treasurer  of  his  church.  He  is  a  strong  Republi- 
can in  politics,  and  socially  is  a  Knight  of  Pythias, 
a  United  Workman  and  a  member  of  the  Royal 
Arcanum. 


<A  jjfelLLIAM  YOULE,  a  member  of  an  honored 
\/\lr  P'oneer  family  of  Tazewell  County,  and  a 
Wy  successful  agriculturist  residing  in  Dela- 
van  Township,  was  born  in  Sandusky  County, 
Ohio,  in  October,  1851.  He  is  the  son  of  William 
and  Sarah  (Askren)  Youle,  natives  of  Yorkshire, 
England,  who  were  there  married  May  5,  1845. 
Soon  afterward  they  crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  after 
a  short  sojourn  in  Sandusky,  Ohio,  came  to  Illi- 
nois, in  1851, and  settled  in  Sand  Prairie  Township 
not  far  from  the  city  of  Delavan.  In  1866  they 
removed  to  a  farm  adjoining  Delavan  on  the  east, 
and  there  the  father  passed  away  August  4,  1878. 
His  widow  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  in 
Delavan.  Further  information  regarding  the  fam- 
ily history  may  be  gleaned  from  the  sketch  of 
William  Youle,  Sr.,  presented  on  another  page  of 
this  volume. 

The  family  contained  four  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters, but  at  the  present  time  only  four  are  living, 
namely:  Anna,  who  lives  with  her  mother  in  Dela- 
van; William,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Elizabeth, 


446 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


who  is  the  wife  of  John  T.  Gibson,  of  Denver, 
Colo.;  and  Ada  M.,  the  wife  of  Harry  Cheney,  of 
Dekvan.  William  was  an  infant  when  brought  to 
Tazewell  County,  and  he  has  known  no  other 
home  than  this.  His  life  occupation  has  been  that 
of  agriculture,  in  which,  being  energetic,  capable 
and  persevering,  he  lias  gained  success.  His  farm 
consists  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  adjoining 
the  city  of  Delavan  and  contains  all  the  improve- 
ments to  be  found  upon  a  first-class  modern  estate. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  Youle  occurred  April  26, 
1881, and  united  him  with  Miss  Ella  Bratt,  of  Ma- 
son County,  and  the  daughter  of  Job  Bratt,  an 
Englishman  by  birth.  They  are  the  parents  of  six 
children,  who  bear  the  names  of  Raymond,  Carey, 
Walter,  Clarence,  Laura  and  Ada.  The  family  is 
highly  regarded  in  social  circles  and  is  one  of  the 
most  prominent  in  the  township. 


EF.  VERRY,  one  of  the  most  highly  respected 
citizens  of  Armington,  who  is  engaged  in 
business  as  a  banker  and  grain  dealer,  has 
the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  this  village,  his 
birth  having  here  occurred  on  the  23d  of  Novem- 
ber, 1852.  His  parents  were  William  A.  and  Sarah 
A.  (Farnsworth)  Verry.  The  father  was  bom  in 
Massachusetts  in  1819,  and  during  his  childhood 
cair.e  to  Illinois,  the  family  locating  in  Jackson- 
ville. In  that  city  he  was  married.  The  young 
couple  started  out  with  nothing  to  depend  upon 
save  their  own  exertions,  having  no  capital  or  in- 
fluential friends  to  aid  them.  The}'  soon  came  to 
Tazewell  County  and  Mr.  Verry  entered  from  the 
Government  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
on  which  he  lived  for  many  years.  He  devoted 
his  time  and  attention  entirely  to  fanning  and 
stock-raising,  and  as  the  result  of  his  earnest  la- 
bors lie  was  soon  able  to  add  more  land  to  his  farm. 
In  1868  he  erected  upon  the  old  homestead  one  of 
the  finest  residences  to  be  found  in  Tazewell 
County.  As  his  financial  resources  increased  he 
made  additional  purchases  and  became  the  owner 
of  three  thousand  acres  of  land  in  Tazewell 


County,  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  near  Atlanta, 
111., and  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  near  Chenoa, 
111.  In  connection  with  our  subject  and  a  son-in- 
law  he  also  has  a  five  thousand  acre  stock  farm  in 
Kansas.  He  now  makes  his  home  on  that  ranch, 
where  he  is  raising  a  large  herd  of  cattle. 

William  Verry  has  followed  farming  and  stock- 
raising  throughout  his  entire  life,  and  he  knows 
what  it  is  to  work  hard.  His  life  has  been  an  indus- 
trious one,  and  even  now  at  his  advanced  age  lie 
is  always  occupied  with  some  labor.  While  he  has 
been  by  far  the  most  successful  farmer  in  this  part 
of  the  state  he  has  never  manifested  the  slightest 
tendency  toward  penuriousness  in  dealing  with  his 
fellow-men,  but  has  given  freely  to  charity  and 
has  aided  many  deserving  relatives  and  friends 
in  their  efforts  to  get  a  start  in  life.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican.  He  was  reared  a  Presbyterian, 
and  his  wife  is  a  devoted  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  They  have'  had  six  children: 
William  E.,  a  farmer  of  Tazewell  County;  George, 
an  agriculturist  living  near  Atlanta,  111.;  E.  F.,  of 
;this" sketch;  Frances,  wife  of  E.  S.  Medbery,  who  is 
living  on  the  old  homestead,  and  two  who  died  in 
childhood. 

Mr.  Verry  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  and  in  Eureka  College,  which  he 
attended  one  year.  He  embarked  in  business  for 
himself  as  a  grain  dealer  of  Armington  in  1874, 
and  has  since  carried  on  operations  aiong  that  line. 
In  1891  he  also  began  banking,  carrying  on  a 
strictly  private  bank.  Although  he  received  as- 
sistance from  his  father  when  he  started  out  in 
life  his  success  is  largely  due  to  his  business  tact 
and  ability  and  his  industry  and  enterprise,  which 
are  numbered  among  his  chief  characteristics.  His 
father  divided  his  land  among  his  children  in 
Tazewell  County,  and  our  subject  received  seven 
hundred  acres  in  Fliltle  Township,  which  he  yet 
owns. 

Mr.  Verry  was  united  in  marriage  with  Ella  M., 
daughter  of  Thomas  II.  and  Massie  A.  E.  (Darnell) 
Dills.  To  them  were  born  three  children,  two  yet 
living:  Fred,  aged  fourteen;  and  Thomas,  a  lad  of 
six  summers.  Leon  died  aged  two  years.  The 
parents  are  both  faithful  members  of  the  Christian 
Church  of  Armington,  and  socially  Mr.  Verry  is  a 


LIBRARY 

Of  M 

UNIVERSH  t  Of  JLLlNOfc 


BENJAMIN   H.  HARRIS,   M.  D. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


449 


member  of  Nona  Lodge  No.  152,  I.  O.  O.  F.  He 
exercises  bis  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  tbe 
Republican  party. 


*==*s=* 

BENJAMIN  II.  HARRIS,  M.  D.  Having  re- 
sided in  Tazewell  County  for  about  a  half- 
Yi  century,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  has  an 
extensive  acquaintance  throughout  this 
section  of  country.  His  long  residence  in  Grove- 
land  Township,  together  with  his  active  participa- 
tion in  all  worthy  measures  for  the  development 
(if  the  resources  of  the  community,  has  made  him 
prominent  both  socially  and  in  the  ranks  of  his 
profession.  It  may  be  truly  said  that  few  resi- 
dents of  the  county  are  more  widely,  and  none 
more  favorably,  known  than  he. 

In  the  consideration  of  the  life  of  any  man,  it  is 
well  to  briefly  note  his  ancestral  history,  and  we 
therefore  present  a  few  facts  concerning  our  sub- 
ject's progenitors.  His  great-grandfather,  Ezekiel 
Harris,  was  of  Welsh  descent,  and  was  born  in  the 
township  of  Bedford,  Westchester  County,  N.  Y. 
Little  is  known  of  his  life,  save  that  he  served  as 
an  Elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Bedford, 
and  spent  his  days  in  the  place  of  his  birth,  dying 
there  at  an  advanced  age.  Grandfather  Ezekiel 
Harris  was  born  on  the  farm  where  his  father  had 
first  opened  his  C3'es  to  the  light.  An  agricultur- 
ist b}'  occupation,  he  cultivated  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  valuable  land  and  was  well-to-do. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Jefferson  ian  Democrat,  while 
in  religious  belief  he  was  identified  with  the  Bap- 
tist Church. 

Twice  married,  Grandfather  Harris  had  two  sons 
b}'  his  first  wife.  His  second  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Elizabeth  Hamilton,  became  the  mother 
of  eight  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  sur- 
vived to  mature  years.  Seven  of  the  sons  reared 
families,  viz.:  Abijah,  of  New  York;  Ezekiel,  who 
located  in  Mississippi;  Lemuel,  a  resident  of  New 
York;  John  and  Thomas,  who  lived  in  New  York 
City;  William,  of  Mississippi;  Nathaniel,  of  New 
York,  and  James,  who  went  to  Mississippi  and 


there  died.  Two  of  the  daughters,  Elizabeth  and 
Mary,  married,  and  the  others  died  single. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Lemuel  Harris,  was 
born  in  New  York,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion. In  the  fall  of  1835  he  came  to  Illinois,  mak- 
ing the  journey  by  canal,  rail  and  lake;  he  settled 
on  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  29, 
Morton  Township,  Tazewell  County,  becoming  a 
member  of  the  Tremont  colony.  At  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  September  4,  1864,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-four,  he  owned  four  hundred 
acres.  In  his  political  views  he  was  a  Jeffersonian 
Republican, and  in  religious  matters  was  an  active 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

Lemuel  Harris  was  four  times  married,  and  by 
his  first  union  had  three  children,  Catharine;  John, 
who  resided  in  Mississippi  until  after  the  Civil 
War,  and  thence  removed  to  New  York,  where  he 
died,  and  Benjamin  II.,  of  this  sketch.  The  mother 
of  these  children  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary 
Kearney,  and  was  born  in  New  York,  to  which 
state  her  parents  came  from  Ireland.  The  second 
wife  of  Lemuel  Harris,  Theodosia  Reynolds,  had 
no  children.  His  third  union  was  with  Mrs.  Mary 
(Snillin)  Lovlett,  who  bore  one  son,  Lemuel.  By 
his  fourth  marriage,  which  united  him  with  Jane 
Crawford,  he  had  a  son,  William. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  West- 
Chester  County,  N.  Y.,  April  19, 1821,  and  attended 
the  district  schools  a  short  time  in  his  boyhood 
days.  It  has  been  said  that  there  are  two  kinds  of 
education,  one  which  is  received  at  school  and  the 
other,  more  important,  that  which  we  give  ourselves. 
While  the  Doctor  did  not  have  the  former  educa- 
tion, he  gained  a  wide  knowledge  in  the  school  of 
experience  and  observation,  and  is  one  of  the  best 
posted  men  in  the  township.  From  youth  it  had 
been  his  ambition  to  become  a  physician,  and  ac- 
cordingly, at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years,  he  began 
the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Saltonstall.  In  the 
winter  of  1845-46  he  took  a  course  of  lectures  at 
the  St.  Louis  Medical  College,  where  he  practiced 
for  one  year. 

Coming  to  Groveland  Township  in  the  winter 
of  1846-47,  Dr.  Harris  at  once  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession,  which  he  has  since  contin- 
ued. In  those  earl}'  days  there  were  few  physi- 


450 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


cians  in  the  county,  and  frequently  he  was  obliged 
to  ride  many  miles  in  order  to  visit  his  patients. 
The  hardships  of  pioneer  life  he  witnessed  and  ex- 
perienced, but  it  has  also  been  his  privilege  to  ex- 
perience the  jo}'S  of  prosperity  and  the  highest 
civilization.  In  the  winter  of  1854-55  he  received 
the  degree  of  M.  I),  at  St.  Louis. 

An  active  Republican  in  his  political  views,  Dr. 
Harris  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  that  part}',  and 
attended  the  state  convention  at  Bloomington  in 
1856.  He  has  filled  a  number  of  local  offices,  in- 
cluding that  of  Township  Supervisor.  Socially, 
he  is  a  Mason.  His  pleasant  home  in  Groveland 
is  presided  over  by  his  amiable  wife,  who  is  one 
of  the  popular  ladies  of  the  place.  Becoming  the 
wife  of  Dr.  Harris  July  23,  1846,  she  was  prior  to 
that  time  known  as  Miss  Ann  Hutchison,  and  was 
born  in  Boyle  County,  Ky.,  four  miles  east  of  Dan- 
ville. Her  parents,  Thomas  and  Eliza  (Burgess) 
Hutchison,  removed  in  an  early  day  from  Virginia 
to  Kentucky,  where  they  remained  until  death. 
They  were  the  parents  of  four  daughters,  two  of 
whom  lived  to  maturity. 

In  their  religions  belief  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Harris  are 
identified  with  the  Baptist  Church,  which  he  joined 
at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  and  she  at  the  age  of 
sixteen.  They  have  three  children,  all  daughters. 
Theodosia  E.  is  the  wife  of  Judge  W.  R.  Hall,  of 
Leadville,  Colo.;  Margaret  C.  married  William  D. 
Hodge  and  lives  in  Iowa,  and  Catharine  is  the 
wife  of  Joel  O'Brien,  a  farmer  by  occupation. 


EDWARD  WORSTALL  was  for  more  than 
thirty  years  an  influential  citizen  of  Malone 
?  Township,  Tazewell  County,  and  his  death, 
November  12,  1892,  was  mourned  by  his  large 
circle  of  personal  friends.  lie  was  the  son  of  John 
and  Lucy  (Morris)  Worstall,  the  former  born  March 
1,1773,  and  the  latter  February  6,1780.  They 
were  married  January  24,  1802,  and  moved  from 
Bucks  County,  Pa.,  to  Zanesville,  Ohio,  in  June, 
1818.  Their  famil}'  consisted  of  eight  sons  and 
three  daughters. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Zanes- 
ville,  Ohio,  July  7,  1824,  and  spent  his  boyhood 
days  in  the  city  of  his  birth.  At  the  age  of 


fifteen  he  commenced  to  learn  the  blacksmith's 
trade,  which  he  followed  both  in  Zanesville  and 
Stovertown,  Ohio.  October  4,  1849,  he  married 
Miss  Mary  V.  Foster,  of  Zanesville.  Her  parents, 
William  and  Sarah  (Cooper)  Foster,  were  born 
October  18,  1783, and  March  14, 1799,  respectively, 
and  were  married  December  21,  1815.  In  May  of 
1830  they  moved  from  Culpeper  County,  Va.,  to 
Zanesville,  Ohio,  where  they  reared  their  family  of 
nine  daughters  and  five  sons. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Worstall  followed  his 
trade  in  Stovertown  until  March,  1851,  when  with 
his  wife  he  came  to  Illinois,  settling  across  the 
river  from  Pekin,  in  which  city  he  carried  on  his 
blacksmith  shop.  In  1852  he  removed  to  Circle- 
ville,  111.,  where  lie  resumed  work  at  his  trade.  In 
1861  he  purchased  the  valuable  farm  of  two 
hundred  acres  where  he  resided  until  death,  and 
which  is  now  the  property  of  his  widow.  Building 
a  shop  here,  he  carried  on  work  at  his  trade.  He 
was  also  closety  connected  with  the  public  affairs  of 
the  locality,  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  over 
twenty  years,  and  held  many  other  township  offices. 
November  12,  1892,  he  fell  dead  in  church,  his 
death  resulting  from  heart  disease. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Worstall  had  ten  children.  Sarnh 
A.,  who  was  born  September  29,  1850,  was  married 
August  8,  1867,  to  William  Dean,  a  farmer  of 
Mason  County,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four 
living  children:  Eugene,  Alice,  Edward  and  Mabel. 
John  C.,  who  was  born  August  4,  1853,  married 
Manty  Debolt,  of  Ohio,  and  lives  in  Mills  County, 
Iowa.  Charles  M.  was  born  Jul}-  10,  1855,  and  is 
now  deceased.  Arrilla  J.,  who  was  born  February 
25,  1857,  married  Isaiah  Cornel  and  lives  in  Malone 
Township.  Celia  M.,  whose  birth  occurred  April 
10,  1859,  married  Thomas  Boyer,  and  they  reside 
on  his  father's  old  homestead.  George  F.  was  born 
January  30,  1861,  and  makes  his  home  with  his 
mother,  being  the  operator  of  the  farm.  James  M., 
who  was  born  April  12,  1863,  married  Dora  Kino 
and  they  live  in  Malone  Township.  William  H. 
was  born  September  20,  1865, and  is  now  a  resident 
of  Peoria,  this  state;  he  married  Julia  Hole}',  who 
died  in  1893.  Lottie  B.  was  born  Novemter  17, 
1871,  and  is  now  deceased. 

In  the  various   localities  where  they  reside  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


451 


i  sons  and  daughters  of  Mrs.  Worstall  are  occupying 
positions  of  trust  and  are  prominent  in  social 
circles.  Slie  is  a  lady  of  noble  character  and  a 
sincere  and  active  member  of  the  Christian  Chinch. 
Her  life  has  been  devoted  to  her  family,  and  it 
may  well  be  her  pride  that  her  children  have 
amply  rewarded  her  for  her  care  and  training.  She 
numbers  many  friends  among  the  people  of  the 
community  where  she  has  so  long  resided. 


LMON  II.  BARNES  has  made  farming  his 
«POl  life  work,  and  his  energies  are  now  de- 
ll' voted  to  that  pursuit.  He  resides  on  sec- 
tion  30,  Forest  City  Township,  Mason 
County,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  represen- 
tative farmers  of  the  community.  lie  is  the  son 
of  Deacon  Nathan  Barnes,  of  whom  a  history  is 
given  in  the  sketch  of  George  E.,  and  was  born 
October  16,  1842,  in  Greenfield,  Hillsboro  County, 
N.  II. 

Our  subject  was  7iine  years  of  age  when  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Bunker 
Hill,  Macoupin  County,  this  state,  and  in  that 
place  attended  the  common  schools  and  acquired 
a  fair  education.  He  came  to  this  county  when  a 
lad  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  years,  and  after  working 
for  a  time  for  Richard  Allen  of  Havana  Township, 
returned  home  and  again  carried  on  his  studies  in 
the  public  school. 

August  6,  1862,  Mr.  Barnes  enlisted  his  services 
in  behalf  of  the  Union  cause,  and  joined  Company 
A,  Ninety-seventh  Illinois  Infantry  as  a  private. 
The  regiment  was  organized  at  Springfield  under 
Colonel  Rutherford,  and  was  later  sent  to  Coving- 
ton,  Ky.  From  there  they  marched  after  General 
Morgan  to  Lexington,  Ky.,  then  to  Louisville, 
where  they  embarked  on  a  boat  which  conveyed 
them  down  the  Ohio  River  to  the  Mississippi,  and 
then  down  the  Father  of  Waters  to  Vicksburg, 
where  they  made  the  first  attack  upon  that  city, 
under  the  command  of  General  Sherman.  After 
that,  siege  the  regiment  sailed  down  the  Yazoo 
River  to  Young's  Point,  and  later  went  to  Arkan- 
sas Post,  where  they  captured  the  fort  and  took 


many  prisoners.  They  then  returned  to  Young's 
Point,  where  they  went  into  winter  quarters  until 
the  spring  of  1863,  when  the  army  was  re-organ- 
ized under  General  Grant.  Our  subject's  division 
formed  a  part  of  General  McClernand  Corps,  and 
being  ordered  to  Vicksburg  marched  around  to  the 
rear  of  that  city  and  was  engaged  in  a  fight  at 
Magnolia  Hills.  Our  subject  served  all  through 
the  siege  of  that  city  and  was  under  fire  from  May 
1  to  July  4,  1863. 

On  the  above  date  the  regiment  to  which  Mr. 
Barnes  belonged  immediately  started  on  a  march 
to  Jackson,  Miss.,  where  they  drove  out  Gen.  Joe 
E.  Johnston.  Returning  to  Vicksburg  our  subject 
was  given  a  furlough  on  account  of  sickness  and 
returned  home.  After  a  short  time  spent  in  rest 
he  rejoined  his  regiment  at  New  Orleans,  Ind., 
and  did  provost  duty  until  July,  1864,  when  he 
was  sent  with  others  to  Milliken's  Bend,  on  the 
Mississippi  River,  and  skirmished  with  the  rebels. 
Later  they  went  on  a  raid  to  Natchez,  and  when 
the  army  was  again  re-organized  Mr.  Barnes'  regi- 
ment was  placed  under  the  command  of  General 
Steele,  and  going  to  Dauphin  Isle  crossed  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  skirmished  with  the  enemy.  They 
then  went  by  boat  to  Florida,  thence  to  Blakely, 
opposite  Mobile,  where  a  battle  was  fought  and  the 
fort  captured.  They  then  sailed  up  the  Alabama 
River  to  Selma,  from  there  were  sent  back  to 
Mobile,  and  by  ship  went  to  Galveston,  Tex., 
where  they  were  mustered  out.  Our  subject  from 
there  went  to  New  Orleans,  thence  to  Camp  But- 
ler, where  he  received  his  honorable  discharge  Au- 
gust 19,1 865,  after  a  term  of  three  years  and  eleven 
days. 

During  the  time  Mr.  Barnes  was  in  the  trenches 
before  Vicksburg,  he  was  grazed  by  a  bullet  on  the 
right  leg,  and  although  a  soldier  for  so  many 
years,  was  never  off  duty  excepting  the  short  time 
he  spent  at  home.  After  the  war  our  subject 
worked  for  his  brother  in  Bunker  Hill  for  two 
years,  and  then,  in  1867,  came  to  this  county  and 
carried  on  a  farm  as  a  rente*  in  company  with  his 
brother  John  B.  They  erected  a  board  shanty 
and  kept  bachelor's  hall  on  the  place  until  the  fall 
of  the  succeeding  3'ear,  when  he  purchased  the 
farm  where  he  is  at  present  residing  and  erected 


452 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


thereon  a  good  residence.  In  1869  lie  boarded 
witli  the  family  of  the  Rev.  John  Pinckney,  who 
had  moved  into  his  house,  and  August  17  of  that 
3'ear,  he  was  married  to  their  only  daughter,  Miss 
Annie  E.  Her  mother  was,  prior  to  her  union.  Miss 
Mary  Fieek,  and  both  parents  were  natives  of  Eng- 
land. Mr.  Pinckney  was  a  minister  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  Methodist  Church  and  died  in  1873.  The 
mother  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  with 
our  subject. 

Mrs.  Barnes  was  born  August  26,  1848,  in  Will-, 
lamson  Corners,  N.  Y.,'and  lias  become  the  mother 
of  six  children,  of  whom  Fannie  L.,  Delia  M.,  Willis 
P.,  Lillie  I.,  and  an  infant  unnamed  are  deceased. 
The  surviving  child  is  named  Tessie.  Mr.  Barnes 
gives  his  attention  exclusively  to  farming,  and 
owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  improved 
land.  In  1887  he  completed  his  present  comfort- 
able residence, and  all  the  substantial  buildings  on 
the  place  have  been  the  result  of  his  industry. 
With  his  wife  he  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  worshiping  with  the  congregation  at 
Pleasant  Plain.  He  has  lieen  School  Director  of. 
District  No.  2  for  seven  years,  and  his  daughter 
has  been  given  a  good  education.  Our  subject  at- : 
tends  his  regimental  reunion,  which  is  held  each 
fall  in  different  cities  in  the  United  States.  He  is 
a  strong  Republican  in  politics,  and  has  served  for 
three  years  as  Road  Commissioner.  Social!}',  he  is 
a  Modern  Woodman  of  America,  meeting  with  the 
lodge  at  Forest  City. 


AVID  ELLMORE.  The  tastes  of  men 
j/  give  rise  to  varied  wants  and  occupa- 
tions. Some  find  their  enjoyment  in  the 
bustle  of  the  busy  haunts  of  men,  and 
some  amid  the  less  exciting  scenes  of  rural  life, 
while  others  combine  the  two.  The  latter  is  the 
case  with  the  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch, 
whose  home  is  a  cozy  residence  in  Mason  City, 
while  his  attention  is  'devoted  to  the  cultivation 
of  his  valuable  farm  in  Mason  City  Township. 
His  estate  comprises  three  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
of  which  the  entire  tract,  but  twenty  acres,  has 
been  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 


improved  with  all  the  accessories  of  a  model  farm. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Peter  and  Elizabeth 
(Victor)  Ellmore,  were  natives  respectively  of 
Virginia  and  Pennsylvania,  and  both  died  in 
Green  County,  Ky.  The  former  was  born  June  15, 
1797,  and  died  December  31,  1859,  and  the  latter 
was  born  September  22,  1799,  and  died  October  2, 
1854.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  as 
was  also  the  grandfather,  William  Ellmore.  David 
was  born  in  Green  County,  Ky.,  January  19, 1838, 
and  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  his  native  place, 
where  he  received  a  common-school  education.  In 
boyhood  he  assisted  his  father,  who  was  an  exten- 
sive tobacco  raiser.  His  career  as  a  farmer  began 
in  the  spring  of  1858,  at  which  time  he  settled  in 
Green  County,  111.,  near  the  city  of  Jacksonville, 
making  his  home  in  that  place  until  the  fall  of 
1860. 

Coming  at  that  time  to  Mason  County,  Mr.  Ell- 
more settled  in  Mason  City  Township,  where  he 
has  since  conducted  extensive  and  profitable  farm- 
ing operations.  From  time  to  time  he  made  im- 
provements in  the  place,  until  at  the  present  time 
it. ranks  among  the  best  in  the  locality.  The  fields 
are  separated  by  a  good  system  of  fencing  and  are 
devoted  some  to  the  pasturage  of  stock,  and  others 
to  the  raising  of  grain.  In  October  of  1891  Mr.  Ell- 
more came  to  Mason  City,  and  during  the  follow- 
ing year  erected  the  elegant  residence  which  his 
family  now  occupies.  In  politics  he  is  a  pro- 
nounced Democrat,  and  in  public  improvements 
maintains  a  commendable  interest. 

November  28,  1858,  Mr.  Ellmore  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  T.  Hill,  a  native  of 
Tennessee,  and  a  daughter  of  William  B.  Hill, whose 
birth  also  occurred  in  Tennessee.  Mrs.  Ellmore 
died  April  5,  1877,  leaving  seven  children.  The 
family  originally  numbered  eight  children,  as  fol- 
lows: John  E.,  now  deceased;  William  F.,  who  died 
in  infancy;  David  O.,  residing  in  Colorado;  Ed- 
ward P.,  in  Nevada;  Wiley  W.,  a  resident  of  Ma- 
son County;  Dora  Ma}-,  the  wife  of  D.  S.  Wingler, 
of  Salem,  Ind.;  George  Clinton,  who  is  at  home, 
and  Walter  Scott,  living  in  Denver,  Colo. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Ellmore  took  place 
April  10,  1879,  his  wife  being  Miss  Bettie  A. 
Skaggs,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  Her  parents,  Jerry 


Of 


JOHX   A.  SMALLWOOD. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


455 


aid  Mary  (Larimore)  Skaggs,  were  born  in  the 
l.lue  Grass  State,  where  they  now  live  in  Taylor 
County.  Her  grandfather,  Richard  Skaggs,  died 
in  January,  1890,  at  the  age  of  more  than  four- 
score years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ell  more  are  the  parents 
!of  three  children,  Leona  Sherman,  Lloyd  Cleve- 
land and  Lounettie,  all  of  whom  are  bright  and 
intelligent  children.  The  family  residence  is  a 
two-story  structure,  pleasantly  located  on  the  coi- 
ner of  Chestnut  and  South  Menard  Streets,  and 
furnished  in  a  manner  indicative  of  the  refined 
taste  of  the  inmates. 

In  their  religious  belief  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellmore 
are  identified  with  the  Baptist  Church,  and  they 
are  always  generous  contributors  to  benevolent 
projects.  Mr.  Ellmore  has  always  been  a  man  of 
temperate  habits,  and  to  this  fact  may  be  ascribed 
the  excellent  health  he  has  ever  enjoyed.  He  is 
looked  upon  with  respect  by  his  fellow-men  as  an 
honorable  citizen  and  kind-hearted  man,  while  the 
lovable  disposition  and  pleasing  manners  of  his 
wife  win  many  friends. 


A.  SMALL  WOOD  is  one  of  the  lead- 


ing and  successful  agriculturists  of  Tazewell 


I 

t  County,  residing  in  Boynton  Township. 
I)  He  is  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  was  born 
April  22,  1822,  eighteen  miles  from  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  Pa.  His  father,  who  bore  the  name 
of  Jehu,  was  born  in  that  locality,  as  was  also  the 
grandfather,  Joseph  B.  The  latter  was  a  merchant 
and  farmer,  and  for  many  years  held  the  office  of 
Justice  of  the  Peace. 

Jehu  Smallwood  was  the  only  son  in  his  father's 
family,  and  was  a  roan  of  good  education,  having 
for  a  time  engaged  in  teaching  school.  In  his 
youth  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  store.  In  1832 
he  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  at  old  Naples,  then 
in  Morgan,  but  now  in  Scott  County,  where  he 
purchased  a  hotel  and  a  livery  stable,  and  also 
ran  a.  stage  to  Jacksonville.  His  life  in  the  west 
was  soon,  however,  terminated  by  death,  and  in 
August  of  1832  he  passed  from  earth. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  was  in  maidenhood 
Elizabeth  Sickler,  and  was  born  in  New  Jersey. 


She  married  twice  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Small- 
wood,  and  died  in  1891,  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
three.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Christopher  Sickler,  lived  on  the  Jersey  side  of  the 
river  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  it  is  a 
notable  fact  that  his  father's  house  was  often  occu- 
pied by  General  Washington,  and  at  other  times 
by  the  British  oflicers.  Our  subject  had  six  brothers 
and  one  sister;  the  eldest  of  the  family  died  in  in- 
fancy. Joseph  B.,  who  went  to  California  in  1850, 
has  always  been  interested  in  the  raising  of  blooded 
horses,  and  when  last  heard  from  was  residing  in 
that  state.  Horace  T.,  another  brother,  is  living 
at  San  Bernardino,  Cal. 

When  ten  years  old  our  subject  was  orphaned  by 
the  death  of  his  father,  after  which  he  was  obliged 
to  assist  his  mother  in  the  support  of  the  family. 
He  was  employed  in  a  store  where  groceries,  to- 
bacco and  whiskey  were  sold,  and  while  it  was  a 
trying  place  for  a  boy,  he  has  never  taken  a  drink 
of  liquor  in  his  life.  After  some  years  there,  he 
commenced  to  work  upon  a  farm,  and  when  his 
mother  married  again,  some  seven  years  after  his 
father's  death,  he  worked  on  the  farm  of  his  step- 
father, Thomas  Green.  .Later  he  embarked  in 
farming  for  himself. 

In  1853,  Mr.  Smallwood  settled  in  Logan  Coun- 
ty, ten  miles  south  of  his  present  home,  and  on 
Sugar  Creek.  In  1876  he  purchased  the  farm 
where  he  has  since  resided.  While  his  life  lias  in 
the  main  been  successful,  he  has  had  his  share  of 
reverses  and  misfortunes.  In  the  fall  of  1893, 
while  he  was  driving  to  Delavan,  his  horses  took 
fright,  jumped  to  one  side  and  breaking  the  tongue 
of  the  wagon,  ran  away.  Mr.  Smallwood  in  jump- 
ing out  to  save  himself  fell  on  his  face.  This  ac- 
cident proved  almost  fatal.  His  face  was  most 
dreadfully  cut,  his  nose  broken,  which  necessitated 
the  taking  out  of  several  pieces  of  bone,  and 
thirty-seven  stitches  also  had  to  be  taken  in  his 
face.  While  he  suffered  excruciating  pain,  he  bore 
it  without  a  murmur.  At  the  time  it  was  thought 
impossible  for  him  to  live,  and  a  man  of  less  de- 
termination, although  he  might  have  been  much 
younger,  could  not  have  stood  the  shock. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Smallwood  in  1845  united 
him  with  Miss  Mary  J.  Van  Gundy,  a  native  of 


456 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


this  state,  of  which  her  father,  David  Van  Gundy, 
was  a  pioneer  fanner  and  millwright.  They  have 
had  eleven  children,  of  whom  five  survive,  viz.: 
Martha  A.,  the  wife  of  Henry  Shirley,  a  fanner  of 
Logan  County;  Mahala  J.,  who  married  William 
II.  Bowles,  a  fanner  living  in  Logan  County; 
Peter,  who  lives  with  his  parents  and  cultivates  an 
adjoining  farm;  Theo  II.,  who  married  Ida  Belle 
Matlock,  December  31,  1877,  and  is  now  an  agri- 
culturist of  Logan  County,  and  Ada  Belle,  who 
is  at  home. 

Mr.  Smallwood  was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace 
ever  elected  in  Lincoln  Township,  Logan  County, 
after  the  township  organization.  lie  has  been  an 
Elder  in  the  Christian  Church  for  many  years,  and 
all  the  members  of  his  family  are  identified  with 
that  denomination.  As  a  farmer  he  is  progressive 
and  practical,  and  ranks  among  the  influential 
agriculturists  of  the  township. 


A.  MELTON.  Among  the  residents  of 
Mason  County  who  have  prosecuted  a  suc- 
cessful business  career  for  many  years,  and 
)  then  invested  their  means  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  derive  a  good  income  without  undue  ex- 
ertions, have  retired  from  the  arduous  labors  of 
life,  is  the  gentleman  above  named.  Mr.  Melton 
is  an  old  settler  of  this  county,  and  is  now  living 
on  his  present  farm,  located  on  section  16,  Salt 
Creek  Township.  He  was  born  in  Norwich  County, 
Ind.,  June  22,  1826. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  A.  P.  Melton,  was 
born  in  South  Carolina,  March  12,  1800,  and  re- 
mained in  his  native  state  until  attaining  his  four- 
teenth year,  when  he  came  west  to  Indiana  and 
made  location  in  Norwich  County.  When  attain- 
ing mature  years  he  was  married  in  the  Iloosier 
State  to  the  mother  of  our  subject,  Miss  Olive 
Grenway,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky.  Their  union 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  eight  children,  six  of  whom 
grew  to  mature  years. 

A.  P.  Melton  emigrated  further  west  in  1829, 
making  his  home  in  Sangamon  County,  this  state, 
where  he  lived  for  two  years,  and  then  came  to 


this  county  and  resided  on  a  farm  north  of  Salt 
Creek  Township,  where  his  wife  departed  this  life 
in  the  winter  of  1844. 

The  second  union  of  Mr.  Melton  was  when  he 
married  Mrs.  Julia  Rupel,  and  to  them  were  born 
six  children.  When  leaving  this  county  the  father 
of  our  subject  rercoved  to  Tazewell  County,  and 
then  came  back  to  Mason  County,  where  he  died 
July  1,  1877.  He  was  a  stanch  Republican  in 
politics  and  an  intimate  friend  of  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, who  was  a  frequent  caller  at  his  home.  He 
was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  a  man  who  was  held  in  the  highest 
esteem  by  all  who  knew  him. 

R.  A.,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  second  in  order  of 
birth  of  his  parents'  children,  and  was  four  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  their  removal  to  Sangamon 
County.  lie  received  his  education,  however,  in 
this  county,  and  as  soon  as  old  enough  began  work- 
ing out  by  the  month  on  farms.  The  first  house 
which  his  parents  occupied  in  Mason  County  was 
built  of  logs,  had  a  mud  and  stick  chimney,  pun- 
cheon floor,  clapboard  roof  and  all  the  primitive 
furnishings  found  in  the  pioneer  home. 

Miss  Margaret  E.  Rupel  became  the  wife  of  our 
subject  in  1848.  She  was  born  in  Virginia,  and 
came  to  Tazewell  County  when  quite  young,  with 
her  parents.  Soon  after  his  union  Mr.  Melton  lo- 
cated in  the  above  county,  where  he  lived  for  eight 
years  and  improved  a  fine  farm.  He  then  came 
to  this  county  and  purchased  the  property  upon 
which  he  now  resides,  and  which  he  has  placed  un- 
der such  excellent  tillage.  At  the  time  of  his  ad- 
vent into  this  section,  there  were  but  two  or  three 
houses  which  could  be  seen  from  his  dwelling,  and 
the  entire  surroundings  were  of  a  most  primitive 
order.  He  broke  the  first  land  and  erected  the 
first  dwelling  on  his  property,  and  has  ever  since 
given  nis  entire  attention  to  farm  pursuits.  Mr. 
Melton*  operated  the  first  threshing  machine  ever 
used  in  Tazewell  County,  and  has  been  engaged  in 
running  a  thresher  off  and  on  since  1850. 

Of  the  twelve  children  born  to  our  subject  and 
his  wife,  there  are  four  daughters  and  eight  sons. 
William  D.  and  Gilson  are  deceased;  Reece  makes 
his  home  in  Havana,  this  state;  Joseph  is  a  fanner 
of  Pennsylvania  Township,  this  county;  Mary, 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


457 


married  John  A.  Ferguson,  and  is  living  in  Salt 
Creek  Township;  Olive  Ann,  now  Mrs.  Dave  West, 
is  residing  in  Mason  City;  R.  Henry  is  living  in 
Iowa;  Frank  is  a  well-to-do  agriculturist  of  this 
township  ;  Nora,  Mrs.  Lewis  Auxier,  makes  her 
home  in  the  Ilawkeye  State;  Rosnnna  is  deceased; 
Horace  is  living  on  a  portion  of  the  old  homestead, 
and  Charlie  is  at  home  with  his  parents. 

Mr.  Melton  has  a  quarter  section  of  land,  where 
he  is  living,  lie  has  witnessed  much  of  the  pio- 
neer growth  of  this  county,  and  has  acted  well  his 
part  in  its  development.  Those  were  very  trying 
times  in  the  early  days  of  the  settlement  of  this 
count}1,  as  the  pioneers  had  much  to  contend  with. 
There  were  scarcely  any  facilities  for  carrying  on 
labor,  such  as  the  farmer  of  to-day  enjoys,  and  he 
can  well  remember  when  Hour  was  made  by  the 
most  primitive  methods. 

Mr.  Melton  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  during 
national  elections,  but  in  local  elections  votes  for 
the  one  whom  he  thinks  the  best  man.  He  has 
been  Highway  Commissioner  for  twenty  years,  and 
for  the  same  length  of  time  served  as  School  Trus- 
tee. He  has  the  honor  of  being  the  oldest  living 
settler  in  Salt  Creek  Township,  in  whose  advance- 
ment he  has  taken  such  a  prominent  part. 


ENJAMIN  S.  PRETTYMAN,  Su.  To  the 
pioneers  of  Tazewell  County  the  present 
generation  owes  a  debt  that  can  never  be 
repaid.  Through  their  efforts,  continued 
uu wearied ly  through  a  long  period  of  years,  is 
due  the  present  high  standing  of  this  section  of 
the  state  alike  in  commercial,  agricultural  and  so- 
cial matters.  Having  borne  the  heat  of  conflict, 
many  of  them  have  passed  to  their  final  reward, 
but  a  few  remain  to  witness  and  enjoy  the  fruition 
of  their  early  hopes  and  labors. 

Such  an  one  is  B.  S.  Prettyman,  Sr.,  to  whom 
belongs  the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest  attor- 
ney in  Tazewell  County,  who  now  makes  his  home 
in  Pekin.  At  the  time  he  accompanied  the  other 
members  of  the  family  hither,  this  now  flourishing 
city  contained  but  one  hundred  inhabitants,  and 


Tazewell  County  embraced  the  entire  territory  ex- 
tending from  the  Illinois  River  on  the  east  to  San- 
gamon  County  on  the  south.  Chicago  was  then 
in  this  county,  and  Mr.  Prettymau  remembers  hav- 
ing seen  the  Sheriff  start  on  horseback  for  the  city 
by  the  lake.  About  1841  the  county  was  reduced 
to  its  present  boundaries,  and  he  was  appointed 
one  of  the  Commissioners  to  district  the  county 
into  towns,  which  he  did,  laying  it  out  into  nine- 
teen townships,  the  present  number. 

Mr.  Prettyman  comes  of  good  old  Revolution- 
ary stock,  his  grandfather,  Benjamin  Prettyman, 
having  served  both  in  the  army  and  the  navy  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War.  With  old  Commo- 
dore Decatur,  he  sailed  the  seas  in  the  vessel  "Fair 
America,"  but  was  finally  captured  and  placed  in 
one  of  the  New  York  prison  ships,  whence  he  was 
released  some  time  afterward.  In  Delaware,  the 
state  of  his  nativity,  he  engaged  in  farming  pur- 
suits until  his  death,  the  closing  years  of  his  life 
presenting  a  tranquillity  and  peace  in  marked  con- 
trast to  the  eventful  days  of  the  Revolution.  He 
and  a  brother  were  the  only  representatives  of 
their  branch  of  the  family  in  America,  and  each 
left  a  son. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Lewis  Prettymau,  was 
born  in  Sussex  County,  Del.,  and  participated  in 
the  War  of  1812,  being  Lieutenant  at  the  bom- 
bardment of  Lewistown.  Later  he  made  a  trip 
on  horseback  to  Ohio,  and  was  so  well  pleased 
with  that  section  of  the  country  that,  in  1831,  he 
brought  his  wife  and  five  children  west,  journey- 
ing up  the  Delaware  to  Philadelphia,  thence  to 
Pittsburgh,  and  from  there  down  the  Ohio  and  up 
the  Mississippi.  The  boat  upon  which  they  jour- 
neyed from  St.  Louis  to  Pekin  was  the  second  that 
made  the  passage  up  the  Illinois.  Arriving  in  Taze- 
well Count}',  Mr.  Prettyman  entered  four  or  five 
eighty-acre  tracts,  upon  which  not  a  furrow  had 
been  turned  nor  any  improvement  made.  On 
Mackinaw  Creek  he  built  a  fort,  afterward  put  up 
a  log  cabin  at  the  edge  of  the  forest  and  broke  the 
prairie  soil  with  the  first  wooden  mold-board  plow 
introduced  into  the  neighborhood. 

In  politics  a  radical  Democrat,  Lewis  Prettyman 
held  a  number  of  oflicial  positions.  For  several 
years  he  was  County  Surveyor,  first  by  appoint- 


458 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


inent  of  the  Governor  in  1832,  and  in  1840  by 
election.  In  religious  belief  lie  was  a  Presbyterian. 
His  death  occurred  on  Lis  farm  in  1856.  His  wife 
was  Harriet,  daughter  of  John  Mason,  a  Quaker 
fanner  who  lived  and  died  in  Delaware.  .She  was 
born  in  Kent  County,  Del.,  and  was  of  English  de- 
scent. In  religious  belief  she  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Her  death  occurred 
at  the  home  of  a  daughter  in  Mason  County  in 
18G5.  In  her  family  were  eight  children,  of  whom 
five  are  now  living. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  the  only  son  and  the 
second  in  order  of  birth  in  the  parental  family, 
was  born  in  Smyrna,  Kent  Count}',  Del.,  Novem- 
ber 21,  1819.  He  was  about  twelve  years  of  age 
when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  this  state. 
His  educational  advantages  were  confined  to  three 
months'  attendance  in  the  district  schools,  but  be- 
ing energetic  and  observing,  he  became  well  in- 
formed. From  1840  until  1844  he  served  as  De- 
puty Surveyor,  and  then  commenced  the  study  of 
law  under  Judge  Robbins,  of  Springfield,  111.  He 
went  to  the  olHce  of  Logan  &  Lincoln,  but  ,it--'Was; 
crowded  with  law  students,  and  Logan  advised 
him  to  get  some  legal  books,  adding  that  he  would 
loan  him  such  volumes  as  he  desired.  In  March, 
1845,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  of  Illinois,  at 
Springfield,  and  afterward  settled  in  Pekin,  which 
then  had  a  population  of  four  hundred. 

While  Mr.  Prettyman  neither  sought  nor  desired 
ortice,  he  was  chosen  to  occupy  a  number  of  respon- 
sible local  positions.  In  1860  he  was  nominated 
for  State  Senator,  but  suffered  defeat  with  the  re- 
mainder of  the  ticket.  His  law  library  included 
that  of  Stephen  T.  Logan,  as  well  as  many  books 
selected  by  himself.  At  the  time  of  commencing 
practice,  there  were  but  three  Illinois  reports,  and 
now  there  are  more  than  one  hundred  and  thirty. 
In  early  days  he  often  rode  to  Decatur,  Clinton, 
Bloomington  and  Woodford,  where  court  was  held. 
As  a  stump  speaker,  he  was  in  constant  demand 
during  campaign  days.  For  years  he  was  Chair- 
man of  the  County  Democratic  Committee,  and 
served  as  delegate  to  every  Democratic  National 
Convention  from  1860  to  1892,  excepting  that  of 
1876.  For  six  years  he  made  the  political  speech 
at  the  opening  of  court,  while  Lincoln  was  the 


Whig  speaker.  During  the  war  he  was  twice 
elected  Mayor  of  Pckin,  and  served  in  the  same 
cupacity  several  times  afterward. 

At  Pekin,  in  April.  1840,  Mr.  Prettyman  and 
Miss  Sarah  A.  Haines  were  united  in  marriage. 
This  lady  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Ohio,  and 
died  in  Pekin,  in  February,  1893.  HIT  father, 
William  Haines,  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of  this 
city  in  early  days,  and  owned  a  mercantile  estab- 
lishment, a  distillery,  as  well  as  the  ferry  and  oilier 
important  interests  here.  Fourteen  children  were 
born  to  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pretty  man,  and 
of  that  number  seven  attained  mature  years,  while 
live  are  now  living:  Emily,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Sclienck; 
Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Judge  Rider;  Mrs.  Hat- 
tie  Murray;  Nellie,  the  wife  of  Daniel  Sapp;  and, 
William  and  Benjamin  S.,  Jr.,  attorneys  of  Pekin. 
All  the  children  are  residents  of  Pekin. 

Socially,  Mr.  Prettyman  is  a  demitted  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  has 
...been  a  Master  Mason  since  1845,  belonging  to  the 
;  Royal  Arch  chapter.  A  prominent  member  of 
SUieV'O&f'Seitlers'  Society,  he  has  served  as  its  Pres- 
ident and  ever  been  interested  in  its  success.  In 
securing  the  railroads  at  this  place,  he  was  enthusi- 
astic and  energetic.  In  getting  the  first  railroad, 
it  was  necessary  to  build  the  Illinois  River  Rail- 
road (now  the  Jacksonville  South-eastern)  to  keep 
the  county  seat.  Mr.  Prettyman  drove  to  Lewis- 
town  and  Chandlersville,  through  which  the  new 
road  was  to  pass,  and  canvassed  both  cities  in  the 
interest  of  the  road.  He  was  chosen  Vice-Presi- 
dent  and  Director  of  the  company,  and  accom- 
panied the  President  to  New  York  for  the  purpose 
of  securing  iron  for  the  road,  the  object  of  their 
trip  being  accomplished  only  after  considerable 
effort  and  annoyance.  Mr.  Prettyman  was  also  in- 
terested in  securing  the  Indiana,  Bloomington  & 
Western  Road  at  this  place,  and  also  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  Peoria,  Decatur  <k  Evansville,  as 
well  as  the  Chicago,  Pekin  &  South-western  (now 
the  Santa  Fe).  Of  the  latter  road  he  was  Presi- 
dent until  its  completion  to  Marseilles,  when  he 
resigned.  Of  the  Peoria  &  Pekin  Union  Railway 
Company  he  was  a  charter  member,  and  active  in 
its  enterprises,  serving  for  a  time  as  its  President. 
One  of  Mr.  Prettymau's  plans  was  to  run  the  In- 


LIBRARY 

OfTW 

UNIVERSmr  Of  fUJNUS 


DIEBOLD    FURRER. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


461 


diana,  Bloomington  &  Western  Road  through  Ft. 
Madison,  Iowa,  to  Ft.  Kearney,  Neb.,  and  to  secure 
the  success  of  this  enterprise  he  worked  arduously, 
making  speeches  at  various  points  along  the  route 
and  endeavoring  to  arouse  public  enthusiasm  on 
the  subject.  The  company  agreed  to  go  to  work 
immediately  upon  the  construction  of  the  road, 
and  Mr.  Pretty  man  was  elected  President  of  the 
Division  to  Ft.  Madison.  The  contract  was  drawn 
up  and  signed,  but  at  a  meeting  in  Pekin  the  Di- 
rectors were  persuaded  that  a  better  plan  could  be 
developed;  consequently  the  road  was  never  built, 
and  its  projectors  lost  all  the  money  they  had  in- 
vested in  the  enterprise. 

However,  Mr.  Prettyman  has  been  more  fortu- 
nate in  his  other  schemes,  and  has  been  the  origi- 
nator of  many  plans  whereby  the  best  interests  of 
Pekin  have  been  conserved.  Though  now  ad- 
vanced in  years,  he  is  still  active  and  vigorous, 
and  it  is  the  wish  of  his  many  friends  that  he  may 
long  survive  in  the  enjoyment  of  good  health  and 
unimpaired  mental  faculties. 


1KBOLD  FURRER,  grain  dealer  of  Easton, 
and  a  wide-awake  and  enterprising  busi- 
ness man,  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany, 
October  11,  1841,  and  is  the  son  of  John 
and  .Sarah  (Schlager)  Furrer,  who  were  both 
natives  of  Baden.  They  came  to  America  in  1852 
and  located  in  Quiver  Township,  Mason  County, 
III.  They  had  four  children,  Andrew,  Diebold, 
George  and  John,  the  latter  of  whom  is  deceased. 
The  mother  having  died,  Mr.  Furrer  was  again 
married,  and  by  that  union  were  born  the  follow- 
ing children,  Barbara,  Mary,  Elizabeth  (deceased), 
Louise  and  Sarah.  The  father  of  this  family 
died  in  May,  1864. 

Mr.  Furrer  of  this  sketch  was  a  child  of  only 
ten  years  when  with  his  parents  he  bade  adieu  to 
his  native  land  and  crossed  the  briny  deep  to  the 
New  World.  lie  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of 
farmer  lads,  and  early  in  life  became  familiar  with 
the  arduous  task  of  developing  wild  land.  To  his 
13 


father  he  gave  the  benefit  of  his  services  until 
after  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  when  on 
the  1st  of  August,  1861,  he  enrolled  his  name  as 
a  private  of  Company  A,  Twenty-eighth  Illinois 
Infantry. 

This  company  was  organized  at  Havana  and 
was  commanded  by  Capt.  R.  R.  Hitter.  It  was 
the  first  at  Camp  Butler  organized  under  the  di- 
rection of  Governor  Yates.  The  regiment  was 
commanded  by  Col.  A.  K.  Johnson,  of  Peters- 
burg, 111.,  was  drilled  at  Camp  Thebes,  thence 
went  to  Bird's  Point,  Mo.,  on  to  Ft.  Hold,  Ky., 
to  Paducah,  and  up  the  Tennessee  River  to  Ft. 
Henry.  Mr.  Furrer  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Piltsburg  Landing,  was  in  the  siege  of  Corinth, 
then  was  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  Expedition 
under  General  Grant,  and  the  battles  of  Holly 
Springs,  Memphis,  Bolivar  and  Hatcher's  Run.  The 
following  fall  he  was  in  the  campaign  under 
General  Grant,  marched  back  to  Memphis,  took 
transports  for  Vicksburg,  landed  at  Young's  Point, 
marched  around  the  city  and  took  boat  for  Grand 
Gulf.  He  was  in  the  brigade  that  made  the 
charge  on  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  afterwards  returned 
to  Vicksburg,  whence  he  went  to  Natchez,  Miss., 
where  he  did  provost  duty  for  about  nine  months. 
He  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Morganzia  Bend,  after- 
wards went  to  New  Orleans  and  later  to  Mobile, 
and  was  shipwrecked  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
but  succeeded  in  reaching  land.  He  then  marched 
seventeen  days  through  rain,  mud  and  water, 
aided  in  building  the  corduroy  road  to  Spanish 
Fort  and  took  part  in  the  capture  of  that  place  and 
Ft.  Blakely  and  Mobile,  being  at  the  latter  place 
when  the  news  of  Lee's  surrender  was  received. 
lie  then  went  to  Mobile,  Ala.  In  the  meantime 
he  had  been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Sergeant  and 
was  now  detailed  to  take  a  squad  of  men  to  Citro- 
nelle,  where  the  surrender  was  consummated. 
Later  he  did  duty  in  Texas  as  one  of  the  Army 
of  Observation  until  February,  1866,  when,  at 
Brownsville,  he  was  mustered  out  and  by  steamer 
returned  home,  receiving  his  discharge  at  Spring- 
field, April  6,  1866,  having  served  for  four  years, 
eight  months  and  five  days.  He  was  never 
wounded  or  taken  prisoner,  but  out  of  the  com- 
pany of  one  hundred  and  five  men  who  left 


462 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Havana  only  eleven  of  the  original  number  re- 
turned. 

After  being  mustered  out  Mr.  Furrer  at  once 
returned  to  bis  home  and  began  farming  in  Sher- 
man Township.  He  was  married  on  Christmas 
Day  of  1867  to  Christina  Drechler,  a  native  of 
Baden,  Germany.  Nine  children  have  been  born 
to  them,  and  the  family  circle  yet  remains  un- 
broken. They  are  Laura,  Edward,  Mary,  L.  H., 
Ilattie,  Irene,  Earl,  Freddie  and  Albert.  Laura 
married  Austin  Barrett,  a  farmer  of  Sherman 
Township.  They  have  three  children,  Russell, 
Glen  and  Grace.  Mary  married  Charles  Bowman, 
an  engineer  of  Easton.  They  have  one  child, 
Cecil. 

Mr. .Furrer  continued  farming  until  1873,  when 
he  embarked  in  merchandising,  which  he  continued 
for  eight  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
lie  turned  his  attention  to  the  grain  business,  to 
which  he  now  devotes  his  time  and  energies.  His 
sagacity  and  well  directed  efforts  have  brought 
him  success,  and  he  is  now  possessed  of  a  hand- 
some competence.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  he  belongs 
to  J.  Q.  A.  Jones  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Havana. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  has  served  as  School 
Director,  Road  Commissioner  and  as  Township 
Clerk,  and  has  been  Supervisor  of  Sherman  Town- 
ship for  six  years.  The  cause  of  education  has 
always  found  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  he  has 
given  his  children  good  advantages  in  that  di- 
rection. 


ICIIAEL  WOERNER,a  prominent  and  rep- 
resentative farmer  residing  on  section  10, 
Manito  Township,  Mason  County,  was 
born  January,  J,  1834,  in  Hesse-Darm- 
stadt, Germany.  His  father,  Michael  Woerner, 
was  a  native  of  the  same  localitj'  as  was  his  mother, 
who  bore  the' maiden  name  of  Catherine  Heyl.  In 
1857  his  parents  left  their  native  land  and  crossed 
the  broad  Atlantic  to  America,  where  they  spent 
their  remaining  days,  their  home  being  in  Mason 
County.  The  father  died  in  1887,  and  the  mother 
passed  away  in  1891.  They  had  two  children, 


Michael,  and  George,  who  is  now  living  in  Pekin, 
111.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woerner  were  members  of  the 
Evangelical  Association  and  took  an  active  part 
in  church  work. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  seven- 
teen years  of  his  life  in  his  native  country,  and  in 
accordance  with  its  laws  attended  the  public  schools 
until  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  then  began  learn- 
ing the  trade  of  a  tailor,  which  he  followed  until 
his  emigration  to  America.  The  year  1851  wit- 
nessed his  removal  to  the  New  World  and  saw 
him  located  in  Pekin,  where  he  began  work  at  his 
trade,  being  thus  employed  until  1867,  in  which 
year  he  removed  to  the  farm  upon  which  he  has 
since  made  his  home.  In  connection  with  his 
brother,  he  secured  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land,  and  together  they  operated  it  until  I860, 
when  they  divided  the  land,  each  getting  eighly 
acres,  and  our  subject  has  since  cultivated  the 
tract  alone. 

On  the  1st  of  February,  1860,  Mr.  Woerner  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Catherine  B.  Star/, 
a  native  of  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  born  in  1829. 
She  came  to  America  in  1859,  locating  in  Tazewell 
County.  Four  children  were  born  of  their  union. 
John  II.,  who  is  living  in  Manito  Township,  mar- 
ried Ida  Heyl,  and  has  one  child;  William  married 
Lois  Van  Orman,  and  is  living  in  Forest  City 
Township,  Mason  County;  George  wedded  Fannie 
Meigs,  and  with  their  two  children  they  reside  in 
Manito  Township;  and  Amelia  M.  is  the  wife  of 
Henry  Guinbel,  of  Manito  Township,  by  whom  she 
has  two  children. 

Mr.  Woerner  is  now  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  agriculturists  of  this  community.  He  owns 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  the 
home  farm,  and  a  quarter-section  in  Dakota.  His 
pleasant  residence  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,000, 
and  barns  and  outbuildings  of  like  value  have 
been  erected.  A  fine  hedge  fence  surrounds  the 
place  and  divides  the  farm  into  forty-acre  fields. 
Everything  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance  and 
gives  evidence  of  the  careful  supervision  of  the 
owner.  Jn  connection  with  general  farming,  he 
raises  full  blooded  Jersey  cattle. 

Mr.  Woerner  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical 
Association,  and  is  serving  as  Trustee  and  Class- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


463 


leader.  He  has  also  been  Superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school  and  one  of  the  teachers  in  the  same, 
taking  an  active  and  commendable  interest  in 
church  and  benevolent  work.  He  has  always  been 
a  strong  temperance  man,  and  is  ever  found  on  the 
side  of  right.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  has 
served  as  School  Director  twenty-five  years,  and 
has  been  Highway  Commissioner  two  terms. 


ON.  J.  WARREN  CRABB,  Mayor  of  Dela- 
van,  and  President  of  the  Tazewell  County 
National  Bank,  was  born  in  Dillon  Town- 
ship, this  count}',  December  28,  1854.  His 
father,  the  late  Daniel  Crabb,  was  born  in  Brown 
Count}',  Ohio,  May  8, 1818,  and  was  the  fifth  child 
of  Edward  and  Nancy  (Figgins)  Crabb,  natives 
respectively  of  Kentucky  and  Ohio.  In  an  early 
day  the  grandparents  came  to  Illinois,  and  were 
numbered  among  the  first  settlers  of  Greene 
County.  After  a  sojourn  there  of  several  years 
they  removed  to  Madison  County  and  continued 
to  reside  there  until  death. 

Amid  pioneer  surroundings,  without  educational 
advantages,  and  with  little  or  no  means,  Daniel 
Crabb  attained  to  manhood,  gaining  in  youth  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  agriculture.  In  1843  he 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  Bailey, 
of  Madison  County,  111.,  soon  after  which  he  set- 
tled in  Grundy  County,  Mo.  His  sojourn  there 
was,  however,  of  brief  duration,  and  in  December, 
1844,  he  came  to  Tazewell  County,  where  for  a 
time  he  made  his  home  in  Sand  Prairie  Township. 
After  two  years  there  he  removed  to  Dillon  Town- 
ship, where  he  resided  until  his  death,  March  21, 
1888. 

Such  was  the  energy  and  perseverance  with 
which  Daniel  Crabb  pursued  his  chosen  occupa- 
tion of  agriculture,  that  he  became  one  of  the  most 
extensive  and  successful  farmers  and  stockmen  in 
the  county.  In  1874  he  established  a  private 
bank  in  Delavan,  which  in  1887  was  merged  into 
the  present  Tazewell  County  National  Bank.  His 
conduct  in  all  the  relations  of  life  was  such  as  to 
win  for  him  the  esteem  of  his  associates.  He 
assisted  his  children  so  generously  that  he  had 


given  them  each  a  fortune  before  his  death,  yet  he 
left  an  estate  valued  at  about  $300,000.  His  wife 
passed  away  in  1856. 

Of  the  seven  children  comprising  the  family  of 
Daniel  Crabb  we  note  the  following  who  are 
living:  Edward  resides  at  Rich  Hill,  Mo.,  where 
he  is  interested  in  coal  lands;  Frances  is  the  wife 
of  D.  Gilman  Bailey,  one  of  the  most  extensive 
farmers  of  Tazewell  County,  and  a  resident  of 
Delavan;  Emily  married  J.  N.  Philips,  a  prosper- 
ous farmer  of  Malone  Township,  this  county; 
Letitia  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Bailey,  a  capitalist  of 
Delavan;  J.  Warren  is  the  youngest  of  the  family, 
and  was  but  two  years  old  when  his  mother  died. 
Spending  his  youthful  years  upon  his  father's 
farm,  he  received  the  advantages  of  the  best 
schools  of  Pekin  and  two  years  of  Lake  Forest 
Academy. 

On  completing  his  studies,  Mr.  Crabb  engaged  in 
farming  and  stock-raising  upon  the  home  place. 
The  management  of  the  property  was  left  largely 
in  his  charge,  and  he  was  the  staff  upon  which  his 
father  leaned  in  his  declining  years.  At  an  early 
age  he  developed  the  traits  of  conservatism  in  his 
business  transactions  and  shrewdness  in  his  deal- 
ings that  have  since  characterized  his  life.  While 
he  had  a  fortune  left  him,  it  is  but  just  to  say  that 
he  would  have  made  one  for  himself  had  he 
started  as  his  father  did. 

In  1875  Mr.  Crabb  married  Miss  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  John  Schureman,an  agriculturist  near 
Green  Valley,  this  county.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren, Daniel,  a  student  in  the  Western  Military 
Academy  at  Upper  Alton;  Lulu,  who  attends  the 
Delavan  schools,  and  Willis  Warren,  a  bright 
child  of  two  years.  Mr.  Crabb  remained  upon  the 
farm  until  1885,  when  he  came  to  Delavan  in  order 
to  be  more  centrally  located  for  the  management 
of  his  business.  He  has  also  continued  to  deal 
extensively  in  stock,  and  owns  valuable  farming 
property  in  Delavan  and  Dillon  Townships,  aggre- 
gating almost  three  thousand  acres,  all  under  cul- 
tivation. His  property  also  includes  many  of  the 
finest  buildings  in  Delavan  and  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  homes  in  central  Illinois. 

Deeply  interested  in  all  matter  pertaining  to 
local  welfare  and  advancement,  Mr.  Crabb  may 


464 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


always  be  relied  upon  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to 
progressive  measures.  He  has  been  President  of 
the  Tazewell  County  Fair  Association  and  has 
served  as  Alderman.  At  the  present  time  (1894) 
he  is  Mayor  of  the  city,  and  as  such  lie  guards 
well  the  interests  of  the  people,  and  recommends 
such  ordinances  as  will  be  for  the  highest  progress 
in  the  development  of  material  resources.  Politi- 
cally he  is  a  leader  in  the  Democratic  party  in  this 
section  of  the  state.  With  his  wife  he  holds  mem- 
bership in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  only 
order  lie  belongs  to  is  the  Masonic,  in  which  he  is 
a  Knight  Templar,  also  a  member  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine,  Mohammed  Temple,  of  Peoria,  111. 


OBERT  DONA  VAN.  Prominent  among 
the  citizens  of  Mason  County  who  have 
materially  contributed  to  its  prosperity  is 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  is  one  of 
the  ablest  farmers  and  stock-raisers  in  this  section. 
He  is  the  proprietor  of  one  of  the  largest  and  best 
equipped  farms  in  Mason  City  Township,  and  here 
he  and  his  family  have  one  of  the  best  appointed 
and  most  attractive  homes  within  its  limits.  His 
landed  estate  comprises  eight  hundred  and  sixty- 
seven  acres,  and  the  greater  part  of  it  is  under  the 
best  methods  of  cultivation.  His  residence  is  lo- 
cated on  section  16. 

Our  subject  was  born  near  Zanesville,  Muskin- 
gum  County,  Ohio,  October  21,  1822,  while  his 
father,-  who  also  bore  the  name  of  Robert,  was 
born  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.  He  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation  and  a  tanner  by  trade,  and  when  a 
young  man  removed  to  Champaign  County,  Ohio, 
where  his  decease  occurred  when  sixty-eight  years 
of  age.  His  father,  whose  surname  was  likewise 
Robert,  came  from  Ireland  to  America  when  a  lad 
of  nineteen  years  and  located  in  the  Keystone 
State.  During  the  Revolutionary  War  he  served 
three  years  as  a  private  in  the  Continental  army. 
The  maiden  name  of  our  subject's  mother  was 
Rachel  Cox;  she  was  born  in  October,  1789,  in 
Pennsylvania  and  was  of  Irish  descent.  She 
reared  a  family  of  six  sons,  trained  them  to  occupy 


honorable  positions  in  life  and  departed  this  life 
in  February,  1872.  Robert  of  this  sketch  was  the 
third  in  order  of  birth  and  was  reared  to  manhood 
in  his  native  county,  where  he  attended  school  in 
a  log  cabin  with  primitive  furnishings.  lie  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof  until  September, 
1848,  when  he  came  to  this  county  and  made  loca- 
tion in  what  is  now  Mason  City  Township.  For 
the  first  few  years  he  rented  land,  and  in  1852  was 
enabled  to  purchase  property  of  his  own.  When 
coming  here  there  were  only  a  few  families  in  the 
township  and  the  country  roundabout  was  little 
more  than  a  wilderness,  over  which  roamed  many 
wild  animals. 

Mr.  Donavan  was  married  in  1856  to  Miss  Car- 
oline Laughery.  Prior  to  this  event,  however,  he 
kept  bachelor's  hall  in  a  little  log  cabin  witli 
puncheon  floor,  clapboard  roof  and  chimney  built 
of  sticks  and  mud.  Mrs.  Donavan  was  born  in 
1832,  in  Logan  County,  this  state,  of  which  section 
her  parents  were  very  early  settlers.  The  latter 
were  natives  of  Virginia,  whence  they  removed  to 
Ohio  and  later  to  Illinois.  The  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject was  of  Scotch  descent  and  departed  this  life 
March  19,  1873.  having  reared  a  family  of  four 
sons:  Francis  E.,  Christopher  C.,  Robert  O.  and 
Samuel  C. 

The  lady  whom  our  subject  chose  as  his  second 
wife  and  to  whom  he  was  married  February  22, 
1877,  was  Miss  Mary  Colon,  a  native  of  Columbia 
County,  N.  Y.  She  was  ten  years  of  age  when  she 
accompanied  her  parents  on  their  removal  to  Liv- 
ingston County,  this  state,  where  they  became 
well-to-do  farmers.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Donavan 
has  been  born  a  son,  John,  who  resides  under  the 
parental  roof. 

He  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  engages  in  gen- 
eral farming,  and  that  he  has  profited  greatly  in 
his  undertakings  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  he 
came  to  the  county  poor  in  this  world's  goods  and 
now  owns  eight  hundred  and  sixty-seven  broad 
acres,  and  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil  and  stock-raiser  is 
second  to  none  in  the  state.  He  occupies  an  as- 
sured position  among  the.  business  men  of  the 
county,  having  the  confidence  of  his  associates  and 
the  regard  of  all  his  friends.  He  always  votes 
with  the  Democratic  party  and  gives  his  aid  to  all 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


465 


public  measures  having  for  their  object  the  pro- 
motion of  the  welfare  of  the  people.  Mr.  Dona- 
van  still  lias  the  management  of  his  estate  though 
he  does  but  little  work  himself  and  is  living  in 
peace  and  contentment,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  Ins 
former  labors. 


OICHARD  D.  SMITH.     This  in    brief   is  the 
..,       sketch    of   the    ex-Postmaster    of   Pekin 


whose  present  substantial  position  in  life 
has  been  reached  entirely  through  his  own 
perseverance,  and  the  facts  contained  herein  show 
what  a  person  with  courage  and  enlightened  views 
can  accomplish.  His  reputation  for  honesty  and 
integrity  has  been  tried  -and  not  found  wanting; 
his  financial  ability  has  been  more  than  once  put 
to  the  test  but  never  without  credit  to  himself; 
his  social  qualities  are  well  known  and  appreciated 
and  he  has  hosts  of  friends  whose  confidence  and 
esteem  are  his  highest  eulogium. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  born  in  Homer,  Cort- 
land  County,  N.  Y.,  August  16,1833.  He  is  the 
son  of  Noah  Smith,  who  comes  of  an  old  Connect- 
icut family  of  English  descent,  and  who  was  for 
many  years  a  miller  in  Homer,  N.  Y.  He  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Congregational  Church, 
and  one  of  the  founders  of  Hamilton  College,  at 
Clinton,  Oneida  County,  and  served  on  the  first 
Board  of  Trustees  of  that  institution.  He  was 
likewise  Treasurer  of  the  college,  and  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Selectmen  for  many  years.  His 
wife,  Mrs.  Susan  (Doud)  Smith,  was  also  born  in 
Connecticut  and  died  at  Lake  Geneva,  Wis.,  at  the 
remarkable  age  of  ninety-four  years. 

Richard  D.  of  this  sketch  was  the  youngest 
member  of  the  parental  family  of  eleven  children, 
only  two  of  whom  are  now  living.  He  was  reared 
in  his  native  place  and  was  graduated  from  Cort- 
land  Academy  when  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  was 
preparing  himself  to  enter  Hamilton  College,  but 
having  a  brother  in  Lake  Geneva,  Wis.,  came  west 
upon  his  earnest  solicitation  and  engaged  as  clerk 
in  his  dry  goods  establishment.  Later,  his  brother 
having  been  appointed  Postmaster,  he  became  his 
assistant  and  remained  in  Wisconsin  until  1859, 
when  he  came  to  Tazewell  County  and  located  in 


Washington,  where  he  opened  up  a  dry  goods  store 
which  he  operated  until  1866.  He  controlled  the 
principal  business  in  that  line  in  the  city,  and,  two 
years  after,  disposing  of  his  store,  was  elected 
County  Clerk  on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  re- 
jected in  1872,  thus  serving  from  1868  to  1876. 
While  residing  at  Washington  he  was  appointed 
Postmaster  under  Lincoln,  and  was  the  incumbent 
of  the  position  about  a  year  when  Andrew  Johnson 
appointed  his  successor. 

Mr.  Smith  spent  the  years  between  1876  and 
1880  in  Colorado  and  in  1881  returned  to  this 
state  and  located  in  Pekin,  where  he  was  appointed 
Postmaster  under  Arthur,  and  was  re-appointed  to 
the  same  position  by  President  Harrison  in  1889, 
and  held  the  office  until  the  middle  of  January, 
1894,  holding  several  months  after  his  term  had 
expired. 

Our  subject  was  married  at  Lake  Geneva,  Wis., 
to  Miss  Beeden,  who  was  born  near  Lake  Geneva. 
N.  Y.  They  reared  a  family  of  five  children,  of 
whom  Fannie,  Mrs.  Gilman,  is  deceased;  Charles 
B.,  who  is  publisher  of  the  Mirror  in  Peoria,  was 
formerly  engaged  with  Brown,  Howard  &  Co.,  of 
New  York  as  civil  engineer  and  surveyor,  and  af- 
ter quitting  their  employ,  became  agent  for  the 
Wells,  Fargo  Express  Company,  and  also  for  the 
St.  Louis,  Naples  and  Peoria  Packet  Company; 
Thomas  B.,  the  third  child,  is  clerking  for  the  firm 
of  Schipper  &  Block,  in  this  city,  while  Annie  M. 
is  at  home. 

While  residing  in  Washington,  Mr.  Smith  was 
Supervisor  for  three  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  is  connected  with  Washing- 
ton Lodge  98,  and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  Chapter  Royal  Arch  Masons  in  that  place. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church  and  has 
been  vestryman  since  he  came  to  Pekin,  and  has 
been  liberal  in  his  contributions  toward  the  erec- 
tion of  the  new  church  building.  He  is  a  true 
blue  Republican  in  politics  and  cast  his  first  vote 
for  John  C.  Fremont.  He  is  a  personal  friend  of 
ex-Governor  Shelby  M.  Cullom,  who  was  reared 
in  this  county.  He  has  always  taken  a  great  in- 
terest in  political  affairs,  was  chairman  of  the  Re- 
publican Central  Committee  eight  years,  and  a 
member  of  the  State  Republican  Committee  one 


466 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


year.  In  1880  he  was  one  of  the  contesting  dele- 
gates at  the  National  Convention  held  in  Chicago, 
when  Robert  G.  Ingersoll  made  a  plea  for  Mr.  Smith. 
One  week  after  the  committee  decided  him  the  dele- 
gate, it  was  contested  by  John  McNulta,  at  that 
time  a  member  of  Congress  for  this  district.  Mr. 
Smith  has  attended  every  Republican  National 
Committee  since  1860,  and  is  the  stanchest  of  the 
stanch  Republicans. 


ON.  JOHN  W.  PUGH.  Among  the  citizens 
of  Mason  Count}'  who  have  gained  emi- 
nence  in  public  affairs  may  be  mentioned 
the  name  of  John  W.  Pugh,  a  well  known 
resident  and  real  estate  owner  of  Mason  City. 
For  many  years  identified  with  the  progress  of  this 
section  of  the  state,  he  has  achieved  a  notable  suc- 
cess in  every  enterprise  with  which  his  name  has 
been  connected,  and  has  gained  pre-eminence 
among  the  people  of  his  community.  For  two 
terms  he  represented  the  counties  of  Mason,  Cass, 
Sclmyler  and  Menard  in  the  Stale  Legislature, 
having  been  elected  to  that  office  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket,  and  in  that  responsible  position,  as 
well  as  in  every  other  place  he  lias  been  chosen  to 
fill,  he  discharged  the  duties  connected  therewith 
to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents  and  with 
credit  to  himself. 

The  family  of  which  Mr.  Pugh  is  an  honored 
representative  has  for  several  generations  been 
identified  with  the  history  of  Pennsylvania,  to 
which  state  his  paternal  ancestors  emigrated  from 
Scotland,  while  his  maternal  progenitors  were  of 
German  stock.  His  father,  Joshua  Pugh,  a  native 
of  the  Keystone  State,  was  reared  to  manhood  in 
the  city  of  Easton,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a 
tanner.  Throughout  his  entire  active  life  he  fol- 
lowed that  occupation,  and  was  also  extensively 
engaged  in  the  milling  business.  While  not  prom- 
inent in  public  affairs,  he  took  an  intelligent  in- 
terest in  all  measures  calculated  to  enhance  the 
prosperity  of  his  community,  and  advocated  the 
principles  of  the  Democratic  party.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  Pennsylvania  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 


years.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Theresa 
Tillsbury,  was  a  daughter  of  Abram  Tillsbury,  who 
likewise  was  born  in  the  Keystone  State.  She 
died  in  1853,  the  year  of  her  husband's  demise. 

The  boyhood  years  of  John  W.  Pugh  were 
passed  in  a  comparatively  uneventful  manner  in 
the  village  of  Plymouth,  Luzerne  County,  Pa., 
where  he  was  born  in  1824.  He  was  the  recipient 
of  such  educational  advantages  as  the  common 
schools  afforded,  and  the  extensive  information  he 
now  possesses  has  been  gained  less  by  training  in 
school  than  by  self-culture.  In  the  spring  of  1850 
he  came  west,  with  the  intention  of  settling  per- 
manently in  Illinois.  Purchasing  property  in 
Mason  County,  near  Havana,  he  embarked  in  the 
occupation  of  farming,  at  which  he  con  tinned  suc- 
cessfully engaged  until  1891.  During  the  sum- 
mer of  1854  he  ran  a  canal  boat  between  Havana 
and  Chicago,  the  venture  proving  fairly  remuner- 
ative. 

With  the  public  affairs  of  the  county,  Mr.  Pugh 
has  been  closely  connected  since  first  coming  to 
the  state.  In  1865  he  was  elected  to  represent  his 
township  upon  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors 
and  held  the  office  twelve  successive  years,  being 
re-elected  eleven  different  times.  He  then  resigned, 
declining  to  serve  longer  in  that  capacity.  In 
1873  he  was  chosen  to  represent  Mason,  Menard, 
Cass  and  Schuyler  Counties  in  the  State  Legisla- 
ture, and  not  only  did  he  faithfully  represent  the 
Democratic  party,  on  which  ticket  he  had  been 
elected,  but  he  proved  loyal  at  all  times  to  the  in- 
terests of  the  people,  irrespective  of  political  ties, 
and  was  one  of  the  most  popular  legislators  this 
county  has  ever  hatf.  He  was  re-elected  to  the 
Legislature  in  1887,  serving  until  1889. 

While  representing  the  district  in  the  Lower 
House,  Mr.  Pugh  was  instrumental  in  securing  the 
passage  of  the  Farmers'  Insurance  Bill,  and  was 
a  very  strong  advocate  of  the  compulsory  school 
system.  In  everything  tending  to  advance  the 
welfare  of  the  county,  he  has  been  interested, 
and  has  championed  all  worthy  projects.  He  was 
very  active  in  securing  railroads  for  the  county, 
and  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  public  schools, 
advocating  and  aiding  in  the  erection  of  school- 
houses.  While  a  member  of  the  County  Board, 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


467 


the  fine  fireproof  court  house  was  built  at  Havana. 
Since  1891  he  has  made  his  home  at  Mason  City, 
although  he  still  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  well  improved  and  highly  cultivated  land, 
upon  which  are  a  substantial  residence,  commodious 
barns  and  the  other  accessories  of  a  first-class  farm. 
The  lady  who  in  1854  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Pugli  was  in  former  years  Miss  Sarah  Apple.  A 
native  of  Ohio,  she  is  the  daughter  of  Henry 
Apple,  who  was  likewise  born  in  the  Buckeye 
State,  removing  thence  to  Illinois  and  settling  in 
Fulton  County  in  1836.  He  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  that  section  of  the  state,  and  there  contin- 
ued to  reside,  engaged  in  farming  pursuits,  uutil 
his  death,  in  1868.  During  the  early  years  of  the 
history  of  Fulton  County,  he  was  prominently 
identified  with  public  affairs  and  served  for  a 
number  of  years  as  Supervisor,  having  been  elected 
to  that  position  upon  the  ticket  of  the  Whig  party. 
The  mother  of  Mrs.  Pugh  was  known  in  maiden- 
hood as  Miss  Mary  Bonser,  and  was  a  native  of 
Ohio,  whence  she  accompanied  her  husband  to 
Illinois.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pugh  are  the  parents  of 
six  children,  three  of  whom  are  living,  namely: 
Charles  W.,  a  resident  of  Mason  County;  George 
B.,  of  Peoria,  111;  and  Clara,  the  wife  of  John 
Stone,  of  Mason  County. 


MOOBERRY,  a  farmer  residing 
on  section  36,  Fond  du  Lac  Township, 
Tazewell  County,  was  born  in  Franklin 
County,  Ohio,  May  26,  1825.  His  father,  David 
Mooberry,  was  born  in  York  County,  Pa.,  in  1798. 
The  grandfather,  William  Mooberry,  Sr.,  is  sup- 
posed to  be  a  son  of  Robert  Mooberry,  who  it  is 
believed  was  the  founder  of  the  family  in  America. 
He  was  of  Scotch  descent  and  located  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. His  death  occurred  June  4,  1798. 

William  Mooberry,  the  grandfather,  was  born  in 
Chester  County,  Pa.,  September  18,  1752,  and  al- 
though a  Quaker,  he  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
War.  He  had  four  sisters:  Ann,  born  January  28, 
1755;  Phoebe,  born  January  28,  1757;  Mary,  born 
April  26,  1760;  and  Sarah,  born  September  14, 


1766.  William  Mooberry  was  married  October  16, 
1788,  to  Elizabeth  Ramsey,  who  was  born  in  York 
County,  Pa.,  February  7,  1767,  and  died  August 
27,  1822.  In  1806,  he  removed  with  his  family  to 
Franklin  County,  Ohio,  and  became  one  of  its 
pioneer  settlers.  His  death  occurred  January  28, 
1829.  In  his  family  were  five  sons  and  two 
daughters,  but  the  latter,  Jane  and  Mary,  died  in 
childhood.  William,  the  eldest  son,  born  Novem- 
ber 18,  1793,  never  married;  he  became  the  owner 
of  a  large  farm  in  Tazewell  County,  upon  which 
he  lived  until  his  death.  Alexander,  born  July 
23,  1796,  spent  his  entire  life  in  Ohio;  he  mar- 
ried but  reared  no  children.  David  was  the  next 
younger.  John,  born  February  2,  1801,  was  mar- 
ried in  Ohio,  came  to  Tazewell  County  in  1832, 
and  followed  farming  until  his  death,  February  4, 
1884.  His  widow  is  still  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead. Samuel,  born  December  17,  1804,  emigrated 
to  Tazewell  County  in  an  early  day  and  here  passed 
the  remainder  of  his  life. 

David  Mooberry,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
reared  to  manhood  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  and 
was  there  married  February  13,  1823,  to  Margaret, 
daughter  of  John  Stumbaugh,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, who  removed  to  Ohio  from  York  Count}', 
Pa.  His  family  numbered  seven  children,  of  whom 
six  grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood,  viz.:  Annie, 
Polly,  Margaret,  John,  Cassie,  Frederick  and  Eliza- 
beth. All  were  married  except  Annie  and  George, 
the  latter  of  whom  died  in  childhood.  In  1832 
David  Mooberry  emigrated  with  his  family  to 
Tazewell  County,  and  entered  Government  land 
on  section  11,  Groveland  Township,  where  he 
began  the  development  of  a  farm.  He  was  very 
successful  in  his  undertakings,  and  at  one  time 
owned  about  one  thousand  acres  of  land.  He 
made  all  the  improvements  upon  his  place  and 
it  became  one  of  the  valuable  farms  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. He  also  owned  the  farm  on  which 
our  subject  now  resides,  and  operated  it  for  seven 
years.  His  death  occurred  July  9,  1850.  His 
wife,  who  was  born  February  26,  1801,  passed 
away  December  2,  1891.  They  had  five  sons 
and  four  daughters,  of  whom  five  are  yet  liv- 
ing, as  follows:  William;  John,  a  farmer  of  Grove- 
land  Township;  Margaret,  the  widow  of  Thoma* 


468 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


P.  Oliver,  who  was  a  farmer  and  blacksmith  of 
Groveland  Township;  Alexander,  an  agricultur- 
ist of  Saline  County,  Neb.;  and  Mary  Ann, 
widow  of  John  F.  McGinnis,  of  Groveland  Town- 
ship. Those  deceased  are,  Samuel  R.,  who  followed 
farming  in  Fonddu  Lac  Township;  Elizabeth,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eighteen;  George,  who  lived  in 
Morton  Township,  and  at  his  death  left  a  wife  and 
one  child;  and  Martha,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Alexander  Moo  berry,  now  of  Nebraska.  She  died 
in  Morton  Township,  leaving  two  children.  The 
father  of  this  family  was  a  Whig,  and  both  he 
and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church. 

Our  subject  was  a  child  of  eight  years  when  his 
parents  came  to  Tazevvell  County.  lie  was  reared 
amid  the  wild  scenes  of  frontier  life  and  early  be- 
came familiar  with  the  arduous  task  of  developing 
a  new  farm.  Under  the  parental  roof  he  remained 
until  his  marriage,  on  the  3d  of  September,  1848, 
to  Matilda  E.  Marion,  daughter  of  Calvin  Marion, 
who  was  born  in  Stoughton,  Mass.,  March  25,4802. 
His  grandfather  was  killed  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  Calvin  Marion  removed  to  Frank- 
lin County,  Ohio,  in  1816,  and  in  1833  came  to 
Tazewell  County.  His  death  occurred  in  Grove- 
land  Township  November  6,  1892.  His  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Hughes,  and  they 
had  a  family  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Mooberry  was  the  second.  She  was  born  in  Frank- 
lin County,  Ohio,  December  29,  1830. 

Upon  his  marriage  our  subject  removed  to  the 
farm  which  has  since  been  his  home.  Here  he 
owns  two  hundred  and  five  acres  of  valuable  land, 
which  he  has  placed  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation and  improved  with  all  modern  accessories 
and  conveniences.  lie  also  owns  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  McLean  County,  and  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Livingston  and  Ford 
Counties.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and 
stock-raising,  and  his  enterprise  and  well  directed 
efforts  have  brought  to  him  a  handsome  compe- 
tence. 

Five  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moo- 
berry,  of  whom  four  are  yet  living.  William  C., 
a  prominent  farmer  of  Anchor  Township,  McLean 
County,  married  Lizzie  Morton  and  has  six  chil- 


dren. Laura  M.  is  the  wife  of  James  S.  Ritten- 
house,  a  government  gauger  of  Peoria,  111.  Lizzie 
Luella  is  the  wife  of  Emory  G.  Gish,  a  fanner  of 
Onarga,  Iroquois  County.  Maggie  is  at  home. 
Francis  Marion  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years. 
Mr.  Mooberry  was  reared  a  Whig,  and  since  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party  has  been  one 
of  its  supporters.  lie  has  held  every  office  in  the 
township  except  that  of  Supervisor,  and  has  ever 
been  found  faithful  to  his  duties.  Socially,  he  is 
a  member  of  Peoria  Lodge  No.  15,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
of  Peoria,  and  he  and  his  family  are  all  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Since  1832 
he  has  lived  in  Tazewell  County,  and  is  numbered 
among  its  highly  respected  citizens,  its  leading 
farmers  and  honored  pioneers. 


EORGE  A.  STARZ,  one  of  the  young  and 
..Teading  business  men  of  Green  Valley, 
Tazewell  County,  is  there  engaged  in  the 
grain  business  as  agent  for  the  Smith-Hippin 
Company,  and  as  this  is  one  of  the  most  important 
industries  of  the  city,  the  gentleman  well  deserves 
representation  in  this  volume.  He  is  a  native  of 
this  county,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Dela- 
van,  March  7,  1869,  his  parents  being  Frederick 
and  Magdelena  (Lux)  Starz.  The  former  was  the 
owner  of  a  mill  in  Delavan,  and  the  history  of  his 
life  is  recorded  elsewhere  in  this  book. 

Our  subject  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  na- 
tive town,  and  in  addition  to  attending  the  com- 
mon school,  studied  telegraphy.  When  seventeen 
years  of  age  he  engaged  as  a  traveling  salesman 
for  a  wholesale  grocery  firm  located  at  Chicago, 
and  was  connected  with  them  for  the  following 
three  and  a-half  years,  when  he  decided  to  em- 
bark in  the  grain  and  milling  business  at  Mt.  Pu- 
laski,  this  state.  He  there  made  his  home  until 
December,  1892,  when  he  came  to  Green  Valley, 
where  he  has  since  carried  on  his  business  with 
more  than  ordinary  success. 

George  A.  Starz  was  united  in  marriage  June  8, 
1893,  with  Miss  Laura,  a  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
Richard  and  Eleanor  (Carr)  Holmes,  of  Delavau. 


LIBRARY 

OF  m 

UNIVERSm  »  HUMMS 


JOHN   H.  TAYLOR. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


471 


Mrs.  Starz  is  a  highly  educated  and  cultured 
young  lady,  and  with  her  husband  is  connected 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  brief  sketch  is  one  of  the  rising  young 
business  men  of  Tazewell  County,  and  stands 
high  in  the  estimation  of  all  with  whom  he  is  ac- 
quainted. Socially,  he  is  a  leading  member  of  the 
Uniformed  Rank  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and 
also  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  of  Delavan.  Politically,  Mr.  Starz  casts 
his  vote  and  influence  with  the  Republican  party. 


m 


O  H  N  II.  T  A  Y  L O  R,  a  man  universally 
popular  and  one  who  has  achieved  great 
success  in  life,  is  the  subject  of  the  pres- 
ent  sketch,  and  we  are  pleased  to  repre- 
sent such  a  public-spirited  and  courteous  gentle- 
man in  our  RECORD.  Mr.  Taylor  has  been  a  lead- 
ing citizen  of  this  city  for  many  years.  He  was 
born  in  Washington  County,  Pa.,  June  9,  1840, 
and  is  the  son  of  Henry  Taylor,  a  native  of  Tusca- 
rawas  County  ,  Ohio.  Some  time  in  the  '30s  the 
father  removed  to  Washington  County,  Pa.,  where 
he  lived  until  1855.  He  then  came  to  Illinois,  and 
made  his  home  in  this  county  until  his  decease,  in 
1879,  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-two  years. 
He  was  a  chair-maker  by  trade.  All  who  knew 
him  respected  him  not  only  as  an  old  settler,  but 
as  a  good  citizen  and  a  man  of  many  excellent 
traits  of  character.  He  was  a  stanch  Democrat  in 
politics. 

Mrs.  Sarah  (Stone)  Taylor,  the  mother  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Virginia  and  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  W.G.  Stone,  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State. 
She  made  her  home  during  the  latter  years  of  her 
life  in  this  county,  where  she  died  in  1887,  in  her 
seventy-sixth  year.  John  H.,  of  this  sketch,  spent 
the  first  iifteen  years  of  life  in  Pennsylvania,  after 
which  he  came  to  Illinois  and  made  his  home  with 
his  parents  in  Mason  County,  at  a  time  when  the 
country  was  little  more  than  a  wilderness.  His 
father  purchased  land  in  the  woods,  on  which  he 
erected  a  cabin  and  commenced  to  clear  the  land 
preparatory  to  cultivating  the  soil. 

Our  subject  began   working   for  himself  when 


sixteen  years  of  age  and  engaged  in  driving  teams 
in  Havana.  In  1862,  however,  he  left  home  and 
went  as  far  west  as  the  Rocky  Mountains,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  ranching  in  Colorado  for  the 
first  year  in  his  own  interests,  then  for  Benja- 
min Ilolliday,  and  the  following  twelve  months 
for  the  firm  of  Wells,  Fargo  <fe  Co.,  carrying  ex- 
press from  Denver  to  Ft.  Halleck,  a  distance  of  two 
hundred  and  thirty  miles.  In  1864  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  his  brother,  William  S.  Taylor, 
under  the  firm  name  of  W.  S.  &  J.  H.  Taylor,  and 
for  two  years  carried  on  an  extensive  business  in 
the  stock  trade. 

In  February  of  the  above  year  our  subject 
returned  to  Havana  and  purchased  the  Walker 
House,  which  he  conducted  for  four  years.  He 
then  returned  with  his  family  to  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains,wherehehad  property,  and  there  remained  for 
one  year.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  again 
came  to  Havana.  In  1872  he  embarked  in  the 
grocery  business,  and  for  the  following  two  years 
was  proprietor  of  a  well  stocked  store,  which  he 
afterward  sold  to  Joyce  &  Lally.  His  next  enter- 
prise was  as  a  clothing  merchant,  and  during  the 
years  in  which  he  was  thus  engaged  he  also  super- 
intended the  operations  of  his  fine  farm  in  Mason 
County. 

March  22,  1866,  our  subject  and  Miss  Nurinda, 
daughter  of  Jesse  Riggins,  were  united  in  mar- 
riage. The  latter  was  a  pioneer  of  Beardstown, 
111.,  and  at  the  present  time  resides  in  the  city  of 
Havana,  having  attained  his  eightieth  3'ear.  Mrs. 
Taylor  departed  this  life  in  1872,  leaving  two  sons 
and  a  daughter,  William  S.,  Henry  J.  and  Maude. 
In  November,  1873,  our  subject  married  Miss  Ida 
Belle  Riggins,  a  sister  of  his  former  wife,  and  by 
her  he  has  become  the  father  of  six  children,  only 
four  of  whom  are  living,  Lulu,  Fred,  Bessie  and 
Mabel.  John  II.,  Jr.,  and  Ralph  are  deceased. 

To  his  various  interests  in  the  city  Mr.  Taylor 
devotes  considerable  time.  He  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  Asher  Drill  Compan}7  and  the  building  and 
loan  association.  Socially,  he  is  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  Prosperity  Lodge  No.  14,  A.  O.  U.  W.  In 
1868  he  was  elected  Alderman,  and  during  his 
term  of  two  years  aided  in  establishing  the  first 
city  lights.  His  popularity  is  great,  both  in  the 


472 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


city  and  throughout  the  county.  He  is  a  firm  be- 
liever in  the  principles  of  Democracy,  and  as  all 
true  citizens  should  do,  takes  an  active  part  in 
public  affairs. 

'  1  'i  fr^€HS  i  I  • 

EVI  G.  LEONARD  has  the  honor  of  being 
a  native  of  Tazewell  County.  He  was 
born  in  Elm  Grove  Township,  April  19, 
1836,  and  has  here  spent  his  entire  life,  his  home 
being  now  on  section  34.  He  was  reared  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  attending  the  district 
school  throughout  the  winter  season,  and  aiding 
in  the  labors  of  the  farm  throughout  the  summer 
months.  WJien  he  had  arrived  at  years  of  ma- 
turity, he  became  interested  with  his  father  in 
farming  and  stock-dealing,  and  to  that  work  has 
since  devoted  his  energies. 

An  important  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Leonard 
occurred  on  the  31st  of  December,  1861,  when  was 
celebrated  his  marriage  with  Miss  Amanda  Picker- 
nell,  a  native  of  East  Stoughton,  Mass.,  and  one 
of  a  family  of  nine  children,  whose  parents  were 
Samuel  and  Melvina  (Dean)  Pickernell.  Her  fa- 
ther was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  born  in 
1818,  and  her  mother  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts. In  1855  her  parents  came  to  the  west  with 
their  family  and  took  up  their  residence  in  Tre- 
mont  Township,  Tazewell  County.  Mr.  Picker- 
nell responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops 
after  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  enlisting 
among  the  boys  in  blue  of  the  Eleventh  Illinois 
Cavalry.  I!e  died  in  the  service  in  April,  1862, 
at  the  age  of  forty-seven  years.  His  widow  still 
survives  him  and  is  now  living  with  her  children, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-three. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  G.  Leonard  were  born 
thirteen  children,  eleven  of  whom  are  yet  living: 
Hannah  S.,  at  home;  Melvina  D.,  wife  of  Eugene 
I.  Miars,  of  Adair  County,  Iowa;  Thomas  E.,  who 
lives  in  Iroquois  County;  and  Ermina  A.,  Hattie, 
Estelle  May,  Levi  C.,  Samuel  P.,  Charles  G.,  Roy 
A.  and  Nellie  L.,  all  of  whom  arc  yet  under  the 
parental  roof.  Frederick  died  in  early  childhood, 
and  Clayton  died  at  the  age  of  six  years.  In  the 
family  to  which  Mrs.  Leonard  belonged  there  are 
four  children  yet  living:  Mrs.  Cornelia  Coleman, 


of  Sioux  City,  Iowa;  Windsor,  who  is  also  living 
in  Iowa;  and  Hattie,  wife  of  George  Fritz,  of 
Chicago.  Three  of  the  family  died  in  infancy. 
Wilbur  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Illinois  Cavalry 
during  the  late  war,  and  died  in  March,  1862,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-two.  Arvilla  died  in  March, 
1862,  at  the  age  of  seventeen. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Leonard  has  always 
been  a  stalwart  Democrat,  and  has  served  as  a 
member  of  the  Democratic  County  Central  Com- 
mittee for  several  years,  during  which  time  he  has 
done  effective  service  for  his  party.  He  has  been 
called  to  public  oftices  of  honor  and  trust,  and 
for  the  long  period  of  twenty-four  years  has  been 
School  Director  of  his  township,  during  which 
time  he  has  served  as  Clerk  of  the  Board.  In 
1887  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  but  de- 
clined to  fill  the  office.  The  cause  of  education 
has  ever  found  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  the 
best  interests  of  the  community  ever  receive  his 
hearty  support  and  co-operation.  He  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  fam- 
ilies of  the  community,  and  is  a  man  of  sterling 
worth. 


W.  SPEECE,  a  wide-awake  and  en- 
terprising  farmer  of  Tazewell  County,  now 
lives  on  section  18,  Mackinaw  Township, 
where  he  owns  a  fine  farm  comprising  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-seven  acres.  This  is  a  valuable 
tract  and  is  well  cultivated  and  improved.  Its 
owner  was  born  in  Champaign  County,  Ohio,  in 
1845.  His  grandparents  were  Peter  and  Polly 
Speece,  and  his  parents  were  Peter  and  Tamar 
(Swiger)  Speece.  His  father,  a  native  of  Virginia, 
was  born  on  the  10th  of  June,  1824,  was  reared  on 
a  farm  in  the  Old  Dominion,  and  in  Ohio,  and 
from  the  Buckeye  State  removed  to  Mason  County, 
111. 

Having  attained  to  mature  j'ears,  the  father 
there  married  the  daughter  of  George  Swiger.  They 
became  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
George  W.;  William  H.,  of  Lone  Tree,  Iowa;  Frank, 
who  is  living  in  Tremont  Township,  this  county; 
Martha  A.,  wife  of  Clay  Swigert;  Mary  E.,  wife  of 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


473 


James  Swigert;  Sarah  E.,  wife  of  James  Camerlin; 
Peter  E.,  deceased;  Allie,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
ten  years,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  The  par- 
ents of  this  family  were  botli  members  of  the 
Christian  Church.  In  1850,  they  removed  to  Mason 
County,  111.,  where  the  father  had  previously  pur- 
chased a  farm,  and  there  resided  until  1865,  when 
the}'  came  to  Tazewell  County,  where  Mr.  Speece 
spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  in 
1889.  He  owned  three  hundred  and  forty-eight 
acres  of  land  in  this  county.  In  politics  he  was  a 
supporter  of  the  Demociacy. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  our  subject 
was  reared,  remaining  under  the  parental  roof  un- 
til his  marriage,  when  he  began  farming  on  the 
old  homestead.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Melinda  Flegel,  a  daughter  of 
Christian  and  Amanda  (Hudson)  Flegel.  Three 
children  have  been  born  to  them,  two  sons  and  a 
daughter,  William  W.,  Louis  O.  and  Mary  A.  The 
parents  hold  membership  with  the  Christian  Church 
in  Mackinaw,  and  Mr.  Speece  exercises  his  right  of 
franchise  in  support  of  the  Democracy.  lie  spent 
one  year  in  a  gristmill  of  Benjamin  Whistler,  but 
with  the  exception  of  that  period  has  given  his  en- 
tire time  and  attention  to  farming,  and  is  now  the 
owner  of  a  good  property. 


VETER  SWEITZER,  who  is  engaged  in  gen 
eral  farming  and  stock-raising  on  section  2, 
Morton  Township,  here  owns  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land,  constitut- 
ing a  well  improved  farm,  which  is  complete  in  all 
its  appointments,  and  which  is  stocked  with  thor- 
oughbred short  horn  cattle  and  fine  horses  and 
hogs.  Both  as  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  Mr 
Sweitzer  has  been  successful,  having  through  good. 
business  ability  and  well  directed  efforts  won  a 
handsome  competence. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  that  part  of  Tazewell 
Count}'  which  is  now  Woodford  County,  Septem- 
ber 7,  1849.  His  parents  were  John  and  Mary 
(Engel)  Sweitzer.  The  former  was  born  in  Lorraine, 
France,  and  his  father  was  a  farmer  and  miller  of 


that  locality.  John  acquired  his  education  in  the 
common  schools,  and  remained  with  his  parents 
until  his  emigration  to  America,  at  about  the  age  of 
twenty-two  years.  Being  drafted  for  service  in  the 
French  army,  he  ran  away  from  home  and  sailed 
for  America.  On  reaching  the  shores  of  the  New 
World,  lie  located  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  where 
he  worked  by  the  day  and  month  for  two  years, 
after  which  he  removed  to  what  is  now  Woodford 
County,  III.  There  in  1832,  he  entered  land  from 
the  Government  and  began  the  development  of  a 
farm.  In  1850,  lie  came  to  the  farm  on  which  our 
subject  is  now  living,  and  to  his  landed  possessions 
he  added  from  time  to  time  until  he  had  about 
seven  hundred  acres.  In  France  he  wedded  Mary, 
daughter  of  John  Engel,  and  to  them  were  born 
ten  children,  Joseph,  who  was  drowned  in  Oregon; 
Barbara;  Fannie;  John,  of  Washington,  111.;  Chris- 
tian, who  was  drowned  in  the  Pacific  Ocean;  Mary; 
Benna;  Peter;  Katie,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 
The  parents  were  both  members  of  the  Mennonite 
Church,  and  became  prominent  and  highly  re- 
spected citizens  of  this  community,  but  both  are 
now  deceased. 

Peter  Sweitzer  has  known  no  other  home  than 
Illinois.  Embarking  in  business  for  himself,  he 
began  operating  a  tile  factory  in  Washington,  and 
continued  business  along  that  line  for  four  years. 
His  education  was  acquired  in  the  district  schools 
of  the  neighborhood,  and  he  was  reared  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads.  Havingattained  his 
majority,  he  married  Lena  Unsicker,  but  she  lived 
only  twenty-three  months.  He  afterward  wedded 
Rachel,  daughter  of  John  and  Barbara  Ingram, 
and  their  union  was  blessed  with  four  children, 
but  one  died  in  infancy.  Those  still  living  are, 
Willard,  Freddie  and  Fern. 

Mr.  Sweitzer  received  from  his  father  eighty 
acres  of  land,  and  with  this  as  a  nucleus  he  began 
accumulating  his  present  landed  possessions.  He 
now  has  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  the  home 
farm,  and  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Iro- 
quois  County.  In  connection  with  its  cultivation 
he  is  quite  extensively  engaged  in  stock-raising, 
making  a  specialty  of  the  breeding  of  fine  short 
horn  cattle.  He  has  also  owned  imported  draft 
horses  and  Poland-China  hogs.  lie  has  led  a  busy 


474 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


life,  yet  has  found  time  to  devote  to  public  inter- 
ests, having  for  four  years  served  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  for  one  year  as  Supervisor,  which  posi- 
tion he  still  holds.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat, 
and  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows' 
society  of  Washington. 


frENDEL  SCHERER.  Every  community 
has  among  its  citizens  a  few  men  of  rec- 
ognized influence  and  ability,  who  by 
their  systematic  and  thorough  method  of  work 
attain  success  which  is  justly  deserved.  That  a 
lifetime  spent  in  the  pursuit  of  one's  calling  will 
result  in  substantial  success,  is  found  to  be  true  in 
the  case  of  Mr.  Scherer,  who  from  boyhood  has 
given  the  occupation  of  agriculture  the  principal 
part  of  his  attention.  He  is  now  residing  on  sec- 
tion 5,  Sand  Prairie  Township,  where  he  has  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  valuable  land.  He  has 
four  hundred  acres  which  he  rents,  and  also  has 
ninety-five  acres  of  timber,  all  in  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty, tli is  state.  He  was  born  in  Germany,  June  17, 
1839. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Philip  and  Anna 
Scherer,  were  likewise  born  in  the  Fatherland,  the 
father's  birth  occurring  in  1806.  Philip  Scherer 
was  also  a  farmer  in  his  native  land,  which  occu- 
pation he  also  followed  after  coming  to  America. 
The  emigration  hither  was  made  in  1852,  at  which 
time  the  parents  embarked  on  a  sailing  vessel  which 
landed  them  on  American  shores  forty-two  days 
later.  They  made  their  way  directly  to  Pekin, 
this  state,  and  in  the  spring  of  the  following  year 
the  elder  Mr.  Scherer  rented  a  farm;  this  he 
worked  until  1855  and  then  purchased  property  of 
his  own  where  his  son,  our  subject,"  now  lives. 
He  departed  this  life  in  1882,  and  his  good  wife 
makes  her  home  the  greater  part  of  the  time  with 
our  subject. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Philip  Scherer  was  born  a 
family  of  five  children,  of  whom  Wendel  was  the 
eldest.  Margaret,  who  married  John  Eighlraan, 
lives  in  Cincinnati  Township  and  has  three  chil- 
dren; Eva  became  the  wife  of  Philip  S.  Ripper, 


is  also  residing  on  a  farm  in  the  above  township 
and  is  the  mother  of  six  children.  Mary  S.  is  now 
Mrs.  Leonard  Beck;  she  too  lives  in  that  township 
and  has  a  family  of  eight  children. 

Wendel  Scherer,  of  this  sketch,  attended  school 
in  the  Fatherland  and  also  obtained  a  good  knowl- 
edge of  the  English  language  in  the  district 
schools  of  this  county.  When  attaining  his  ma- 
jority he  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Schaefer, 
and  the  young  couple  made  their  home  with  his 
parents  until  the  death  of  the  father.  Their  union 
has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  seven  children, of  whom 
Margaret  married  Fred  Reader,  a  farmer  in  Peoria 
Count}-;  Eva  is  Mrs.  An  tone;  Frederick  lives  in  Cin- 
cinnati Township;  William  makes  his  home  with 
his  parents;  Lizzie  married  Philip  Weyhrich,  a  far- 
mer of  Sand  Prairie  Township;  John,  Leonard  and 
Philip  are  all  at  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scherer  are 
members  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  in  which 
they  take  great  interest.  The  former  affiliates 
with  the  Democratic  party  in  politics  and  is  greatly 
esteemed  in  the  community  in  which  he  resides. 


ENRY  URICII.  Although  this  gentleman 
is  still  comparative!}'  young,  he  has  been 
for  some  time  identified  with  the  agricult- 
ural  interests  of  Tazewell  County  and  has 
become  quite  well  known  as  an  enterprising  and 
prosperous  man.  His  present  residence  is  located 
on  section  34,  Sand  Prairie  Township,  and  his  es- 
tate comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  broad  and 
fertile  acres,  which  are  under  excellent  tillage  and 
bear  numerous  improvements. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  this  county  June  22, 
1866,  and  he  was  reared  to  manhood  in  the  place 
of  his  nativity.  His  worthy  parents  instilled  into 
his  mind  and  heart  those  principles  of  conduct 
which  led  to  an  honorable  career,  and  bestowed 
upon  him  a  good  education.  Ma}'  12,  1892,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Tina,  daughter  of  Nicholas 
and  Mary  Rocker,  natives  of  Germany.  Mrs. 
Urich  was  also  born  in  the  Fatherland  and  crossed 
the  Atlantic  in  company  with  her  parents  in  1874, 
locating  witl^  them  in  Tazewell  County.  By  her 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


475 


union  with  our  subject  there  has  been  born  one 
son,  Willie,  whose  birth  occurred  February  16, 
1893. 

Philip  Uricli,  the  father  of  oursubject,  was  born 
in  this  count}-  in  1834,  and  is  the  son  of  George 
and  Maggie  Uricli,  natives  of  Germany,  who  came 
to  America  many  years  ago.  The  father  is  still 
living  and  makes  his  home  in  Sand  Prairie  Town- 
ship, where  he  is  the  possessor  of  three  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  land  and  ranks  among  the 
wealthiest  agriculturists  in  the  county.  He  is  a 
consistent  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  by 
doing  deeds  of  charity  to  those  less  fortunate  than 
himself  has  won  a  warm  personal  regard  through- 
out the  community.  He  is  an  ardent  Democrat 
in  politics,  true  at  all  times  to  the  interest  of  his 
party. 

The  parental  family  of  our  subject  included 
nine  children,  of  whom  those  living  are,  Lizzie, 
Mrs.  George  Gogan,  of  this  township;  Henry,  of 
this  sketch;  and  Martin,  Maggie  and  George  re- 
siding in  Green  Valley.  Our  subject,  like  his 
father,  is  a  stanch  Democrat  and  is  highly  esteemed 
by  his  neighbors  as  an  upright  and  honorable  cit- 
izen. 


I-I.  HOLE,  who  carries  on  general  farming 
on  section  29,  Havana  Township,  was 
born  in  Washington  County,  Ind.,  April 
13,  1836.  His  grandfather,  Daniel  Hole,  was  an 
early  settler  of  Ohio,  and  the  father,  Stephen  Hole, 
was  born  there  in  the  year  1795.  He  married 
Lucinda  Mitchell,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  for  his 
second  wife.  lie  had  previously  been  married  and 
had  two  children,  Phoebe  E.  and  Mary  Ann,  both  of 
Havana.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married 
in  Washington  County,  Ind.,  and  in  1856  took  up 
their  residence  upon  a  tract  of  wild  land  in  Ha- 
vana Township,  Mason  County,  where  the  father 
improved  a  good  farm.  He  was  a  Whig  in  politics, 
and  afterwards  a  Republican.  In  Washington 
County,  Ind.,  he  served  as  Sheriff  for  eight  years, 
and  was  Revenue  Collector  for  ten  years.  lie 
was  temperate  in  :ill  things,  honorable  and  up- 
right in  all  the  walks  of  life,  in  fact  was  one  of 


nature's  noblemen.  His  deatli  occurred  in  1872, 
and  his  wife  died  in  1877.  They  had  the  following 
children,  of  whom  three  are  now  living,  Thomas 
A.,  Louisa  M.,  widow  of  Robert  Lofton,  and  a 
resident  of  Chicago,  an.d  W.  II.  His  other  chil- 
dren, who  readied  mature  years,  were  James  II., 
who  died  leaving  five  children;  Joseph  E.,  a 
farmer  who  died  leaving  two  children;  Daniel  P., 
who  at  his  death  left  three  children;  John  II.,  who 
died  in  Ogden,  Utah,  leaving  one  child;  and 
Robert  M.,  also  deceased.  Two  sons  of  the  family 
were  heroes  of  the  late  war. 

W.  H.  Hole  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  upon  a  farm,  and  came  with  his  parents  to 
Illinois  in  1856.  On  the  18th  of  August,  1862. 
he  entered  his  country's  service  as  a  private  of 
Company  K,  Eighty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  under 
Col.  Robert  Moore,  went  to  Louisville,  Nashville 
and  Murf reesboro, and  took  part  in  the  battles  of 
Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  Ring- 
gold,  the  siege  of  Atlanta,  Kenesaw  Mountain, 
Peach  Tree  Creek,  went  with  Sherman  on  the  cele- 
brated march  to  the  sea,  and  was  present  at  the 
surrender  of  Johnston's  Army  in  Raleigh,  N.  C. 
He  was  with  his  regiment  in  all  of  its  engagements 
except  Perryville,  and  was  a  brave  and  valiant 
soldier  who  followed  the  Hag  wherever  it  led  and 
thus  aided  in  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  lie 
inarched  through  the  Caroliuas  to  Washington,  D. 
C.,  and  participated  in  the  Grand  Review  in  the 
Capitol  Cit3r.  He  had  been  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  Orderly -Sergeant,  and  was  mustered  out  in 
June,  1865. 

After  his  return  Mr.  Hole  remained  at  his  home 
until  the  26th  of  January,  1866,  when  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rebecca  Diffcn- 
backer,  sister  of  Dr.  P.  L.  Diffen backer,  of  Ha- 
vana. In  1868  the}'  removed  to  the  farm  which 
is  now  the  home  of  our  subject,  and  here  the  wife 
died  April  11,  1877,  leaving  two  children,  Dr.  U. 
W.,  a  practicing  physician  of  Menard,  111.;  and 
Garnet  D.  Mr.  Hole  was  again  married  March  30, 
1880,  his  second  union  being  with  Elizabeth  D. 
Dietrick,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, September 
22,  1839. 

Mr.  Hole  gave  his  children  good  educational 
advantages  and  both  are  graduates  of  the  Havana 


476 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


High  School.  He  takes  quite  an  active  interest  in 
politics,  is  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party  and  is  now  a  candidate  for  County  Treas- 
urer. Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army 
Post  of  Havana.  His  farm  comprises  eighty  acres 
of  land  and  yields  to  him  a  good  income.  His  life 
has  been  well  spent,  and  he  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  highly  respected  citizens  of  the  community. 


ON.  E.  F.  UNLAND,  President  and  Man- 
™  ager  of  the  .Smith-IIippin  Company,  Pekin, 
has  been  engaged  in  the  grain  business  with 
the  above  company  for  a  number  of  years. 
They  do  a  large  business,  and  have  elevators  in 
Ilainesville,  Manito,  Forest  City,  Green  Valley, 
Emden,  Dalton  City,  Mt.  Pulaski,  Spring  Lake, 
Tremont  and  Pekin. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  in 
1836,  and  is  the  son  of  C.  II.  Unland,  who  also 
was  born  in  the  Fatherland.  The  latter  came  to 
America  with  his  family  in  1844,  and  locating 
near  Beardstown,  this  state,  engaged  in  farming, 
and  there  resided  until  his  decease,  in  1890.  His 
wife  prior  to  her  marriage  was  Mary  Carls;  she 
was  likewise  born  in  Germany,  and  departed  this 
life  after  coming  to  America,  in  1891,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-seven  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  third  in  order 
of  birth  of  his  parents'  family  of  nine  children. 
He  was  a  lad  of  eight  years  at  the  time  of 
their  emigration  to  America,  and  he  very  well  re- 
members the  voyage,  which  was  a  tedious  one, 
consuming  nine  weeks.  The  family  landed  in 
New  Orleans,  and  immediately  came  by  the  way 
of  the  Mississippi  River  to  this  state,  where  our 
subject  has  since  made  his  home.  He  was  reared 
to  man's  estate  on  his  father's  farm,  and  received 
his  early  education  in  the  old  log  schoolhouse  of 
that  day.  When  reaching  his  twentieth  year  he 
taught  school  for  a  time,  and  later  became  a  stu- 
dent in  the  college  at  Quincy. 

In  1860  Mr.  Unland  came  to  this  city,  it  being 
his  intention  to  follow  the  profession  of  a  school 
teacher.  He  was  thus  occupied  for  one  year, 


when  the  call  resounded  throughout  the  country 
for  volunteers  to  enter  the  Union  army.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  to  enlist,  and  becoming  a  member 
of  Company  F,  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  was  mus- 
tered into  service  at  Springfield.  After  a  service 
of  three  months,  however,  he  was  taken  sick  and 
was  obliged  to  return  home.  The  following  year 
he  taught  school,  and  in  1864  came  to  Pekin  and 
engaged  with  the  Smith-IIippin  Company  in  the 
grain  business.  Two  years  later  he  became  a 
partner,  and  is  at  present  President  and  Manager 
of  the  company,  which  is  one  of  the  oldest  grain 
firms  in  Illinois. 

In  the  fall  of  1884  Mr.  Unland  was  elected  to 
represent  Tazewell,  Marshall  and  Woodford  Coun- 
ties in  the  State  Legislature,  and  four  years  Inter 
was  called  upon  to  fill  the  honorable  position  of 
Mayor  of  Pekin.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  for  many  years  was  a  member  of  the  School 
Board.  Socially  he  is  a  Grand  Arm}'  man,  being 
connected  with  Joe  Hanna  Post.  In  religious  af- 
fairs he  holds  membership  with  the  German  Meth- 
odist Church. 

Mr.  Unland  and  Miss  Mary  Feltraan  were  united 
in  marriage  in  this  city.  The  lady  was  born  in 
Kenosha,  Wis.,  and  by  her  union  with  our  subject 
has  become  the  mother  of  five  children:  Otto,  who 
is  engaged  in  business  with  his  father;  Clara,  wife 
of  Walter  E.  Rosenthal,  of  Boston,  Mass.;  and 
Edgar,  Mary  and  Ernest,  who  are  at  home. 


EANDER  C.  AGNEW,  for  many  years  the 
we"  known  and  efficient  Supervisor  of  Salt 
Creek  Township,  Mason  County,  is  one  of 
its  worthy  citizens,  who  is  cultivating  a  fine  farm 
on  section  30.  He  was  born  in  Monroe  County, 
this  state,  August  30,  1832,  while  his  father,  Fran- 
cis Agnew,  is  a  native  of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio. 
The  latter  came  to  Illinois  in  1826  and  located  in 
Monroe  County,  where  he  carried  on  his  trade  of 
a  carpenter  and  had  the  honor  of  erecting  some  of 
the  best  houses  in  the  county. 

The  parents  of    our    subject    were    married    in 
Monroe  County  in   1828,  the  mother  being  Miss 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


477 


Catherine  Robinson,  a  native  of  that  county. 
She  was  born  in  1812  and  was  the  daughter  of 
David  Robinson,  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  on  com- 
ing to  Monroe  County  was  classed  among  the  earli- 
est settlers  of  that  section,  as  was  also  his  wife's 
parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Francis  Agnew  remained 
in  the  above  county  (with  the  exception  of  a  few 
years  spent  in  Marion  County)  until  the  decease  of 
the  mother  in  1854.  The  father  then  continued  to 
make  his  home  in  various  places  until  1877,  when 
he  joined  our  subject  in  this  county  and  lived  in 
this  place  until  his  death,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
He  was  of  Irish  descent,  while  the  mother  of  our 
subject  was  of  German  parents. 

L.  C.,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  second  in  order  of 
birth  of  the  eight  children  comprised  in  his  par- 
ents' family,  only  three  of  whom  grew  to  manhood 
and  womanhood.  He  continued  to  make  his  home 
under  the  parental  roof  until  two  years  after  reach- 
ing his  majority,  iu  the  meantime  acquiring  such 
an  education  as  could  be  obtained  in  the  subscrip- 
tion school  near  his  home.  When  beginning  to 
make  his  own  way  in  the  world  he  worked  for 
seven  summers  in  a  brickyard,  and  in  1855  came 
to  this  county,  locating  in  what  was  then  Crane 
Creek  Township,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farm 
work. 

Miss  Margaret  McDaniel  became  the  wife  of  our 
subject  February  26,  1857.  She  was  born  in  this 
state  and  became  the  mother  of  eight  children, 
Nancy  C.,  now  Mrs.  J.  II.  Potts,  living  in  Kansas; 
William  F.,  a  farmer  of  Salt  Creek  Township,  which 
is  also  the  home  of  George  M.;  Henry  A.,  living  in 
Franklin  Grove,  this  state;  Royal  W.,  a  resident  of 
Mason  City;  R.Frank,  an  agriculturist  in  this  town- 
ship; Estella  M.,  now  Mrs.  Frank  Kendall,  living  in 
the  above  township,  and  A.  Gertrude,  at  home  with 
her  father.  The  wife  and  mother  died  in  February 
1877,  and  the  lady  to  whom  our  subject  was  mar- 
ried March  8,  1882,  was  Mrs.  Sarah  C.,  widow  of  A. 
Baxter.  She  was  likewise  born  in  thisstate,and  by 
her  union  with  Mr.  Agnew  became  the  mother  of 
a  son,  Harry  L. 

Our  subject  gives  his  entire  time  and  attention 
to  farm  pursuits.  He  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of 
Democratic  principles,  on  which  ticket  he  was 
elected  Supervisor  of  Crane  Creek  Township  in 


1872  and  1873,  and  again  in  1878.  After  remov- 
ing to  this  township  he  was  elected  to  the  same  po- 
sition, which  office  beheld  each  successive  year  un- 
til 1884.  In  1885  he  was  appointed  to  fill  a  va- 
cancy, and  in  the  spring  of  188G  was  again  elected 
Supervisor  and  continued  to  discharge  the  duties 
of  that  office  with  the  exception  of  three  years  un- 
til 1894,  making  in  all  a  service  of  fourteen  years. 
He  has  also  been  Assessor  and  Collector  and  ren- 
dered efficient  service  as  School  Director  and  Trus- 
tee. He  is  ever  found  to  be  a  promoter  of  every 
worthy  enterprise  which  tends  to  advance  the  best 
interests  of  the  community  and  to  aid  in  the  up- 
building and  development  of  the  county.  He 
may  be  truly  called  a  self-made  man  and  is  deserv- 
ing of  all  the  praise  that  that  term  implies. 


OHN  FITZGERALD,  one  of  the  wide-awake 
and  progressive  young  citizens  of  Pekin, 
who  has  been  prominently  connected  with 
the  official  and  business  interests  of  the 

^^sr 

place,  is  now  engaged  in  the  real-estate,  abstract 
and  farm  loan  business.  He  has  the  honor  of  be- 
ing a  native  of  Tazewell  County,  and  was- born  in 
Dillon  Township  on  Christmas  Day  of  1857.  His 
father,  John  Fitzgerald,  Sr.,  was  born  and  reared 
in  County  Waterford,  Ireland,  and  when  a  young 
man  emigrated  to  the  New  World,  taking  up  his 
residence  in  Dillon  Township  in  1853.  He  bought 
land  and  improved  a  farm,  which  he  continued  to 
cultivate  until  his  death,  in  1868.  He  wedded 
Mary  Ryan,  who  was  also  born  in  County  Water- 
ford,  Ireland,  and  is  yet  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead. They  had  two  children:  John,  and  Mrs. 
Mary  O'Reilly,  of  Unioiiville,  Mo. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  our  subject 
was  reared  to  manhood.  His  early  education,  ac- 
quired in  the  common  schools,  was  supplemented 
by  a  two  years'  course  in  Notre  Dame  University, 
of  South  Bend,  Ind.  He  then  returned  home  and 
engaged  in  teaching  in  the  Dillon  district  from 
1879  until  1882,  when  he  began  farming  on  the 
old  homestead.  To  agricultural  pursuits  he  de- 
voted his  energies  for  two  years,  when,  in  the  fall 


478 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  1884,  lie  was  elected,  on  the  Democratic  ticket, 
Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  and  Recorder.  In  De- 
cember of  that  year  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of 
the  office,  and  being  re-elected  in  1888,  he  contin- 
ued to  (ill  the  position  until  December,  1892. 

On  the  26th  of  November,  1885,  in  Dillon,  Mr. 
Fitzgerald  married  Miss  Flora  Boyle,  a  native  of 
Tazewell  County,  and  &  daughter  of  6.  J.  Boyle, 
who  was  born  in  Virginia  and  who  afterward 
moved  to  Kentucky.  In  the  year  1835  he  be- 
came one  of  the  pioneers  of  Dillon  Township,  this 
county.  Two  children  grace  the  union  of  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife:  Louise  and  Edwin  W.  On  his 
retirement  from  office,  Mr.  Fitzgerald  embarked  in 
the  real-  estate,  abstract  and  loaning  business,  and 
represents  the  loan  department  of  the  Connecti- 
cut Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company.  From  1883 
until  1885  he  served  as  Supervisor  of  Dillon 
Township,  but  resigned  that  position  when  elected 
Circuit  Clerk.  He  is  the  youngest  man  ever 
elected  to  that  office  in  the  county.  In  politics  he' 
is  a  Democrat,  and  is  a  member  of  St.  Joseph's 
Catholic  Church.  His  entire  life  has  been:'passed 
in  Tazewell  County,  and  throughout  its  borders 
he  has  many  warm  friends  who  esteem  him  highly. 


TERLING  R.  HESS  has  resided  in  Penn- 
sylvania Township,  Mason  County,  since 
1863,  and  has  occupied  a  farm  on  section 
24  since  1873.  At  the  time  of  purchase 
it  consisted  of  eighty  acres,  but  the  property  has 
since  then  been  doubled  in  acreage,  and  its  value 
is  also  largely  increased  by  the  introduction  of 
modern  improvements,  including  a  residence  that 
cost  $1,000,  and  barn  and'granaries  costing  $250. 
Five  acres  have  been  planted  to  fruit  trees,  while 
the  remainder  of  the  land  is  devoted  to  the  past- 
urage of  stock  and  raising  of  grain. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  John  A.  Hess,  was 
born  in  New  Jersey  in  1810,  and  in  early  life 
followed  the  trade  of  a  cabinet-maker,  later  serving 
for  some  time  as  Deputy  Sheriff  of  Mason  County, 
111.  The  paternal  grandfather,  John  Hess,  was  a 
native  of  Germany,  while  the  maternal  grand- 
father, Shadrack  Austin,  was  a  native  of  Penn- 


sylvania. Our  subject's  mother,  Abigail,  was  born 
in  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  and  there  died  in  1853. 
Three  years  afterward  Mr.  Hess,  Sr.,  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  settled  in  Pennsylvania  Township,  Mason 
County,  in  the  spring  of  1856.  Here  he  died  in 
December,  1878.  He  was  a  man  of  prominence  in 
the  community  and  held  a  number  of  public 
offices,  serving  as  Constable  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace  for  many  years.  lie  and  his  wife  were 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in 
which  he  long  served  as  Deacon. 

In  the  family  of  John  A.   Hess   there  were  four 

children,  of  whom   the  survivors  are:  Sterling  R. 

and  Elisha  O.  The  latter  married  Lucy  B.,  daughter 

of  J.  C.  Temple,  and  resides  in  Mason  City.     The 

former  was  born  in  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  in  March, 

1836,  and  with  the  exception  of  two  years,  from 

five  to  seven,  spent  with  his  grandfather,  remained 

beneath  the   parental  roof  until  he  was  nineteen. 

He  then   was    employed   for  one  year  on  a  canal 

.boat,  after  which  in    1856   he  came  to  Illinois  and 

"se.ttled.  in    Mason    County.     For    three    years  he 

'worked  on   a    farm   belonging  to  Mr.  Griffith,  of 

Allen's  Grove  Township,  where  he  raised  a  crop  of 

corn  and  sold  it  in  the   field.     He  also  operated  a 

threshing  machine. 

January  1,  1861,  Mr.  Hess  married  Miss  Phicbe, 
daughter  of  J.  C.  Temple,  who  was  born  at  Heath, 
Mass.,  March  6,  1816,  and  was  in  early  life  a 
farmer.  In  1856  he  came  to  Illinois,  whence  in 
1866  he  went  to  Minnesota  and  practiced  medicine 
until  his  death,  in  1884.  His  wife,  Lucy,  was  born 
April  10,  1813,  and  died  January  30,  1891,  being 
a  daughter  of  Leonard  and  Phoebe  Eddy,  natives 
of  Massachusetts.  The  paternal  grandfather  of 
Mrs.  Iless  was  Asa  Temple,  of  Massachusetts,  who 
was  born  December  4,  1789,  and  died  in  New 
York  at  an  advanced  age.  Mrs.  Hess  was  born  in 
St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.,  in  September,  1841, 
and  received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of 
that  state. 

After  marriage  Mr.  Hess  rented  a  farm  in 
Allen's  Grove  Township,  which  he  cultivated  until 
1863.  He  then  bought  eighty  acres  of  unimproved 
land  in  Pennsylvania  Township,  and  in  the  fall  of 
1873  purchased  eighty  acres  comprising  a  portion 
of  his  present  estate.  Of  his  marriage  there  have 


LJBRARY 

Of  THf 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


J.   M.  WINN,    M.  D. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


LSI 


been  born  nine  children,  of  whom  the  survivors 
are:  Charles  ().,  of  Pennsylvania  Township,  who 
married  Mollie  Benscoter  and  has  one  child;  Fred 
R.,  a  student  in  the  commercial  department  of  the 
college  at  Beatrice,  Neb.;  Flora  B.,  who  is  married 
and  lives  in  this  county,  Ralph  C.  and  Roy  S. 

A  Democrat  in  politics,  Mr.  Hess  has  served  as 
Supervisor  for  two  terms,  Road  Commissioner  for 
three  years  and  has  occupied  other  positions 
of  trust.  Socially  he  is  identified  with  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Mutual  Aid  and  the  Grange. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  of 
Mason  City,  and  both  are  attendants  at  the  Union 
Sunday-school  in  this  township. 


M.  WINN,  M.  D.,  a  practicing  physician 
of  Forest  City,  was  bom  in  Virginia,  Octo- 
ber 1,  1822.  and  is  a  son  of  John  S.  Winn, 
a  native  of  Maryland.  Two  families  of  the 
name  came  from  Wales  in  the  early  Colonial  days, 
one  settling  in  Virginia  and  the  other  on  William 
Penn's  grant.  The  Doctor  is  descended  from  the 
former.  His  father  was  a  Captain  in  the  War  of 
1812  and  married  Janett  Maver,  a  native  of  Liver- 
pool, England.  Her  father  was  born  in  Scotland. 
When  a  maiden  of  fifteen  she  came  to  America 
and  was  soon  afterward  married  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa.  They  located  in  Loudoun  County,  Va.,  and 
in  1823  removed  to  Zanesville,  Muskingum  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  where  John  purchased  land.  He  brought 
with  him  thirteen  negroes,  but  never  sold  his 
slaves,  and  gave  to  each  forty  acres  of  land  and  a 
cabin.  Their  descendants  still  occupy  that  prop- 
erty. Mr.  Winn  passed  away  in  1844,  and  his 
wife  passed  away  in  1879.  They  were  the  parents 
of  sixteen  children,  thirteen  of  whom  reached  ma- 
ture years.  One  son,  Albert,  resided  in  California 
from  1849  until  his  death.  He  became  very  prom- 
inent during  his  residence  there  and  was  for  some 
time  President  of  the  Mechanics'  Mutual  Benefit 
Society  of  the  state.  Hamilton  was  killed  in  the 
Mexican  War,  and  John  was  a  Lieutenant  of  the 
Mississippi  Rifle  Camp  during  the  war.  Later  he 
was  given  a  clerkship  in  the  War  Department  at 
14 


Washington,  D.  C.,  and  has  held  that  position 
many  years.  Ludwell  lives  in  Neponset,  III.  Mrs. 
Amanda  Wall,  Mrs.  Almeda  Taylor  and  Mrs.  Ann 
Lemon  all  reside  in  Zanesville,  Ohio.  The  mother 
of  this  family  was  a  life-long  and  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Church.  The  father  was  a 
Whig  in  politics  and  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace 
in  Ohio. 

The  Doctor  was  reared  in  Zanesville,  Ohio,  at- 
tended its  public  schools,  and  was  for  some  time  a 
student  in  Delaware  College,  after  which  he'  en- 
tered the  ministry  of  the  Methodist  Church,  being 
ordained  in  Coshocton,  Ohio.  His  medical  educa- 
tion was  completed  in  the  old  Ohio  College  of 
Cleveland,  and  he  began  practice  in  Mnskingum 
County  in  1848.  In  1853  he  became  Surgeon  on 
the  steamship  "Ohio,"  which  sailed  from  New 
York  to  the  Isthmus  of  Darien.  In  1855,  however, 
he  returned,  and  during  the  next  six  years  made 
his  home  in  Minnesota,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine.  He  was  appointed  and 
served  as  United  States  Surgeon  of  Port  Superior 
for  a  year,  when  he  resigned  and  came  to  Mason 
County,  111.,  where  he  resumed  private  practice. 
He  was  located  in  Mason  City  from  1867  until 
1884,  when  he  came  to  Forest  City. 

The  Doctor  was  married  in  Ohio,  in  1844,  to 
Esther  Pyle,  who  was  born,  reared  and  married  in 
one  house  in  Morgan  County,  Ohio,  the  date  of 
her  birth  being  August,  1827.  On  the  19th  of 
August,  1894,  they  celebrated  their  golden  wed- 
ding, having  traveled  life's  journey  together  for 
fifty  years.  To  them  have  been  born  seven  chil- 
dren: Alonzo;  Elnora  J.,  wife  of  Joseph  Faith,  of 
Mt.  Vernon,Ill.;  Frank, wife  of  John  J.  Cox,  of  Ha- 
vana,- by  whom  she  has  five  children;  Katie,  wife 
of  Professor  Ballinger,  County  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  by  whom  she  has  four  children;  Ulysses 
M..  who  married  Amanda  Hardcastle  and  has  three 
children;  Ella  May,  who  became  the  wife  of  Rev. 
Edward  Williams,  of  Kansas,  and  has  six  children; 
and  Ida,  wife  of  Henry  Adams,  of  Forest  City. 

The  Doctor  and  his  wife  are  faithful  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  he 
still  preaches  occasionally.  He  has  been  a  life- 
long Mason,  was  for  many  years  a  Republican 
and  is  now  a  stalwart  Prohibitionist.  In  the  year 


482 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


1858  he  was  elected  to  the  Minnesota  Senate, 
was  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Education 
and  Science,  drafted  the  school  laws  of  Minnesota, 
and  nominated  William  Windham  for  Congress. 
He  is  now  a  leader  of  the  Prohibition  party  and 
was  its  candidate  for  Representative.  He  was  sent 
as  a  delegate  to  the  United  States  Medical  Con- 
vention in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  in  1849,  and  in  1856  was 
a  delegate  to  represent  the  Henry  County  Medical 
Society  in  the  State  Medical  Society.  He  now 
owns  a  finely  equipped  drug  store,  in  which  he 
fills  his  own  prescriptions,  and  has  a  large  medical 
practice  which  is  well  merited  by  his  skill  and 
ability.  He  is  recognized  as  a  power  for  good  in 
the  community,  and  his  long  residence  in  Mason 
County  has  made  him  one  of  its  foremost  citizens. 


ENOS  STEWART  STARRETT.  The  biog- 
raphies of  successful  men  who,  without 
the  influence  of  wealth  or  the  prestige  of 
family,  have  obtained  positions  of  usefulness  and 
honor,  serve  the  two-fold  purpose  of  encouraging 
the  young  and  paying  a  well-merited  compliment 
to  the  man  himself.  Not  only  has  Mr.  Starrett 
gained  the  confidence  of  his  acquaintances,  but  lie 
has  also  been  a  very  successful  man.  He  is  one 
of  the  largest  laud  owners  in  the  county,  owning 
eight  hundred  and  seventeen  acres  of  laud  lo- 
cated on  sections  4,  5  and  35  Manito  Township, 
and  sections  8,31  and  34  Forest  City  Township, 
Mason  County. 

Samuel  Starrett,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
farmer  in  Kentucky,  in  which  state  he  was  born, 
while  his  mother,  Mrs.  Paulina  (Best)  Starrett,  was  a 
native  of  Virginia.  They  were  married  in  Indi- 
ana and  coming  to  Illinois  in  March,  1854,  located 
on  section  31  of  the  above  township,  when  it  bore 
but  little  improvement.  There  they  both  died, 
the  father  passing  away  in  1866  and  the  mother 
six  years  later.  Of  their  family  of  nine  children 
only  three  are  now  living,  namely,  our  subject, 
John  B.  and  William  L.  They  were  regular  atten- 
dants at  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  which 
they  were  members  for  many  years.  In  politics 


the  father  was  a  Democrat  and  an  influential  man 
in  his  locality. 

The  original  of  this  sketch  was  born  December 
24,  1834,  near  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  and  was  there 
reared  and  received  his  education.  He  came  with 
his  parents  to  this  state  a  year  prior  to  obtaining 
his  majority,  after  which  event  he  settled  on  a 
farm  of  his  own  in  this  township,  and  March  6, 

1856,  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  E.,  daughter  of 
John  Thomas.     That  gentleman   came  from  Mis- 
souri to  this  state  in  1853  and  located  on  section  5 
of  the  above  township,  where  his  decease  occurred. 

Mrs.  Starrett  was  born  in  April,  1836,  and  after 
her  marriage  located  with  her  husband  in  a  little 
frame  house  on  their  present  farm  in  February, 

1857.  It  comprised    eight}-   acres   and  has   been 
their  place  of  abode  for  thirty-eight  years.     Mr. 
Starrett  has  been  very  successful  in  his  chosen  vo- 
cation, and  is  the  proud  possessor  of  a  vast  estate 
of  eight  hundred  and  seventeen  acres,  which  is  all 
improved  with   the  exception  of  eighty  acres  of 
timber  land.     He  completed  a  fine  residence  in  the 
fall  of   1891,  which  cost  12,000,  and  previous  to 
this  he  erected  a  barn  40x60  feet  in  dimensions, 
at  a  cost  of  $1,700.     On  his  large  estate  stand  two 

|  other  residences,  barns  and  outbuildings  which 
were  completed  in  1885,  and  are  valued  at  $2,500. 
In  addition  to  general  farming  our  subject  makes 
a  specialty  of  raising  short-horn  cattle. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Euos  S.  Starrett  have  been  born 
four  children,  two  of  whom  are  living.  Elizabeth 
P.,  now  Mrs.  George  Heckman,  makes  her  home  in 
this  township  on  a  part  of  her  father's  farm,  and 
John  R.,  who  married  Annie  livers,  is  living  on 
section  5.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  at  Manito,  in  which  Mr. 
Starrett  has  served  as  Steward  and  Trustee.  He 
has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  Sunday-school 
work  and  has  been  teacher  and  Superintendent. 
Socially  he  is  a  Mason,  holding  membership  with 
the  blue  lodge  at  Manito,  in  which  order  he  has 
been  Junior  and  Senior  Warden  and  also  Worship- 
ful Master.  He  likewise  holds  membership  with 
the  Chapter  of  Pekin  and  the  Havana  Command- 
ery.  He  aided  in  the  organization  of  School  Dis- 
trict No.  1,  and  has  held  the  oflice  of  Director  for 
seventeen  years.  His  children  were  educated  at 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


483 


Bloomington,  and  the  daughter  taughtschool  prior 
to  her  marriage. 

Mr.  Starrett  has  always  been  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  has  been  Road  Commissioner  of  Man- 
ito  Township  and  Supervisor  for  seven  years.  He 
helped  to  organize  the  Mason  and  Tazewell  Spec- 
ial Drainage  District,  and  gave  his  bond  for  its 
successful  completion.  He  is  very  popular  in  his 
vicinity  and  gives  his  aid  to  every  project  calcula- 
ted to  advance  the  interests  of  the  community,  and 
is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  wealthy  and  influ- 
ential citizens  of  Mason  County. 


KNRY  L.  HAHN.  One  of  the  finest  farms 
of  Mason  County  is  owned  and  operated 
by  the  gentleman  with  whose  name  we 

!j?)j  introduce  this  sketch,  and  whose  efforts 
have  materially  promoted  the  agricultural  inter- 
ests of  Havana  Township.  His  life  affords  an 
illustration  of  the  results  of  energetic  applica- 
tion, coupled  with  economy  and  the  exercise  of 
sound  common  sense.  Upon  landing  in  this  coun- 
try, lie  came  direct  to  Havana,  accompanied  by  his 
family,  reaching  this  city  with  a  cash  capital  of 
$32.  Of  this  amount  he  spent  $30  for  a  stove, 
leaving  $2  with  which  to  commence  housekeeping. 

In  that  humble  way  did  Mr.  Hahn  enter  upon 
life  in  Mason  County, -but  being  a  man  of  energy 
he  did  not  long  remain  poor.  As  time  passed, 
he  was  prospered  in  his  efforts,  and  added  to  his 
property  until  he  accumulated  four  hundred  and 
ninety  acres  of  valuable  land.  This  property  was 
purchased  as  follows:  One  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  for  $4,000;  eighty  acres  for  $3,000;  one 
hundred  and  forty  acres  for  $5,000;  and  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres  for  $3,400,  making  a  total 
of  four  hundred  and  seventy  acres,  for  which  he 
paid  $15,400.  In  addition  to  this,  he  owns  twenty 
acres  of  timber  land. 

A  native  of  Hesse-Cassel,  Germany,  our  subject 
was  born  April  18,  1832,  and  is  a  son  of  Lawrence 
and  Sophia  (Kipp)  Hahn,  both  of  whom  were  born 
in  Hanover.  After  their  marriage  in  that  prov- 
ince they  moved  to  Ilesse-Cassel,  where  he  en- 


gaged in  farming.  He  also  served  as  a  soldier  in 
the  German  army.  In  1856  he  brought  his  fam- 
ily to  America,  and  settled  in  Mason  County,  111., 
where  his  death  occurred  about  1873.  His  widow 
still  survives  (1894),  and  is  now  eighty-three 
years  of  age.  They  were  members  of  the  Luth- 
eran Church  in  the  Old  Country,  and  transferred 
their  membership  to  Mason  County.  Their  four 
sons  were,  H.  L.;  William,  of  Logan  County,  111.; 
Fred,  a  resident  of  Mason  County;  and  August, 
whose  home  is  in  Havana  Township. 

In  the  excellent  schools  of  Ilesse-Cassel  our  sub- 
ject gained  a  good  education  in  the  German  lan- 
guage. From  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he  was 
employed  on  a  farm  in  his  native  province.  In 
1853  he  married  Caroline  Pfetzing,  the  sister  of 
Justus  Pfetzing,  whose  sketch  is  presented  on 
another  page.  This  lady  was  born  in  Hesse-Cas- 
sel, February  27,  1831,  and  died  in  1856,  leaving 
three  children.  Caroline,  the  eldest,  is  the  wife 
of  Herman  Hornicamp,  of  Quiver  Township;  Lizzie 
married  Gus  Glakemyer,  a  farmer  living  on  Bull's 
Eye  Prairie,  and  they  have  four  children;  and 
Annie  is  the  wife  of  Christ  Wamsegans,  of  Quiver 
Township. 

Emigrating  to  America  in  1852,  Mr.  Hahn 
landed  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  whence  he  came  to  Illi- 
'  nois,  and  for  one  year  was  employed  in  a  ware- 
house at  Havana.  Later  he  and  his  brother  Will- 
iam rented  a  farm  in  Matanzas,  upon  which  they 
incurred  an  indebtedness  of  $800  in  order  to  begin 
and  carry  on  the  cultivation  of  the  land.  This 
property  they  rented  for  two  years,  and  during 
the  first  twelve  months  made  but  $300  for  both. 
Afterward  our  subject  rented  another  farm  in 
the  same  township  for  two  years,  when  he  bought 
a  partly  improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  paying  $1,500  for  the  property. 
Four  years  later  he  sold  the  place  and  purchased 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  comprising  a  por- 
tion of  his  present  homestead. 

In  1858  Mr.  Hahn  married  Miss  Catherine 
Schwarz,  who  was  born  in  Wurternberg,  Germany, 
January  18,  1828.  Six  children  bless  the  union, 
viz.:  Mary,  who  married  Fred  Mauer,  of  Logan 
County,  and  has  three  children;  Sophia;  Henry, 
residing  in  Havana  Township,  who  married  Miss 


484 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Sophia  Tegedes,  and  they  have  two  children; 
William,  of  Havana  Township,  who  chose  as  his 
wife  Miss  Amelia  Speckman,  and  they  have  one 
child;  Frederick  C.;  and  Fredericka,  the  wife  of 
George  Reichel,  of  Havana  Township.  The  fam- 
ily is  connected  with  the  Lutheran  Church  at  Ha- 
vana, of  which  Mr.  Halm  is  an  official  member. 
He  supports  the  principles  of  the  Democratic 
party,  and  has  held  the  office  of  School  Director. 


(JLLIAM  H.  COGDAL.  Among  the  men 
who  have  devoted  their  energies  to  the 
occupation  of  agriculture,  prominent  men- 
tion belongs  to  the  gentleman  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  brief  sketch.  He  is  thoroughly  efficient 
in  every  department  of  farm  work,  has  made  of 
his  chosen  occupation  a  science,  and  through  the 
proper  rotation  of  crops  and  fertilization  of  the 
soil  has  been  enabled  to  secure  the  very  greatest 
results  from  every  acre  of  property.  His  landed 
possessions  aggregate  six  hundred  and  fifty-six 
acres,  located  on  sections  6,  23  and  31,  Manito 
Township,  Mason  County. 

Our  subject  is  a  son  of  John  Cogdal,  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  where  he  was  a  powder  manufacturer 
and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  War. 
His  wife,  Mrs.  Louisa  (Trent)  Cogdal,  was  born  in 
Virginia,  and  was  a  daughter  of  William  Trent, 
who  removed  from  that  state  to  Kentucky.  There 
she  met  and  married  Mr.  Cogdal;  in  the  fall  of 
1832  they  came  to  Illinois,  where  they  were  classed 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Sangamou  County. 
The  father  died  seven  years  later, and  the  mother, 
who  is  still  living  in  that  county,  has  attained 
the  remarkable  age  of  ninety-four  years  and  four 
months. 

W.  II.,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  third  in  order  of 
birth  of  the  seven  children  born  to  his  parents; 
only  four  of  the  family  are  living:  Nancy  Jane, 
Parthenia  and  Elizabeth.  The  mother  of  these 
children,  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Cogdal,  married 
Henry  Miller,  who  is  now  deceased,  and  by  that 
union  reared  three  children,  of  whom  Tilford  and 
Martha  Ann  are  living.  The  parents  of  our  sub- 
ject were  members  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Po- 
litically the  father  was  a  Whig,  and  held  the  re- 


sponsible position  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
many  years. 

Mr.  Cogdal  was  born  February  2,  1832,  in  San- 
gamon  County,  this  state,  and  was  reared  to  the 
age  of  fourteen  years  on  his  father's  farm,  during 
which  time  he  obtained  only  a  very  limited  educa- 
tion. Although  quite  young,  he  left  home  and 
worked  for  one  man  for  seven  years,  and  in  ISSyl 
came  to  this  county  with  only  seventy-five  cents 
in  his  pocket.  He  worked  very  hard,  saved  his 
money,  and  was  soon  enabled  to  become  a  prop- 
erty owner. 

Four  years  after  making  his  advent  into  this 
county,  our  subject  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret 
R.,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Lina  (Best)  Starrett. 
Mrs.  Cogdal  was  born  in  Clay  County,  Ind.,  in 
August,  1832,  and  departed  this  life  June  16, 
1880.  She  had  become  the  mother  of  six  children, 
of  whom  those  living  are:  Elliott  W.;  Nancy,  the 
'wife  of  Henry  Linback;  Chauncy  R.;  and  Mar- 
garet R.,  now  Mrs.  Sherman  Jackson. 

September  24,  1889,  Mr.  Cogdal  took  for  his 
wife  Mrs.  Lucy  A.  Conklin,the  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Lucinda  (Houchin)  Taylor,  who  make  their 
home  in  Mason  City.  Mrs.  Cogdal  was  reared  in 
this  county,  and  was  educated  in  its  public  schools. 
Her  first  husband,  Philo  H.  Conklin,  was  a  native 
of  New  York,  and  a  cousin  of  Senator  Roscoe 
Conklin.  During  the  late  war  he  was  Sergeant- 
Major  in  an  Illinois  regiment,  and  departed  this 
life  March  2,  1870.  Her  nnion  with  Mr.  Conklin 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  two  children,  viz. :  Frani-es 
L.,  now  Mrs.  Fred  W.  Rockwell;  and  Helen  A., 
who  married  Whitney  L.  Miller. 

Our  subject  is  an  active  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  which  he  has  served  as  Stew- 
ard, Trustee  and  Class-leader.  His  good  wife, 
however,  worships  with  the  Baptist  congregation 
in  Mason  City.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican and  always  lakes  a  prominent  part  in  local 
affairs.  He  has  served  as  Road  Commissioner,  and 
is  at  present  serving  his  fifth  year  as  a  member  of 
the  Drainage  Committee  of  the  Mason  and  Taze- 
well  district.  He  is  one  of  the  Township  Trustees, 
and  has  been  School  Director  for  maii3' years.  So- 
cially he  is  a  Knight  of  Pythias,  and  Mrs.  Cogdal 
is  a  member  of  the  Pythian  Sisters  of  Forest  City, 


RESIDENCE  OF  GEO.  W.  NEIKIRK,  SEC.   12,  TP.  22,  R.  7,  MASON"  CO.,  ILL. 


RESIDENCE  OF  WM.   H.  COGDAL,  SEC.  6,     TP.  22,    R.  6,   MASON  CO.,  ILL. 


LIBRARY 
Of  IHt 

OF  ILLINOIS 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


487 


of   which  she  has  been  presiding  officer  since  its 
organization. 

Our  subject,  as  before  stated,  is  one  of  the  larg- 
est land  owners  in  this  section,  and  owns  an  estate 
including  nearly  seven  hundred  acres.  He  built  a 
beautiful  residence  in  1875,  at  a  cost  of  12,800. 
He  has  broken  about  one  thousand  acres  of  land 
in  Mason  County  with  ox-teams,  and  in  connec- 
tion with  farming  he  is  engaged  in  raising  fine 
breeds  of  horses,  cattle  and  hogs.  He  has  given 
his  children  good  educations.  W.  Elliott  is  a 
graduate  of  Wesleyan  University  at  Bloomington, 
III.,  and  is  now  practicing  law  in  Oklahoma  Terri- 
tory. Mrs.  Rockwell  and  Mrs.  Miller  are  the  chil- 
dren by  Mrs.  Cogdal's  former  marriage.  The  for- 
mer is  a  graduate  of  Vassar  College,  and  the  latter 
of  Mason  City  High  School. 


IEORGE  W.  NEIKIRK.  WitKW-thfe:;lirtt»t3f 
of  Mason  County  there  are  few  farms  more 
valuable  than  the  one  upon  which  Mr. 
Neikirk  makes  his  home.  This  consists  of  two 
hundred  acres  of  well  improved  land  lying  in 
Forest  City  Township,  upon  which  have  been 
placed  all  the  improvements  of  a  first-class  estate. 
The  residence,  which  was  erected  in  1892,  at  a 
cost  of  about  $4,500,  is  one  of  the  most  conven- 
iently arranged  and  attractive  houses  in  the  coun- 
ty, as  well  as  one  of  the  finest.  This  place  has 
been  the  home  of  Mr.  Neikirk  since  1875,  and  the 
improvements  thereon  are  due  entirely  to  his 
energy,  skill  and  efficiency. 

Born  in  Clear  Spring,  Washington  County, 
Md.,  December  12,  1839,  the  subject  of  this  notice 
is  the  seventh  in  the  family  of  George  Neikirk. 
(For  further  reference  see  sketch  of  J.  Alex  Nei- 
kirk, presented  on  another  page  of  this  volume.) 
In  the  fall  of  1840  the  family  moved  from  Mary- 
land to  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  and  thence  came  to 
Illinois  in  October,  1853.  The  father,  who  was  a 
son  of  Michael  and  Catherine  Neikirk,  was  born 
January  19,  1798,  and  on  the  24th  of  January, 


1821,  married  Elizabeth  Bowser,  who  was  born 
July  16,  1803.  The  father  died  April  23,  1855, 
while  the  mother  passed  away  February  7,  1875. 

There  were  nine  children  in  the  family  of 
George  Neikirk,  viz.:  Solomon,  who  was  born 
January  9,  1822,  and  died  January  29,  1890;  J. 
Alex,  of  whom  mention  is  elsewhere  made;  Eh 
T.,  who  was  born  September  6,  1828,  and  died 
March  3,  1883;  William  K.,  who  was  born  Octo- 
ber 27,  1830;  John  E.,  whose  sketch  is  presented 
on  another  page;  Mary  Elizabeth  Cheek,  who  was 
born  October  29,  1836;  George  W.;  Emma  P., 
born  August  3,  1842;  and  Sarah  Belle,  born  Oc- 
tober 25,  1845,  and  now  the  wife  of  O.  W.  Van 
Orman,  presented  on  another  page. 

On  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  our  subject 
enlisted  in  the  Union  army  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany C,  Second  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  joined  the 
regiment  at  Camp  Butler,  111.,  under  Colonel  Noble. 
On  the  4th  of  October  he  was  ordered  to  Cairo, 
111.,  and  thence  on  the  10th  of  the  same  month 
marched  to  Caledonia.  March  30,  1862,  he  was 
ordered  to  Hickman,  Ky.,  where  his  regiment 
•§e<mted  the  country.  On  June  7  they  reached 
Union  City,  Tenn.,  and  three  days  later  were 
placed  on  picket  duty  at  the  Obion  River.  July 
4  they  returned  to  Union  City,  and  on  the  16th 
of  August  pursued  the  rebel  Captain  Buford  for 
a  distance  of  thirty  miles  to  Merriweather's  Ferry. 
During  a  very  hard  fight  of  a  half-hour  at  that 
place  forty  were  killed  and  sixteen  captured,  the 
enemy  being  completely  routed. 

August  20,  1862,  the  regiment  joined  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Hogg  at  Dyersburg,  and  after  an 
eight  days'  scout  they  went  into  camp  at  Jackson, 
Tenn.  September  3  they  pursued  the  rebel  Gen- 
'eral  Armstrong,  arriving  at  Bolivar,  Tenn.,  on  the 
9th,  and  at  LaGrange,  Tenn.,  on  the  27th.  Oc- 
tober 5  they  escorted  General  Hurlbut  to  the 
Hatchie  River,  and  were  in  the  engagement  at 
Metamora,  where  they  were  highly  complimented 
by  the  generals  for  coolness  in  battle.  October  9 
there  was  a  skirmish  with  the  Haywood  Rangers 
at  Woodville,  and  forty-five  of  the  number  were 
captured  by  the  Federal  troops.  After  having 
been  out  for  four  days,  they  returned  to  camp 
with  sixty  prisoners  and  one  hundred  horses. 


488 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


November  4  they  went  to  La  Grange,  and  driv- 
ing the  rebels  from  there,  occupied  the  place. 

At  Lamar,  Miss.,  the  Federal  troops  met  the 
rebel  General  Jackson,  whom  they  charged,  kill- 
ing eighteen  of  his  men,  wounding  sixty  and  cap- 
turing one  hundred  and  thirty.  On  the  30th  of 
November  they  advanced  to  Holly  Springs  and 
preceded  General  Grant's  army  to  Oxford,  whence 
they  were  ordered  back  to  guard  Holly  Springs. 
On  the  20th  of  December  they  were  attacked  by 
the  rebel  General  Van  Dorn  with  six  thousand 
men,  and  the  battle  lasted  from  six  until  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  When  the  ammunition 
was  entirely  exhausted,  the  troops  fell  back  to 
Cold  Water  Station,  having  lost  seven  killed  and 
forty-three  wounded.  On  the  23d  of  December 
they  started  in  pursuit  of  General  Van  Dorn, 
whom  they  followed  until  the  29th,  and  on  the 
following  day  started  for  Memphis,  where  they 
were  placed  on  orderly  duty  until  June  27,  1863. 

Ordered  to  report  to  Major  Larrison,  the  com- 
pany proceeded  to  Ft.  Pillow,  Tenn.,  July  29, 
1863,  and  on  the  1st  of  August  reached  Denmark 
Tenn.,  where  they  had  a  skirmish  with  the  rebel 
Colonel  Grier,  whom  they  routed.  On  the  19th 
of  August  they  engaged  in  scouting  and  broke 
up  several  guerrilla  bands,  returning  to  Union  City, 
Tenn.,  September  27.  October  24  they  went  on  a 
four  days'  scout,  and  on  the  31st  started  on  a  ten 
days'  scout.  November  19  they  started  in  pursuit 
of  Major  Street,  whom  they  charged  at  Merri- 
wealher's  Ferry,  killing  eleven  of  his  soldiers,  and 
capturing  forty  prisoners  and  sixty  horses.  De- 
cember 4  they  were  placed  on  post  duty  at  Troy, 
Tenn.,  and  five  days  later  scouted  to  Bend  No.  14 
in  the  Mississippi  River.  December  11  they  cap- 
tured twenty  of  Major  Street's  command,  killed 
two  and  captured  thirty-five  horses. 

On  the  23d  of  December  the  troops  engaged 
in  the  expedition  under  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith  to 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  following  General  Forrest  for 
seventeen  days.  January  22,  1864,  they  joined  a 
cavalry  expedition  under  Col.  George  K.  Warring, 
Jr.,  and  went  to  Collierville.  Tenn.,  being  gone 
twenty  days.  The  cavalry  expedition  of  Gen. 
W.  S.  Smith  followed  on  the  19th  of  February, 
the  troops  penetrating  Mississippi  and  traveling 


as  far  as  Aberdeen  on  the  Tombigbee  River.  On 
the  20th  of  February  they  went  back  to  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  after  a  skirmish  with  Forrest. 

There  was  a  general  engagement  at  Ivy  Farm, 
Miss.,  on  the  22d  of  February,  after  sixty  miles  of 
continuous  fighting  to  Camp  Grierson,  Tenn.  On 
the  28th  of  February  they  b:  ought  out  of  Missis- 
sippi twenty-five  hundred  negroes,  between  three 
and  four  thousand  horses  and  mules,  and  one 
hundred  prisoners.  April  1  they  joined  the  regi- 
ment at  New  Orleans,  and  April  16  arrived  at 
Baton  Rouge,  joining  the  regiment  at  that  place, 
and  remaining  there  until  mustered  out  August 
11,  1864.  Mr.  Neikirk  was  honorably  discharged 
at  Springfield,  111.,  having  served  for  some  time 
as  Corporal. 

Among  the  engagements  in  which  Mr.  Neikirk 
participated  were  the  following:  Merriweather's 
Ferry,  August  10,  1862;  Hatehie  River,  October 
5;  1862;  Holly  Springs,  December  20,  1862;  Ivy 
Farm,  Miss.,  February  22,  1864,  and  other  import- 
ant battles.  He  enlisted  July  23,  1861,  and  was 
discharged  August  11,  1864,  after  a  continuous 
service  of  more  than  three  years,  during  which  he 
was  never  wounded  nor  taken  prisoner. 

Returning  home,  Mr.  Neikirk  commenced  farm- 
ing on  a  portion  of  the  old  homestead,  which  he 
rented.  August  12,  1868,  he  married  Eliza  A., 
daughter  of  Adam  and  Mary  Ann  (Meyer)  Shock. 
Her  parents  removed  from  Seneca  County,  Ohio, 
to  Mason  County,  111.,  in  1854,  settling  in  Forest 
City  Township,  where  the  father  died  November 
1,  1886,  and  the  mother  July  14,  1867.  Mrs.  Nei- 
kirk was  born  December  21,  1846,  and  has  spent 
her  entire  life  in  the  township  where  she  now 
resides. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neikirk  were  the  parents  of  nine 
children,  of  whom  eight  are  now  living.  Mary 
E.,  who  was  born  on  the  3d  of  September,  1869,  is 
the  wife  of  Charles  Richard  and  lives  in  Forest 
City  Township,  having  one  child  by  her  marriage; 
Catherine  L.  was  born  March  22,  1871,  and 
died  January  31,  1890;  Irvin,  who  was  born 
March  25,1873,  married  Miss  Lizzie  Himmel,  of 
Forest  City  Township;  Stephen  D.,  born  May  14, 
1875;  Elmer,  November  3,  1877;  James  G.,  June 
3,  1880;  Vernon  B.,  February  26,  1882;  Warren, 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


489 


December  8,  1885;  and  Gertie  G.,  March  29,  1888, 
are  at  home  with  their  parents.  Socially,  Mr. 
Neikirk  is  identified  with  J.  Q.  A.  Jones  Post  No. 
526,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Havana,  and  in  politics  he  is  a 
stanch  Republican. 


ACOB  G.  SPAITS,  JR.,  who  is  engaged  in 
general  farming  on  section  9,  Manito  Town- 
ship, Mason  County,  is  of  German  parent- 
age, his  father,  Jacob  Spaits,  ST.,  having 
been  born  in  Bavaria,  in  1'807.  The  grandfather, 
Jacob,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years,  was 
the  son  of  Jacob  Spaits,  who  likewise  passed  away 
when  eighty-six.  It  will  be  noted  that  for  four 
generations  the  representatives  of  the  family  have 
borne  the  name  of  Jacob,  and  it  is  also  a  remarka- 
ble fact  that  each  was  the  eldest  son  in  the 
family. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, and  served  for  three  years  as  a  soldier  in 
the  German  Army.  In  Bavaria  he  married  Miss 
Mary  Grepps,  who  was  born  in  that  province  in 
1806,  and  was  daughter  of  Simon  Grepps,  who  died 
there  at  eighty  years  of  age.  During  the  admin- 
istration of  William  Henry  Harrison  as  President 
of  the  United  States,  Mr.  Spaits  came  to  this  coun- 
try, and  for  a  time  made  his  home  in  Schuylkill 
County,  Pa.  In  1849  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  the 
following  year  settled  in  Sherman  Township,  Ma- 
son County.  Purchasing  a  tract  of  wild  land  he 
cleared  and  improved  the  place,  which  he  sold  in 
1853,  and  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  our 
subject.  The  land  then  bore  no  improvements, 
but  during  the  period  of  his  residence  here,  he 
placed  the  soil  under  good  cultivation  and  made 
many  valuable  additions.  In  1870  he  moved  to 
Pekin,  and  one  year  later  went  to  the  village  of 
Manito,  where  he  has  since  resided. 

In  religious  belief  the  parents  were  members  of 
the  Lutheran  Church  in  their  native  land,  but  sub- 
sequently united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  The  mother  died  in  1886,  after  having 
had  five  sons.  Four  of  the  number  are  now  liv- 
ing: Jacob  G.;  Charles,  who  lives  in  Missouri; 
Fred  and  John.  The  first-named  of  these  sons 


was  born  in  Bavaria,  December  26,  1833,  and  in 
childhood  accompanied  the  family  to  America, 
where  he  soon  gained  sufficient  knowledge  of  the 
language  to  enable  him  to  use  it  in  business.  In 
his  youth  he  assisted  his  father  on  the  home  farm 
and  early  gained  a  practical  knowlede  of  agricul- 
ture. 

In  1856  Mr.  Spaits  married  Miss  Susan,  daughter 
of  William  McGalliard.  Mrs.  Spaits  was  born  in 
Ohio  in  February,  1833,  and  died  in  Mason  Coun- 
ty in  1869.  Four  children  are  now  living  of  the 
six  that  blessed  the  union.  Tillie  married  Frank 
Colburn,  of  Neosho,  Mo.,  and  two  children  have 
been  born  to  their  union.  Ellen,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Oscar  Graham,  lives  in  Quiver  Township  and 
has  four  children.  Minnie,  Mrs.  Joseph  Perrill, 
lives  in  Manito  and  has  one  child.  Jennie  be- 
came the  wife  of  George  Firth,  and  they,  with  their 
four  children,  live  in  Green  Valley.  Harvey,  the 
only  son,  was  killed  in  the  memorable  Chatsworth 
wreck,  August  10,  1887,  aged  twenty-four  years. 
Susie  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-four. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Spaits,  occurring  in 
1870,  united  him  with  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Marshall) 
Vennard,  the  daughter  of  Freeman  and  Elizabeth 
(Rakestraw)  Marshall,  both  deceased.  Mrs.  Spaits 
was  born  in  Ohio,  August  30,  1834,  and  receiving 
in  girlhood  an  excellent  education,  was  for  a  time 
engaged  in  teaching  school.  Three  children  have 
been  born  of  this  union,  of  whom  Fannie  and 
Jessie  are  now  living.  The  only  son,  Jacob  M., 
died  at  the  age  of  six  and  one-half  years. 

The  farm  owned  and  operated  by  Mr.  Spaits 
consists  of  eighty  acres  of  finely  improved  land, 
containing  a  set  of  substantial  buildings,  and  em- 
bellished with  many  ornamental  trees  which 
greatly  enhance  its  beauty.  The  residence  was 
erected  some  thirty-three  years  ago,  but  about 
1884  it  was  remodeled  and  enlarged  at  a  cost  of 
$1,000.  The  barn  was  built  in  1879  at  a  cost  of 
$600.  In  politics,  Mr.  Spaits  is  a  Republican,  and 
for  two  terms  served  as  Supervisor  of  Manito 
Township.  He  is  interested  in  educational  mat- 
ters, and  gave  his  children  the  best  of  advantages; 
they  are  well  educated, and  two  have  taught  school. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  he  is  the  oldest  School 
Trustee  in  the  county,  having  officiated  in  that 


490 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


capacity  for  forty  years.  Socially,  he  is  identified 
with  the  Grange,  and  has  served  as  its  Chaplain. 
He  contributes  liberally  to  the  support  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  his  wife  is 
an  active  member. 


EDWARDS  NEIKIRK.  One  of  the 
finely  improved  farms  of  Mason  County  is 
located  in  Forest  City  Township,  and  is  the 
property  of  Mr.  Neikirk,  who  through  per- 
severance and  the  exercise  of  good  judgment  has 
gained  a  prominent  place  among  the  agriculturists 
of  the  community.  The  farm  consists  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  on  section  19,  upon  which  he 
has  erected  a  suitable  equipment  of  substantial 
buildings.  lie  has  also  introduced  other  valuable 
improvements,  and  1ms  placed  the  soil  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation. 

Our  subject  is  a  son  of  George  Neikirk.  wtiose' 
sketch  may  be  found  in  that  of  J.  Alexander  Nei- 
kirk, elsewhere  in  this  book.  The  former  was  born 
March  26,  1834,  in  Washington  County,  Md.,  and 
as  he  was  given  but  little  schooling  it  may  be 
proper  to  speak  of  him  as  self-educated.  He  came 
to  Illinois  in  company  with  his  father,  and  on  the 
death  of  the  latter  began  life  on  his  own  account, 
working  out  for  other  people. 

During  the  first  year  of  the  war  our  subject  en- 
listed in  July,  in  Company  C,  Second  Illinois  Cav- 
alry, of  which  he  was  elected  First  Corporal.  The 
regiment  was  organized  at  Camp  Butler  under 
Colonel  Noble,  and  from  there  went  to  Carbondale, 
and  then  to  Cairo,  where  it  was  divided  into  Bat- 
talions. Our  subject's  company  did  guard  duty 
on  the  Ohio  River  from  Cairo  to  Caledonia  until 
March,  18C2,  when  it  was  sent  to  Ilickman,  Ky., 
and  took  part  in  the  battle  fought  at  that  place. 
From  there  they  went  to  Union  City,  and  in  Au- 
gust took  up  the  line  of  march  to  Jackson,  Tenn., 
and  went  into  camp  at  Bolivar.  Next  followed 
the  battle  of  llatchie  River,  when  the  regiment 
marched  to  LaG range,  where  they  remained  until 
the  fall  of  that  year.  Mr.  Neikirk  was  then  sent 
out  on  detached  duty  until  March,  1864,  when  he 


rejoined  his  camp  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  with 
them  went  to  Louisana,  and  later  went  in  camp  at 
Baton  Rouge,  where  he  was  mustered  out  to. 

After  receiving  his  honorable  discharge  in  Au- 
gust, 1864,  after  a  service  of  three  years,  he  re- 
turned home  with  his  health  very  much  impaired. 
During  his  entire  army  experience  he  never  re- 
ceived a  scratch  nor  was  made  a  prisoner,  although 
on  numerous  occasions  he  had  very  narrow  es- 
capes. He  was  a  man  of  indomitable  pluck,  and 
after  recuperating  for  a  year,  he  engaged  in  work 
and  lived  with  his  mother  until  1868. 

The  lady  to  whom  Mr.  Neikirk  was  married  in 
1873,  was  Miss  Phoebe,  daughter  of  John  Charles 
Reed,  a  native  of  New  York  State,  and  a  cooper 
by  trade.  The  lad}'  was  born  in  Ohio,  whither  her 
father  had  removed  in  an  early  day  and  located  in 
Seneca  County.  Her  mother,  Mrs.  Sarah  (Jackson) 
Reed,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  daugh- 
ter of  Benjamin  Jackson,  also  an  early  settler  of 
tli e  Buckeye  State.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Neikirk 
!  laleii  .  in  life  removed  to'  Indiana,  and  lived  in 
Noble  County  until  their  death.  The}'  were  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  namely:  James  D.,  Mary 
Matilda,  William  LaFayette,  Minerva,  Phojbe  (Mrs. 
Neikirk),  Joseph  Myron,  John  Monroe,  Perry  and 
Sarah  Emily.  William  served  through  the  entire 
Civil  War  as  a  soldier  in  the  Thirtieth  Indiana 
Infantry.  Mr.  Reed  also  fought  in  the  Mexican 
War,  and  was  a  Republican  in  politics.  He  was  a 
man  who  took  a  great  interest  in  public  affairs,  and 
with  his  wife  was  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church. 

Mrs.  Neikirk  was  born  April  16,  1848,  in  Seneca 
County,  Ohio,  and  after  receiving  her  education 
in  Indiana,  taught  school  in  that  state  and  after- 
ward in  Illinois,  whither  she  removed  in  1869. 
Her  union  with  our  subject  has  been  blessed  b"  the 
birth  of  five  children,  Viola  Lucretia,  Oscar  John, 
Orin  Herschel,  Mary  Augusta  and  Frank  Colburn. 
They  located  upon  their  present  farm  soon  after 
their  marriage,  and  in  1880  completed  their  pres- 
ent substantial  residence.  Mr.  Neikirk  is  engaged 
in  mixed  farming,  and  is  making  a  success  in  his 
chosen  field  of  labor. 

In  religious  affairs  Mi's.  Neikirk  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  she  is 


LIBRARY 
OF  IHI 

UNIVfcKSHY  Of  ILUNUfc 


J.  L.  INGERSOI.L. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


493 


one  of  the  Stewards  and  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday- 
school.  Socially,  our  subject  is  a  Grand  Army 
man,  and  in  18C6  aided  in  the  organization  of 
Forest  City  Post  No.  26,  in  Forest  City,  of  which 
he  was  an  oflicer.  He  also  is  connected  witli  the 
John  Quincy  Adams  Post  No.  526,  at  Havana.  He 
is  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  local  Grange, 
of  whicn  he  lias  been  Master,  and  is  identified  with 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  at  Forest  City.  He  has 
been  School  Director  of  District  No.  1,  and  his 
daughter  Viola,  and  his  son  Oscar  are  school 
teachers.  He  is  a  stanch  Republican  in  politics, 
and  has  frequently  represented  his  party  as  dele- 
gate to  its  various  conventions.  He  has  also  filled 
the  offices  of  Road  Commissioner  and  Township 
Collector,  and  is  a  man  whose  character  and  per- 
sonal attributes  are  such  as  to  win  him  the  confi- 
dence of  the  community  and  the  people  by  whom 
he  is  surrounded. 


.  INGERSOLL,  who  is  engaged  in 
business  in  Easton  as  a  dealer  in  farm  im- 
plements, claims  Ohio  as  the  state  of  his  na- 
tivity, his  birth  having  occurred  in  Medina 
County,  on  the  3d  of  February,  1834.  His  father, 
Reuben  Ingersoll,  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
and  in  eaily  life  was  a  farmer,  hut  in  1849  opened 
a  hotel  on  St.  Clair  Street  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and 
continued  in  that  line  of  business  for  some  years. 
He  married  Christine  Van  Dusen,  also  a  native  of 
the  old  Bay  "State,  and  in  .1818  they  removed  to 
Medina  County,  Ohio,  where  they  resided  until 
1849,  in  which  year  they  became  residents  of 
Cleveland.  In  later  years  the  father  laid  aside 
business  cares  and  in  his  last  days  lived  a  retired 
life  in  the  home  of  his  son,  A.  D.  Ingersoll,  now  of 
Green  Valley  Prairie,  Tazewell  County,  111.  In 
the  family  were  eleven  children,  six  of  whom  are 
living  at  this  writing,  in  the  summer  of  1894, 
namely:  A.  D.,  just  mentioned;  John,  a  resident  of 
Arkansas;  Dr.  B.  F.,  who  makes  his  home  in  Ne- 
braska; James  L.,  of  this  sketch;  Orman  V.  and 
Mary,  also  of  Nebraska. 

Mr.  Ingersoll  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  fifteen 
years  of  his  life  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Medina 
County.  Ohio,  and  then  accompanied  his  parents 
on  their  removal  to  Cleveland.  He  acquired  his 


education  in  the  public  schools,  and  on  starting 
out  in  life  for  himself  secured  a  position  in  the 
car  shops  of  Cleveland,  where  he  was  employed 
until  1858.  In  that  year  he  determined  to  seek  a 
home  in  Illinois.  The  following  year  he  made  a 
permanent  location  in  Mason  County,  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  on  section  5,  Pennsylvania  Town- 
ship. It  was  a  tract  of  wild  land,  no  improve- 
ments having  been  made  thereon,  but  with  charac- 
teristic energy  he  began  its  development  and  im- 
provement. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey 
Mr.  Ingersoll  chose  Mary  E.  Ryno,  who  was  born 
in  New  Jersey  in  1844,  and  came  to  Illinois  about 
1858.  Their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  1860,  and 
they  began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm  which 
was  their  home  until  1889,  when  they  came  to 
Easton.  Here  they  have  a  pleasant  home,  and  in 
addition  Mr.  Ingersoll  owns  two  hundred  acres  of 
valuable  land  which  he  now  rents.  In  February, 
1890,  be  built  his  present  fine  store  building,  and 
was  in  partnership  with  Andrew  Furrer  until  Jan- 
uary, 1892,  when  Mr.  Furrer  sold  out  to  Bruce 
Cheneoweth,  and  the  firm  is  now  Ingersoll  &  Chen- 
eoweth.  They  handle  all  kinds  of  farm  imple- 
ments and  are  doing  a  good  business. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ingersoll  were  born  twelve 
children,  eleven  of  whom  arc  yet  living:  George  C., 
Mrs.  Emma  Bruning,  Mrs.  Nellie  Hedrick,  Mrs. 
Eugenia  Furrer,  Lyman,  Mrs.  MWcia  Blunt,  Elsie, 
Freeman,  Delia,  Edgar  and  Fred. 

Mr.  Ingersoll  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  for  fifteen  years  and  has  taken  the 
Knight  Templar  Degree.  He  supports  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  Republican  party  and  since 
attaining  his  majority  has  been  one  of  its  warm 
advocates.  He  has  been  School  Director,  was  Road 
Commissioner  for  seven  years  in  Pennsylvania 
Township,  and  was  Drainage  Commissioner  in  the 
Garden  Special  Drainage  District  for  seven  years. 
He  was  one  of  the  original  commissioners  and 
filled  the  office  until  his  removal  to  Easton. 


A.  HIGH  is  prominent  in  the  so- 
cial,  literary  and  political  life  of  this  coun- 
ty  as  editor  of  the  Havana  Republican,  a 
journal  which  he  is  ably   conducting  in   company 


494 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


with  Ulysses  L.  Town  in  the  interests  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  When  our  subject  took  charge  of 
the  oflice,  just  one  year  ago,  the  paper  had  a  circu- 
lation of  Hve  hundred  and  eighty.  Now,  however, 
it  finds  its  way  into  over  eleven  hundred  homes 
and  the  list  of  subscribers  is  still  on  the  increase. 
The  firm  has  the  latest  improved  appliances  in  the 
oflice,  including  a  Campbell  press,  which  has  a  ca- 
pacity of  one  thousand  copies  per  hour.  In  con- 
nection with  their  paper  they  have  a  jobbing  de- 
partment and  are  prepared  to  turn  out  the  finest 
work  in  that  line,  keeping  in  their  employ  only 
expert  job  printers. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Quiver  Township,  this 
county,  March  14,  1870,  and  is  the  son  of  John 
High,  who  located  in  this  region  in  1840.  At 
the  age  of  fifty-six  years  he  is  now  making  his 
home  in  Havana.  The  ancestors  of  our  subject 
originally  came  from  Germany,  and  the  first  to 
make  their  home  in  America  settled  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  maiden  name  of  his  mother  was  Mary 
Morris,  the  daughter  of  George  Morris,  a  native  of 
the  Blue  Grass  State,  who  on  coming  to  Illinois 
made  his  home  in  this  county. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  bore  the 
name  of  Frederick  High,  and  was  born  in  Virginia 
in  1800.  When  a  young  man  he  emigrated  to  In- 
diana, where  he  remained  until  1838,  when  he  took 
up  his  residence  in  Kankakee,  this  state.  A  year 
later  he  went  to  C\ay  Countj',  and  in  1840  we  find 
him  in  Mason  County,  where  his  death  occurred  in 
1865.  ,)ohn  High,  the  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1745  and  de- 
parted this  life  in  Warren  County,  Ind.,  in  1851,  at 
the  age  of  one  hundred  and  six.  The  paternal 
grandmother  of  our  subject  was  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage Miss  Maria  Rakestraw  and  was  born  in  Ohio. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Warren 
County,  Ind.,  June  7,  1837,  and  the  lady  to  whom 
he  was  married  when  reaching  mature  years  was 
Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  George  and  Elizabeth 
(Hurd)  Morris.  She  was  born  in  Adams  County, 
Ohio,  and  came  with  her  parents  to  this  county 
some  time  in  the  '50s. 

Freeman  A.  High,  of  this  sketch,  received  his 
early  education  in  the  district  schools  of  his  native 
township,  and  when  old  enough  to  do  so  helped 


his  father  to  cultivate  the  farm.  He  remained  at 
home  until  the  spring  of  1881,  when  he  removed 
to  Havana,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools 
and  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  June  3, 
1890.  July  20  of  that  year,  he  accepted  the  posi- 
tion of  Deputy  Postmasterof  the  city, and  acted  in 
that  capacity  until  October,  1892,  when  he  resigned 
in  order  to  engage  in  the  publication  of  the  Ha- 
vana Republican.  The  paper  is  well  conducted,  is 
a  bright,  newsy,  original  sheet,  and  is  by  no  means 
confined  to  party  lines  fora  circulation,  for  though 
our  subject  is  true  to  the  principles  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  is  strictly  aggressive,  he  is  not  offen- 
sive in  the  defense  of  party  issues.  He  is  at  present 
Secretary  of  the  Republican  Count3'  Central  Com- 
mittee, and  is  one  of  the  rising  young  men  of  the 
county  with  a  promising  future  before  him. 

Socially  Mr.  High  is  a  Mason,  belonging  to  Ha- 
vana Lodge  No.  88,  and  is  connected  with  the  Hes- 
perian Chapter  No.  137,  O.  E.  S.  He  also  belongs 
to  Havana  Lodge  No.  258,  K.  of  P.,  the  Havana 
Division  No.  64,  U.  R.  K.  P.,  and  the  Ancient  Or- 
der of  United  Workmen. 

OLYSSES  L.  TOWN,  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Town  &  High,  was  born  in  this 
x^-^-j  county  February  6,  1866.  He  is  a  'son  of 
B.  C.  S.  Town,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  where 
his  birth  occurred,  in  W i Ikes  Barre,  July  5,  1806. 
The  father  settled  in  Bath,  this  county,  in  1849, 
where  his  decease  occurred  August  5,  1887.  The 
Towns  were  New  England  people,  and  the  paternal 
grandfather  of  oursubject,  Joseph  C.  Town,  fought 
as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  at  which 
time  he  served  under  General  Washington.  He 
died  in  1814. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mrs.  Mary  Miller 
Town,  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  came  to  Illinois 
with  her  parents,  and  with  them  located  in  Deca- 
tur,  where  she  metand  married  Mr.  Town.  Ulysses 
L.,  of  this  sketch,  pursued  his  studies  in  the 
schools  of  Bath,  and  when  reaching  his  eigh- 
teenth year,  as  he  had  a  decided  inclination  to- 
ward journalism,  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  prin- 
ter in  the  office  of  the  Mexico  Daily  Ititelligen- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


495 


cer,  sit  Mexico,  Mo.,  whicl)  was  at  that  time 
edited  by  John  E.  Ilutton.  There  Mr.  Town  re- 
mained from  1884  until  1887,  and  two  years 
later  came  to  Havana  and  engaged  to  work  in  the 
office  of  the  Havana  Republican,  under  the  man- 
ment  of  P.  F.  Warner.  It  was  not  long  before  he 
was  appointed  foreman  of  the  office,  and  November 
1,  1892,  formed  a  partnership  with  F.  A.  High  and 
purchased  the  plant  which  they  are  conducting 
successfully  at  the  present  time. 

May  18,  1892,  Mr.  Town  and  Miss  Carrie  R., 
daughter  of  William  Hoffner,  were  united  in 
marriage.  Mrs.  Town  was  born  in  Havana.  Their 
union  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  a  daughter, 
Mildred.  Socially  our  subject  is  a  Mason  and 
holds  membership  with  Havana  Lodge  No.  88. 
He  is  local  Secretary  and  Treasurer  for  the  Se- 
curity Loan  and  Savings  Association,  which  po- 
sition lie  accepted  in  October,  1893.  He  possesses 
many  pleasant  social  qualities  and  is  very  popular 
among  his  associates. 


,ETER  RINGHOUSE.  The  farming  lands 
of  Mason  County  comprise  its  most  val- 
uable property,  and  the  men  who  have 
redeemed  them  from  their  primitive  con- 
dition occupy  no  unimportant  place  among  a  vast 
and  intelligent  population.  The  subject  of  this 
sketcli  properly  belongs  to  this  class,  as  he  an- 
nually pays  a  handsome  sum  to  the  county  treas- 
ury as  taxes  on  his  property.  His  land  has  been 
accumulated  entirely  by  the  labor  of  his  own 
hands,  and  is  pleasantly  situated  on  section  15, 
Quiver  Township;  it  comprises  seven  hundred 
acres,  and  is  under  good  cultivation. 

John  Peter  Ringhouse,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  a  native  of  Germany,  where  he  was  a  well-to- 
do  farmer,  and  his  mother,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Rid- 
dle) Ringhouse,  was  also  born  in  the  Fatherland. 
There  the  parents  were  married,  and  after  emigrat- 
ing to  America  in  1834  lived  for  a  twelvemonth 
in  Baltimore,  Md.,and  for  the  same  length  of  time 
were  residents  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.  In  1836  they 
came  to  Mason  County  and  settled  on  section  11, 


this  township,  where  they  were  classed  among  its 
earliest  residents.  They  made  their  permanent 
home  in  this  section,  and  although  owning  at  first 
only  a  quarter-section  of  land,  by  hard  labor  and 
economy  accumulated  an  estate  comprising  six 
hundred  acres.  They  later  removed  to  Havana, 
where  the  father's  decease  occurred.  The  mother 
died  in  Iowa. 

Peter,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  second  in  order  of 
birth  of  the  parental  family  of  four  children,  of 
whom  only  one  sister  is  living,  Elizabeth,  now  Mrs. 
Kroell,  who  makes  her  home  on  section  18,  this 
township.  The  former  was  born  June  20,  1829, 
in  Germany,  and  received  the  greater  part  of  his 
education  in  his  native  land,  as  there  were  no 
schools  near  his  home  after  coming  to  America. 
He  remained  at  home  until  attaining  his  majority; 
he  and  his  brothers  purchased  the  home  farm,  on 
which  our  subject  was  residing  in  1853,  when  he 
crossed  the  plains  to  California,  making  the  trip 
overland  with  ox-teams.  Four  months  later  he 
arrived  in  Marysville  and  was  there  employed  in 
hauling  provisions  and  freight  until  the  spring  of 
1856,  when  he  returned  home  by  the  Nicaragua 
route.  He  was  very  successful  in  his  western  trip 
and  during  the  three  years  spent  in  California 
cleared  $3,000. 

Peter  Ringhouse  again  located  on  the  home  farm 
and  was  married  in  March  of  the  succeeding  year 
to  Miss  Orpha  Howell,  who  was  born  in  this  coun- 
ty. The  young  couple  continued  to  reside  on  the 
home  farm  for  a  number  of  years  when  our  sub- 
ject purchased  a  part  of  his  present  property  and 
erected  thereon  a  residence  which  cost  about 
$6,000  and  is  the  finest  in  the  township.  Mr. 
Ringhouse  is  the  proprietor  of  seven  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  this  county  and  also  owns  a  farm 
of  two  hundred  acres  in  Missouri.  He  has  aided 
greatly  in  the  upbuilding  of  this  township,  and 
erected  and  operates  the  Ringhouse  Theater.  His 
farm  is  devoted  to  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  having  upon  the  place  some  fine  Perche- 
ron  horses  and  pure  blooded  cattle  and  swine. 

Mrs.  Ringhouse  died  in  1874,  leaving  six  chil- 
dren. William,  the  eldest  of  the  family,  is  liv- 
ing on  the  old  homestead;  he  married  Miss  Jose- 
phine Beebe.  Emma  is  at  home  with  her  father. 


496 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Frank  is  married  and  lives  in  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington ;  and  Kate,  Ettabell  and  Charles  are  at  home. 
Mr.  Ringhouse  is  a  prominent  Mason  socially,  be- 
longing to  the  chapter  in  Havana.  He  is  also  a 
Knight  Templar  and  Knight  Workman  of  the 
lodges  in  that  city. 

Our  subject  has  given  his  children  fine  educa- 
tions, and  his  interest  in  school  affairs  lias  led  him 
to  be  elected  a  member  of  the  Board.  He  has  been 
a  Republican  in  politics  ever  since  the  late  war 
and  served  his  fellow-townsmen  as  Road  Commis- 
sioner. He  is  a  good  and  upright  man  and  his  life 
record  shows  him  to  possess  sound  discretion  and 
unllincliing  integrity.  He  is  always  cordial  and 
kind  in  his  relations  with  others  and  fair  in  his 
dealings  with  them. 


THOMAS  TYRRELL  was  for  about  thirty 
years  a  well  known  farmer  of  Tazewell 
''  County.  A  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  he 
was  born  in  Dublin,  January  18,  1827,  and  was  a 
son  of  George  and  Kate  (Tyrrell)  Tyrrell,  the 
former  born  in  Ireland,  November  1,  1798,  and  the 
latter  in  1800.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation. In  1851  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Amer- 
ica, landing  in  New  York  on  the  25th  of  May. 
There  he  lived  a  retired  life.  He  was  a  man  of 
good  education,  and  a  great  reader.  In  church 
work  he  took  a  deep  interest,  and  held  member- 
ship in  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  were  buried  in  New  York  City.  They  had 
a  family  of  seven  sons:  Thomas,  James,  George, 
John,  Matthew,  and  two  who  died  in  childhood. 
Four  of  the  number  are  j?et  living.  One  is  a 
farmer,  another  a,  captain  on  a  steamer,  and  the 
third  a  grocer. 

Thomas  Tyrrell  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  land,  and  by  his  extensive 
reading  became  a  well  informed  man.  He  came 
with  his  parents  to  the  United  States,  and  in  New 
York  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Hea- 
ney,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Lizzie  Heaney.  She 
was  born  near  Dublin,  Ireland,  and  with  her  par- 
ents crossed  the  briny  deep  to  the  New  World. 
Her  mother  died  soon  after  their  arrival  in  New 


York,  and  she  remained  with  her  father  until  her 
marriage.  Her  parents  were  members  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Tyrrell  was  foreman  of  a 
horse-car  line  in  New  York  City,  occupying  that 
position  until  his  removal  to  the  west.  About 
thirty  years  ago  he  came  to  Illinois  and  took  up  his 
residence  in  Tazewell  County,  settling  in  Tremont 
Township,  where  he  purchased  a  farm.  After  cul- 
tivating that  land  for  several  years,  he  purchased 
the  farm  on  which  his  widow  now  resides,  becom- 
ing the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
valuable  land,  to  which  Mrs.  Tyrrell  has  since 
added  seventy  acres.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling 
worth,  and  the  many  excellencies  of  his  character 
won  him  the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  busi- 
ness or  social  relations  brought  him  in  contact. 
He  exercised  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of 
the  Democratic  party,  and  was  honored  with  some 
local  offices.  He  passed  awa}'  March  7,  1886,  and 
many  friends  mourned  his  loss.  In  'the  family 
were  fifteen  children,  twelve  of  whom  are  yet  liv- 
ing. With  the  exception  of  two  who  are  married, 
all  are  still  with  their  mother  on  the  old  home 
farm.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the 
community,  and  its  members  hold  an  enviable  po- 
sition in  social  circles. 


OHN  H.  BISHOP,  a  grain  and  coal  dealer  of 
Bishop  Station,  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
most  prominent  citizens  of  this  part  of  Ma- 
son County.  His  father,  Henry  Bishop,  was 
born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  in  1824,  and  in  1838 
came  with  his  parents  to  America.  The  family 
spent  a  few  months  in  St.  Louis,  and  lived  for  one 
year  in  Havana,  111.,  where  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject  died.  They  then  came  to  what  was  known 
as  Long  Point,  now  Forest  City  Township,  Ma- 
son County,  which  was  a  wild  and  undeveloped 
region.  There  was  only  one  house  between  the 
present  home  of  our  subject  and  Havana.  Henry 
Bishop  was  the  first  settler  of  this  locality,  and 
since  his  arrival  has  resided  continuously  in  this 
place.  He  wedded  Mary  Wessling,  a  native  of 
Hanover,  Germany,  and  a  daughter  of  Garrett 


ELEVATOR  AND  RESIDENCE  OF  JOHN  H.  BISHOP,  BISHOP,  ILL. 


RESIDENCE  OF  E.  J.   BOWSER,  SEC.  23,  TP.  22,  R.  7,  MASON  CO.,  ILL. 


LIBRARY 

Of  lHt 

UNIVEKSI1 1  Of  ItUIHMi 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


499 


Wessling,  who  came  to  Mason  County  about  1844. 
Her  death  occurred  in  1861,  and  Mr.  Bishop  after- 
ward married  Catherine  Wessling,  a  sister  of  his 
first  wife.  By  the  former  union  he  had  eight  chil- 
dren, four  yet  living:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Conrad 
Iliinmel;  Mrs.  Annie  Kuhnert,  of  St.  Louis;  John 
II.;  and  William,  of  Bishop.  By  the  second  mar- 
riage were  born  ten  children:  George  II.,  Harmon 
W.,  Paulina,  Louis  W.,  Laura,  Nellie,  Blondina, 
Ernest  II.,  Carl  II.  and  Edith.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  two  eldest  all  are  still  at  home. 

Henry  Bishop  died  August  3,  1893,  and  his 
death  was  mourned  throughout  the  community. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Association, 
served  as  Trustee  for  some  years,  and  aided  in 
building  Zion  Church.  He  took  quite  an  active  in- 
terest in  education  and  did  effective  service  for  the 
cause  while  acting  as  School  Director.  In  politics 
he  was  a  supporter  of  Democratic  principles.  He 
laid  out  the  town  of  Bishop  and  his  name  was 
prominently  connected  with  other  works  of  public 
improvement.  Although  he  came  to  the  county 
in  limited  circumstances,  he  steadily  worked  his 
way  upward  and  accumulated  eigh-Lhund-red- acres  . 
of  land  beside  personal  property. 

John  II.  Bishop  is  the  eldest  son  of  the  family. 
He  was  born  December  28,  1857,  on  the  old  home- 
stead, was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer 
lads  and  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools.  Later  he  attended  college  in  Naperville 
for  two  years.  In  1879  he  went  to  Burlingame, 
Kan.,  where  he  spent  two  years  in  clerking,  and  in 
1881,  having  returned  , to  Mason  County,  he  em- 
barked in  business  with  George  W.  Wessling  in  the 
town  of  Bishop.  That  connection  was  continued 
until  the  spring  of  1884,  when  our  subject  with- 
drew and  gave  his  time  and  attention  to  farming 
on  section  15,  Forest  Citj'  Township,  until  1891. 
He  then  bought  out  the  grain  business  of  J.  W. 
Pierce,  and  has  since  carried  on  operations  along 
that  line.  He  handles  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  bushels  of  grain  and  thirty  car  loads  of 
coal  annually.  His  elevator,  which  he  erected  at  a 
cost  of  $4,000,  has  a  capacity  of  twenty  thousand 
bushels. 

In  1883  Mr.  Bishop  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Maggie  Bowser,  adopted  daughter  of  John  Bowser, 


who  was  born  in  this  county  in  1863.  They  have 
two  children,  John  Oliver,  aged  eight;  and  Nelson 
II.,  a  child  of  four  summers.  Mr.  Bishop  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  order  of  Modern  Woodmen  of  Topeka, 
III.,  has  been  Road  Commissioner  of  Eorest  City 
Township,  and  is  now  serving  as  School  Director. 
He  takes  an  active  interest  in  politics  and  votes 
with  the  Democratic  party. 


SMMETT  J.  BOWSER.  The  present  high 
standing  of  Mason  County  among  the  ag- 
ricultural regions  of  Illinois  may  be  attrib- 
uted to  the  patient,  self-sacrificing  labors  of  the 
men  who  have  for  years  conducted  general  farm- 
ing pursuits  here.  As  a  representative  of  this 
class  we  present  the  name  of  E.  J.  Bowser,  a  suc- 
cessful and  capable  farmer  residing  on  section  23, 
Forest  City  Township.  Although  a  lad  of  eight 
years  when  coming  to  this  county,  in  1853,  he  has 
witnessed  its  development,  and  when  further  ad- 
vanced in  years  contributed  to  its  material  pros- 
perity. While  advancing  his  personal  interests,  he 
has-also  promoted  the  welfare  of  the  people.  His 
landed  possessions  aggregate  two  hundred  and 
thirty  acres,  upon  which  he  has  placed  first-class 
improvements. 

Our  subject  is  the  son  of  John  Bowser,  who  was 
born  in  Maryland  in  1817.  He  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  and  after  his  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
A.  Rickenbaugh,  who  was  also  a  native  of  the 
above  state,  moved  to  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  and 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  near  Tillin.  In 
1853,  however,  they  came  to  thisstate,  locating  on 
a  portion  of  the  property  now  included  in  our 
subject's  farm.  The  wife  and  mother  departed 
this  life  in  1868,  and  the  father,  who  survived  her 
many  years,  died  in  1881. 

The  parental  family  comprised  four  children, 
namel}',  E.  J.,  of  this  sketch,  Sarah,  Samuel  and 
Albert.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Bowser  were  devoted 
members  of  the  Evangelical  Church  and  were  much 
esteemed  in  their  community.  The  father  was 
prominent  in  local  affairs  and  for  many  years 
served  as  a  member  of  the  School  Board. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Seneca 
County,  Ohio  October  2,  1845,  and  was  a  lad  of 


500 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


eight  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  this  county.  lie  received  his 
primary  education  in  the  public  schools  and  for 
two  terms  was  a  student  in  the  Northwestern  Col- 
lege in  Plain  field.  Since  starting  out  in  life  for 
himself  he  has  always  followed  farm  pursuits  and 
has  on  his  place  some  fine  Percheron  and  Norman 
horses.  He  has  made  most  of  the  improvements  on 
the  farm  since  it  came  into  his  possession  and  is 
regarded  by  his  fellow-agriculturists  as  one  who 
thoroughly  understands  his  business  in  every  de- 
partment. 

There  is  a  power  mill  on  the  place,  operated  by 
wind,  that  grinds  feed,  saws  wood,  and  does  the 
churning  and  tool  grinding.  In  connection  is  a 
tank  that  holds  sixty  barrels  of  water,  with  a  gauge 
that  tells  the  amount  of  water  in  the  tank.  From 
this  tank  he  has  pipes  running  to  different  lots  for 
watering  stock  and  the  garden. 

Miss  Mary  Rose  became  the  wife  of  our  subject 
in  1876.  .She  was  born  in  Germany  and  by  her 
union  with  Mr.  Bowser  has  become  the  mother  of 
three  children:  Ralph  E.,  Roy  1).  and  Bern  ice  E. 
With  her  husband  she  is  a  working  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Church,  in  which  he  is  a  Trustee. 
They  are  giving  their  children  the  very  best  op- 
portunities for  obtaining  a  good  education,  and 
Mr.  Bowser  is  at  the  present  time  a  member  of  the 
School  Board.  As  every  public-spirited  citizen 
should  do  he  takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  local  and 
national  issues  of  importance,  and  in  matters  polit- 
ical gives  the  weight  of  his  influence  and  ballot  to 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party.  lie  is 
Secretary  of  the  Mason  County  Fanners'  Mutual 
Fire  &  Lightning  Insurance  Company,  which  posi- 
tion he  has  held  for  the  past  ten  years. 


ILNER  BROWN,  deceased,  was  for  many 
years  a  prominent  and  honored  resident  of 
Tazewell  County,  and  it  is  but  meet  that 
the  -record  of  his  life  should  find  a  place 
in  this  volume.  He  was  born  in  Lancaster  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  March  20,  1812,  and  was  a  lineal  descend- 
ant of  William  Brown,  who  came  to  America  from 
England  in  the  seventeenth  century.  His  brother, 


James  Brown,  lived  at  Marcus  Hook  before  Will- 
iam Penn  obtained  the  grant  of  land  for  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  was  a  weaver  by  trade  and  must  have 
arrived  in  this  country  as  early  as  1680,  for  his  fa- 
father-in-law,  William  Clayton,  crossed  the  Allan- 
tic  in  1677,  bringing  with  him  his  family; and, James 
Brown  was  here  married.  Although  a  weaver,  he 
doubtless  carried  on  farming  to  some  extent,  and 
like  most  of  the  tradesmen  of  old  Colonial  times 
obtained  a  grant  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
of  land  on  Chichester  Creek.  This  he  called  Pod- 
dington,  and  conveyed  it  to  his  son  William  June 
21,  1705.  He  owned  several  tracts  of  land  in  Chi- 
chester Township,  but  sold  before  his  removal  to 
Nottingham  about  1682.  His  brother  William  em- 
igrated from  England  to  Nottingham.  They  were 
among  the  first  of  the  Society  of  Friends  in  the 
United  States,  and  from  that  day  to  the  present 
the  Browns  of  Nottingham  have  adhered  to  the 
Quaker  faith. 

William  Brown,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  March  13,  1805,  and  married 
Rachel  Milner  at  the  East  Land  meeting  house 
according  to  the  Quaker  faith.  In  1828  he  came 
by  team  to  Illinois  and  settled  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mackinaw,  in  Dillon  Township,  Tazewell  County. 
He  was  a  man  of  considerable  education  and  abil- 
ity and  was  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  this 
community.  He  served  in  the  State  Legislature 
with  Abraham  Lincoln  and  other  men  of  promi- 
nence and  was  a  man  of  strict  integrity  and  sterl- 
ing worth,  a  firm  believer  in  the  faith  of  the  Society 
of  Friends. 

To  William  and  Rachel  Brown  was  born  a  large 
family  of  children.  Miriam,  born  December  23, 
1825,  became  the  wife  of  Jeremiah  Baile3r;  Isaiah, 
born  March  14,  1808,  went  to  California  in  the 
year  1852;  his  death  resulted  from  falling  on  a 
broken  fork  handle.  Joshua,  born  August  11, 
1809,  is  now  living  in  Holder,  111.  Hester,  born 
March  2,  1819,  is  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Fell,  who  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  State  Normal,  and  was 
a  prominent  citizen  of  Illinois.  Daniel,  born  No- 
vember 1,  1829,  was  educated  at  Knox  College,  of 
Galesburg,  and  became  one  of  the  wealthiest  farm- 
ers of  Tazewell  County;  he  was  married  Novem- 
ber 13,  1859,  to  Miss  Arietta  Lillie,  a  native  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


501 


New  York,  and  a  daughter  of  Elisha  Lillie,  who 
was  born  in  Vermont  and  was  a  soldier  in  the  War 
of  1812.  Daniel  Brown  was  killed  by  being  gored 
by  a  mad  bull  April  11,  1884;  he  left  two  children. 
Daniel  Milner,  who  was  born  October  27,  1867) 
was  married  in  1889  to  Lotella  Regur,  and  now 
resides  in  Iowa.  Lewis  Elisha,  born  March  30> 
1862,  is  living  with  his  mother. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  childhood  and  youth  of  our  subject.  In  1850 
he  was  married  to  Rebecca  Russell,  a  resident  of 
Fulton  County,  111.  She  was  born  in  Loudoun 
County,  Va.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James  and  Susan 
(January)  Russell.  Her  father  was  the  sixth  in  a 
family  of  nine  children  born  to  John  and  Hannah 
(Fincher)  Russell.  The  former  was  a  direct  de- 
scendant of  Capt.  James  Russell,  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, who  served  as  a  Captain  in  Cromwell's  army. 
The  wife  of  our  subject  died  March  25,  1884- 
They  had  but  one  child,  Mary  Milner,  who  was  born 
July  30,  1851,  and  was  educated  at  Normal;  she  was 
married  November  30,  1871,  to  Samuel  D.  Wood, 
who  was  born  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  June  10, 
1850.  His  father,  Samuel  C.  Wood,  was  a  native 
of  Lancaster  County,  and  there  died  March  26, 
1886,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  His  wife,  Han- 
nah Wood,  was  a  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Brown,  a 
first  cousin  of  William  Brown,  the  grandfather  of 
Mary  Milner  (Brown)  Wood,  therefore  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  AVood  are  third  cousins.  Mr.  Wood  was  an 
only  son,  and  had  two  sisters,  Anna  E.,  now 
the  wife  of  Day  Wood,  and  Hannah  C.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eight  years.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Samuel  Wood  have  been  born  two  children, 
Many  Milner,  born  February  21,  1873;  and  Charles 
Brown,  born  November  20,  1885.  Mr.  Wood  Las 
one  of  the  finest  farms  in  Tazewell  County,  own- 
ing about  eleven  hundred  acres.  Like  his  ances- 
tors he  belongs  to  the  Society  of  Friends  and  is  a 
Knight  Templar  Mason  and  a  stalwart  Republican. 

Milner  Brown  was  a  man  of  great  force  of  char- 
acter, gave  freely  of  his  abundant  means  to  the 
poor  and  needy  and  during  the  Civil  War  sent  lib- 
eral gifts  to  the  soldiers.  He  was  a  very  public- 
spirited  and  progressive  man  who  did  much  to 
benefit  the  community.  He  attempted  to  sink  an 
artesian  well,  but  after  spending  more  than  $8,000 


was  forced  to  give  up  the  enterprise.  Like  all  of 
his  brothers  he  met  his  death  by  accident.  While 
going  out  of  his  home  he  slipped  and  struck  his 
back  on  the  stone  steps.  From  the  injuries  thus 
sustained  he  died  March  28,  1891.  All  who  knew 
him  respected  and  honored  him  and  his  life  was 
well  spent.  He  left  to  his  daughter  the  priceless 
heritage  of  a  good  name,  and  his  memory  will 
long  be  cherished  by  many  friends. 


EDWARD. BROWN.  The  simple  record  of 
an  honorable  life  is  the  best  monument 
•  that  can  be  reared  to  any  citizen,  and  we 
therefore  shall  not  attempt  to  enlarge  upon  the 
history  of  the  gentleman  above  named,  who  is 
one  of  Havana's  most  reputable  citizens;  here  he 
is  carrying  on  a  profitable  trade  as  an  ice  dealer. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Sussex  County,  En- 
gland, on  the  8th  of  June,  1822,  and  is  the  son  of 
Abraham  Brown,  also  a  native  of  that  country, 
where  he  spent  his  entire  life,  dying  in  1828. 
His  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subiect,  was  Mary  A. 
Steele  prior  to  her  marriage,  and  she  too  died  in 
England,  the  year  of  that  event  being  1840. 
Edward  spent  the  first  twenty-eight  years  of  his 
life  in  the  Mother  Country,  and  during  his  boy- 
hood days  was  given  a  fair  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools.  Later  he  learned  the  trade  of 
a  butcher,  in  which  business  he  was  engaged  until 
sailing  for  America  in  1850.  Landing  in  New 
York  City  after  a  tedious  voyage,  he  came  di- 
rectly west  to  Havana,  where  he  decided  to  make 
his  future  home,  and  after  being  variously  oc- 
cupied for  a  number  of  years,  established  a  meat 
market  of  which  he  was  the  proprietor  for  some 
time. 

In  1869  Mr.  Brown  began  dealing  in  ice,  and 
that  year  built  a  large  store  house,  which  he  fills 
during  the  winter  season  with  the  clearest  and 
purest  of  ice,  cut  from  the  Illinois  River.  His 
storage  house  has  a  capacity  of  about  two  thou- 
sand tons  of  ice.  The  year  prior  to  coming  to 
the  United  States  our  subject  was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  A.  Ellis,  also  a  native  of  England  and 
a  most  intelligent  and  estimable  lady.  By  her 


502 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RKCORD. 


union  with  Mr.  Brown  she  has  become  the  mother 
of  two  sons,  William,  who  is  residing  at  the  pres- 
ent time  in  Bond  County  this  state,  and  George, 
engaged  with  his  father  in  the  ice  business. 

Although  over  seventy-one  years  of  age  Mr. 
Brown  is  enjoying  good  health,  which  fact  is  due 
largely  to  his  having  been  a  very  temperate  man  all 
his  life.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Republican  and 
was  elected  on  that  ticket  Trustee  of  the  village 
prior  to  its  becoming  a  city.  Himself  and  wife 
are  valued  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church  and 
take  an  active  part  in  its  work.  He  has  been  in- 
dustrious, prudent  and  thrifty  and  has  acquired  a 
goodly  amount  of  property,  owning  a  comfort- 
able home  in  the  city. 


/*,|l    J.  MORRIS,  M;  D.,  is  one  of  the  most  suc- 
LJIi    cessful  members  of  the  medical  profession 


as  represented  in  Mason  City,  and  is  favor- 
ably known  throughout  the  entire  count}-. 
As  a  physician  of  high  mental  endowments  he  en- 
joys the  confidence  of  the  people,  who  recognize  the 
fact  that  he  possesses  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
medicine  as  well  as  exceptional  skill  and  consider- 
able experience. 

On  the  24 th  of  June,  1854,  the  Doctor  was  born 
in  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  being  the  soil  of 
Arthur  .1.  and  (i race  (Ash)  Morris,  natives  respect- 
ively of  Ireland  and  England.  The  father,  upon 
emigrating  to  the  United  States,  settled  in  New 
York  and  continued  to  reside  upon  hong  Island 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1892.  He  was 
a  man  of  wide  information,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  his  educational  advantages  had  been  very 
meager.  His  wife  died  in  1855,  many  years  prior 
to  his  demise. 

Of  Irish  and  English  pafentage,  the  Doctor  has 
inherited  the  versatility  characteristic  of  the  former 
race,  together  with  the  firmness  of  will  and  deter- 
mination found  among  the  English  race.  In  child- 
hood he  was  a  pupil  in  the  schools  of  Brooklyn 
and  there  laid  the  foundation  of  the  fund  of 
knowledge  he  has  since  acquired.  At  the  earl}' 
age  of  fourteen  he  started  out  in  the  world  for 
himself  and  made  the  long  journey  to  the  west 


alone.  Reaching  Henry  County,  111.,  he  there  se- 
cured employment  upon  a  farm,  continuing  this 
occupation  for  eight  years.  Though  the  manual 
labor  required  was  arduous,  he  did  not  fail  to  im- 
prove every  opportunity  for  the  culture  of  his 
mind.  Whenever  the  opportunity  was  presented 
he  attended  the  school  of  the  neighborhood,  and 
the  leisure  hours  during  the  evening  were  devoted 
to  the  study  of  good  books.  Reading  was  his 
favorite  occupation,  and  to  this  day  he  retains  his 
boyish  love  for  a  book.  Nor  was  he  content  with 
the  mere  reading  of  the  volume,  but  in  addition 
he  endeavored  to  impress  upon  his  mind  the  prin- 
cj^pal  thoughts  brought  out  by  the  author,  and 
thus  he  acquired  a  wide  range  of  knowledge. 

Leaving  the  farm  in  1877,  our  subject  next 
applied  for  and  secured  a  school  at  Walker's 
Grove,  which  he  continued  to  teach  for  three 
years,  beginning  with  1878.  Afterward  he  taught 
the  school  at  Red  Oak,  111.,  for  one  year,  and  was 
similarly  engaged  in  Easton  for  three  years  and 
San  Jose  for  one  year.  For  four  years  lie  had 
charge  of  the  school  in  New  Holland,  Logan 
County,  III.,  and  in  the  meantime  devoted  his 
spare  moments  to  the  study  of  medicine.  In  1887 
he  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  J.  M.  Taylor,  at  that 
lime  a  prominent  physician  of  Mason  County,  and 
under  the  tuition  of  that  able  and  successful  prac- 
titioner he  acquired  the  rudiments  of  Ins  medical 
knowledge.  In  1890  he  passed  an  examination 
before  the  Illinois  State  Board  of  Health  and  re- 
ceived license  to  practice.  Later  he  took  a  course 
of  lectures  at  Hahnemann  College,  Chicago,  and 
was  graduated  from  that  institution  in  1891,  since 
which  time  he  has  conducted  a  general  practice  of 
medicine  and  surgery  in  Mason  City. 

Socially  the  Doctor  is  identified  with  the  Mason 
City  Lodge  No.  337,  I.  O.  O.  F.  In  politics  he  is 
a  pronounced  Prohibitionist  and  is  an  enthusias- 
tic advocate  of  the  platform  of  that  party.  In 
1884  lie  passed  an  examination  for  a  teacher's  cer- 
tificate of  perpetual  standing,  the  securing  of 
which  is  considered  quite  an  honor  for  the  recip- 
ient and  which  cannot  be  obtained  without  a  high 
degree  of  scholarship. 

In  the  spring  of  1878  Dr.  Morris  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Flora  Ringland,  who  was  born 


LIBRARY 

OFTHF 

UNIVERSITY  Of  »LUIW»S 

.41 


REV.  W.  B.  HARRIS. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


505 


in  Mason  County,  this  state,  being  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  Kingland,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Peoria 
County,  111.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  are  members  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  in  the  work  of  which  they  are 
actively  interested.  They  are  the  parents  of  three 
children.  Herbert  Garlield,  Nellie  Louise  and  Eva 
Marguerite.  The  Doctor  is  a  genial,  affable  gen- 
tleman, successful  as  a  practitioner  and  popular  as 
a  citizen. 


|EV.  WILLIAM  B.  HARRIS,  who  is  now 
living  on  section  21,  Mackinaw  Township, 
Tazewell  County,  was  born  in  Warren 
^County,  Ky.,  August  22,  1813.  His  father, 
Rev.  William  Harris,  was  a  son  of  James  aud  Ann 
(McKinney)  Harris.  The  grandfather  was  born  in 
England  in  1740,  and  came  to  America  with  his 
parents,  who  died  the  same  year,  leaving  their  son, 
who  was  then  not  a  year  old.  He  was  reared  in 
the  family  of  a  Mr.  McClure.  He  read  the  Bible 
through  before  he  was  live  years  of  age  and  ac- 
quired a  good  education.  For  seven  years  he 
aided  the  Colonies  in  their  struggle  for  independ- 
ence. About  1785  he  removed  to  Rockbridge 
County,  Va.,  locating  on  a  farm  within  sight  of 
the  famous  natural  bridge.  In  1796  he  removed 
to  Green  County,  Ky.,  where  he  soon  died.  His 
wife  survived  him  about  twenty  years.  In  their 
family  were  six  sons  and  three  daughters:  Sallie, 
wife  of  Josiah  McClure;  Polly,  wife  of  Timothy 
Dunham;  Susan,  wife  of  John  Chapman;  Alexan- 
der, James,  Josiah,  John,  William  and  Samuel. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, August  7,  1772,  prepared  himself  for  the 
ministry  and  became  a  prominent  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  preacher.  He  was  ordained  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1812,  but  had  preached  for  many  years  pre- 
vious. By  trade  he  was  a  general  mechanic  and 
weaver.  In  December,  1797,  he  married  Nancy 
Ilighsmith,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Sallie  (Mor- 
ris) Highsmith.  She  was  born  in  Burke  County, 
Ga.,  on  the  23d  of  March,  1782,  and  about  the 
year  1796  went  with  her  parents  to  Kentucky, 
where  she  was  married  in  her  fifteenth  year. 
By  their  union  were  born  twelve  sons  and  six 
15 


daughters,  all  of  whom  reached  ndult  age,  namely: 
James,  Sallie,  Jdhn,  Thomas  II.,  Rev.  David  R., 
Harvey,  Rev.  Alexander  C.,  William  B.;  Y.  F. 
E.,  deceased;  Rev.  Josiah  G.,  of  Texas;  C.  H. 
D.,  a  minister  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church;  Louis  D.,  who  was  formerly  a  minister 
but  is  now  deceased;  Cyrus  L.,  who  has  also  passed 
away;  Sallie,  wife  of  Luther  Johnson;  Anna  M., 
wife  of  James  Hudspeth;  Poll}',  wife  of  Edward 
Neal;  Susan,  wife  of  Wesley  Redman;  and  Nancy, 
wife  of  the  Rev.  George  L.  Blewett,  of  Richard- 
son, Tex.  All  are  now  deceased  except  William  B., 
J.  G.  and  Mrs.  Blewett.  They  were  all  meml>ers 
of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  and  six 
of  the  sons  were  preachers.  The  father  was  a 
Whig  in  politics  and  was  strongly  opposed  to  slav- 
ery. Socially  he  was  connected  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity.  He  often  walked  fifteen  or  twenty 
miles  to  preach  a  sermon,  and  was  a  devoted 
worker  for  the  cause  of  Christianity.  He  died 
July  8,  1845,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  November  2,  1862,  when 
nearly  eighty-one  years  of  age. 

William  B.  Harris,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  the  age  of  eighteen 
and  then  entered  Pilot  Knob  Academy,  from 
which  he  was  graduated.  His  own  labors  provided 
the  means  necessary  to  meet  the  expenses  of  a  col- 
lege education.  His  brother  was  at  that  time 
Principal  of  the  school,  and  after  his  graduation 
Mr.  Harris  was  one  of  the  teachers  in  the  academy 
for  two  years.  He  was  then  employed  in  two  dif- 
ferent academies  in  Logan  County,  Ky.,  for  about 
twenty  years,  and  in  Warren  County,  Ky.,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1847,  he  was  ordained  as  a  minister  of  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  He  engaged 
in  preaching  for  many  years,  but  during  the  past 
few  years  has  practically  retired  from  the  ministry, 
although  he  frequently  preaches  at  different  places 
when  traveling. 

In  Logan  County,  Ky.,  on  the  1st  of  March, 
1836,  Mr.  Harris  married  Harriet  B.  Paisley,  a  na- 
tive of  that  county,  and  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Nancy  (Perry)  Paisley,  the  former  a  native  of 
North  Carolina,  and  the  latter  of  South  Carolina. 
Twelve  children  were  born  of  this  union:  Alma- 
rinda,  wife  of  Joseph  Ferry;  Clean thes;  Clarinde 


506 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


C.,  wife  of  I.  C.  Williams;  William  R.;  Cyllene  J., 
wife  of  A.  J.  Ilinshaw;  David'R.;  John  Q.,  de- 
ceased; Waldo  B.,  a  Congregational  preacher  of 
Peoria;  Harvey  B.,  James  S.,  Harriet  A.  and  Polly 
S.  There  are  also  thirty-two  grandchildren  and 
four  great-grandchildren.  Mrs.  Harris  departed 
this  life  at  her  home  in  Tazewell  County  April  13, 
1888. 

On  the  farm  which  Mr.  Harris  owned  in  Ken- 
tucky was  located  the  great  saltpetre  cave,  one  of 
the  marvelous  creations  of  nature.  On  the  1st 
of  September,  1864,  he  left  his  native  state  and 
took  up  his  residence  in  Bloomington,  111.,  where 
he  engaged  in  preaching  the  following  year,  when 
he  came  to  his  present  farm.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  socially  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity.  His  has  been  an  honorable  and 
well  spent  life,  worthy  of  emulation,  and  his  excel- 
lencies of  character  have  gained  for  him  the  confi- 
dence and  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  has 
been  brought  in  contact. 


ARMON  HENRY  ELLERBUSCII.  In  every 
state  of  the  Union  the  German:American 
citizens  are  to  be  found,  making  their  way 
steadily  onward  in  the  accumulation  of 
ptoperty  and  securing  their  means  by  honest  in- 
dustry, prudent  economy  and  untiring  zeal.  In 
this  county  a  prominent  position  among  agricult- 
urists and  land  owners  is  held  by  the  gentleman 
above  named,  who  is  a  native  of  Hanover,  Ger- 
many, but  is  now  living  retired  in  the  city  of 
Havana. 

Our  subject  was  born  January  22,  1836,  and 
.spent  the  first  twenty  years  of  his  life  in  his  native 
land.  When  only  twelve  years  of  age  lie  was  com- 
pelled to  start  out  in  the  world  for  himself,  and 
worked  at  various  occupations  in  Germany  until 
1856,  when  he  boar'ded  a  sailing-vessel  bound  for 
America  and  six  and  one-half  weeks  later  landed 
in  New  York  harbor.  He  remained  in  that  city 
only  a  short  time,  however,  when  he  came  west 
and  stopped  for  a  time  in  Chicago,  and  later  came 
to  Mason  County,  where  lie  worked  out  on  farms 


by  the  month  for  different  people  until  enabled  to 
purchase  property  of  his  own.  lie  soon  began 
farming  on  his  own  account,  and  being  energetic 
and  industrious,  soon  accumulated  a  handsome 
property,  which  he  placed  under  the  very  best 
methods  of  improvement  and  resided  upon  until 
February,  1892.  That  year  he  moved  his  family 
to  Havana,  where  he  purchased  a  pleasant  resi- 
dence and  is  preparing  to  spend  the  remainder  of 
his  life  in  peace  and  quiet.  He  still  owns  his  estate 
however,  which  comprises  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  acres  located  on  section  36,  Forest  City 
Township,  which  he  developed  into  one  of  the 
choicest  farms  in  this  section. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Albert  and  Adelaide 
(Bloomer)  Ellerbusch,  were  natives  of  Germany, 
where  they  spent  their  entire  lives,  the  father  dy- 
ing in  1848  and  the  mother  in  1866.  Our  subject 
was  married  in  the  year  1865  to  Miss  Barbara, 
daughter  of  Diebold  Fuller,  a  native  of  Baden, 
Germany.  Mrs.  pjllerbusch  was  also  a  native  of 
that  place  and  was  brought  to  America  by  her  par- 
ents when  quite  young.  Since  her  union  with  our 
subject  she  has  had  born  to  her  four  sons  and  three 
daughters,  of  whom  Henry  is  located  in  this  coun- 
ty, where  he  is  engaged  in  farming;  George  is  liv- 
ing on  the  home  place;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of 
Prof.  August  Brandt  and  resides  in  Havana; 
Adelaide  is  at  home  with  her  parents;  Louisa  is 
the  wife  of  John  Eudenheir,  living  in  Havana, 
and  Frank  and  Harry  are  at  home  and  attending 
the  city  schools. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellerbusch  are  active  and  eflicient 
members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  are  highly 
esteemed  b}'  those  who  know  them  for  their  con- 
sistent and  useful  lives.  In  1873  our  subject  was 
instrumental  in  the  building  of  the  Forest  City 
church  and  parsonage.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Building  Committee  for  the  erection  of  the  new 
Lutheran  Church  in  Havana,  which  is  to  "be  a  fine 
brick  structure  and  will  cost  when  completed 
$9,000.  He  is  a  representative  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics, has  taken  an  active  part  in  local  affairs,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1893  was  elected  Alderman  of  the 
Second  Ward.  With  his  family  he  is  now  occu- 
pying a  large  and  handsome  residence,  located  in 
the  southern  part  of  Havana,  which  is  finished 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RKCORD. 


507 


and  furnished  in  a  most  elegant  manner.  Mr. 
Ellcrbuscli  was  skillful  in  bis  calling  as  an  agri- 
culturist, and  by  well  directed  and  incessant  labor 
accumulated  a  handsome  fortune,  and  by  invest- 
ing his  means  in  a  suitable  manner  reaps  an  excel- 
lent income.  He  is  a  man  of  steady  habits,  is  a 
kind  and  helpful  neighbor,  and  is  in  everyway  to 
be  relied  upon. 


OBERT  PRATT.  There  are  few  men  of  the 
present  day  more  worthy  of  honorable 
mention,  or  whose  history  affords  a  better 
§!example  of  what  may  be  accomplished  by 
perseverance  and  strict  integrity,  than  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  He  is  now  one  of  the  prominent 
farmers  of  Ilittle  Township,  Tazewell  County,  and 
has  a  fine  estate  of  six  hundred  acres. 

Born  May  2,  1832,  in  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  our 
subject  is  the  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  (Harvey) 
Pratt,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Dorset- 
shire, England,  about  1781.  He  was  there  reared 
to  manhood  and  commenced  in  early  life  to  work 
at  the  cooper's  trade.  Mr.  Pratt  was  married  in 
his  native  place  to  Miss  Harvey,  whose  father  was 
a  sea  captain;  he  lost  his  life  in  the  English  Chan- 
nel. After  the  birth  of  their  first  child  the  parents 
emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  resided  for  a 
short  time  in  Philadelphia.  From  that  city  they 
went  to  Pittsburg,  and  later  to  Wheeling,  W.  Va., 
.where  the  father  was  engaged  in  keeping  a  store 
for  several  years. 

When  our  subject  was  three  years  of  age  the 
elder  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pratt  removed  to  Zanesville, 
Ohio,  where  the  former  purchased  a  farm  and 
turned  his  attention  to  its  cultivation  until  about 
1852,  when  he  disposed  of  this  property  and  with 
his  wife  returned  to  England  on  a  visit.  After 
coming  again  to  the  United  States  they  traveled 
back  to  Ohio  and  began  farming  on  a  small  tract 
of  land  near  Delaware.  Later  they  made  their  way 
to  Tazewell  County  and  became  property  owners; 
they  lived  in  Delavan  until  their  death,  the  father 
dying  a  year  after  his  removal  here,  and  the 
mother  survived  him  until  ?vbout  ten  years  ago. 


They  were  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  in  politics  Robert  Pratt,  Sr.,  was 
a  Whig. 

Our  subject  was  one  in  a  family  of  six  children 
comprised  in  the  parental  family,  who  grew  to  ma- 
ture years.  Jane,  Henry  and  Harvey  arc  now  de- 
ceased, and  the  remainder  of  the  family  are,  Mar- 
tha, Mne.  Richard  Sunderland;  Mary,  now  Mrs. 
Samuel  Sunderland,  and  tour  subject.  Robert  came 
west  in  1852,  when  attaining  his  majority,  and  be- 
gan working  by  the  month  in  this  county  on  farms. 
He  was  thus  employed  for  several  years,  when  he 
was  enabled  to  purchase  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
Delavan  Township,  on  which  he  moved  with  his 
bride,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1854.  She  bore 
the  name  of  Miss  Lovina,  daughter  of  Elias  and 
Polly  P.  Ogden,  and  by  her  union  with  Mr.  Pratt 
has  become  the  mother  of  eight  children,  viz.: 
Mary,  Eliza,  Austin,  Frank,  Irene,  Harry,  Robert, 
Jr.,  and  Edward. 

Mr.  Pratt  sold  his  land  in  Delavan  Township  in 
1871,  and  in  March  of  that  year,  came  to  his  pres- 
ent location,  purchasing  at  the  time  three  hundred 
and  thirty-six  and  one-half  acres  of  partly  im- 
proved land.  lie  has  been  more  than  ordinarily 
successful  in  his  vocation  of  a  farmer,  and  now 
owns  over  six  hundred  acres,  all  in  Ilittle  Town- 
ship, which  is  in  a  perfect  state  of  cultivation.  He 
has  a  beautiful  home,  and  the  dwelling  on  the  es- 
tate is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  township.  In  poli- 
tics he  votes  the  Republican  ticket,  and  is  always 
found  ready  to  aid  in  any  means  for  the  upbuild- 
ing of  the  community. 


feT" 


D.   TERRELL.     It  is  a  well  known   fact 
S      that  circumstances  in  life  make  or  mar  the 
' — -5  prospects  of  a  man  to  a  certain  extent,  but 
a  determined  spirit  will    bend   even  the  force   of 
circumstances  to  its  will.     The  career  of  Mr.  Ter- 
rell since  his  arrival  on  the  stage  of  human  action 
is  abundant  proof  of  this  trite  saying:  That  which 
is  better  than  silver  and   gold,  a  good  name,  adds 
luster  ill  adverse  circumstances,  and  the  sterling 


508 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


qualities    of    character  arc  strengthened    in    the 
combats  of  life. 

Our  subject  is  the  present  clerk  of  Mason 
County,  to  which  position  he  was  elected  in  the 
fall  of  1890  on  the  Democratic  ticket  for  a  term 
of  four  years.  He  was  born  in  Somerset  County, 
N.  J.,  in  1836,  and  is  the  son  of  Squire  Terrell, 
also  a  native  of  that  state,  where  he  liyed  and 
died.  His  mother  prior  to  her  marriage  was  Re- 
becca Kirkpatriek;  she  was  also  a  native  of  the 
above  place  and  of  Scotch  ancestry. 

E.  I).  Terrell,  of  this  sketch,  prosecuted  his 
studies  in  the  common  schools  near  his  home,  and 
when  reaching  his  majority  determined  to  try  his 
fortune  in  this  then  western  country.  In  1856  he 
came  to  Illinois  and  located  in  this  county,  where 
he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  and  was  actively  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  about  fifteen  years.  In 
1873  he  removed  to  Easton  and  opened  a  store, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  sale  of  general 
merchandise  for  about  twenty  years;  he  disposed 
of  it  in  1893. 

As  above  stated,  our  subject  was  elected  clerk  of 
the  county  in  1890,  which  position  he  is  still  ably 
filling.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  Havana  Lodge 
No.  88,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  belongs  to  Chapter  No.  86 
R.  A.  M.,  Damascus  Commandery  No.  42,  K.  T., 
and  Mohammed  Temple  No.  55,  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  Oasis  of  Peoria.  A 
reliable,  steady-going  citizen  and  an  able  official, 
he  is  looked  upon  with  due  respect  and  has 
many  friends  in  the  county. 


1CHAEL  HILD,  who  resides  on  section 
10,  Sand  Prairie  Township,  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty, is  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of 
that  section,  and  is  widely  known  through- 
out the  county.  He  well  deserves  representation 
in  this  volume,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we 
present  to  our  readers  this  record  of  his  life.  He 
was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  Septem- 
ber 10,  1848,  and  is  the  son  of  George  Ilild, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  that  country  in  October, 
1799. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  farmer  in  Ger- 


many and  was  married  in  1835  to  Miss  Anna 
Margaret  Schaffer,  when  they  commenced  house- 
keeping on  property  of  their  own  in  the  Father- 
land. In  the  spring  of  1852  they  decided  to  try 
their  fortune  in  the  New  World,  and  after  land- 
ing on  our  shores  stopped  for  a  time  in  Roches- 
ter, N.  Y.  Finally  they  came  to  Pekin,  where 
Mr.  Ilild  rented  land  and  was  engaged  in  farm 
pursuits  until  his  decease  in  1883.  His  good  wife 
survived  him  three  years  when  she,  too,  passed 
away. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Ilild  there  was  born 
a  family  of  six  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was 
the  youngest  but  one.  His  brothers  and  sisters 
were,  George,  Jr.,  whose  decease  occurred  in  Sand 
Prairie  Township  in  1890;  Philip,  who  makes  his 
home  in  the  above  place;  Elizabeth,  who  died 
when  in  her  thirty -seventh  year;  Adam,  who  is 
now  residing  in  Cass  County,  Neb.;  and  Lottie, 
'V.tto  departed  this  life  when  in  her  third  year. 
George,  .was., married  in  1869  to  Miss  Margaret 
Feyrblph,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  they  made 
their  home  in  Sand  Prairie  Township  until  his  de- 
cease. Mrs.  Ilild  is  now  living  in  Dillon  with  a 
sister.  Philip  married  Catherine  Feyrolph  and 
has  five  children.  Elizabeth  was  the  wife  of  Fer- 
dinand Hoffman,  and  died  in  1879.  Adam  mar- 
ried Catherine  Reg. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  little  over  two 
years  of  age  when  his  parents  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica, and  when  old  enough  he  worked  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm  until  ready  to  establish  a  home  of  his 
own.  He  was  married  April  28,  1871,  to  Miss 
Catherine  Heisel,  a  native  of  this  county,  wlu'le 
her  parents,  John  and  Margaret  (Swiu)  Heisel, 
were  born  in  Germany.  The  latter  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1850,  and  located  in  this  county,  where 
they  spent  the  rest  of  their  lives. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Michael  Ilild  have  been  born 
the  following  children:  John  William,  who  was 
born  December  19,  1874;  Louisa,  July  29,  1876; 
Leonard,  October  6,  1877;  Catherine,  December 
1,  1880;  Philip,  March  29,  1883;  Clara,  July  7, 
1886;  and  Henry,  September  13,  1890.  The  par- 
ents are  members  in  good  standing  of  the  Ger- 
man Lutheran  Church,  and  two  of  their  children 
have  been  confirmed.  In  politics  Mr.  Ilild  is.  a  . 


LIBRARY 

of  m 

UNIVERSITY  Of 


D.    B.    MEEKER. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


511 


Democrat,  and  has  served  for  three  terms  as  School 
Director.  He  has  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  the 
way  he  has  worked  himself  up  from  the  foot  of 
the  ladder,  but  is  not  in  the  least  boastful  of  the 
way  lie  has  conquered  "Dame  Fortune;"  on  the 
other  hand  is  rather  modest  and  unobtrusive. 


nity. 
state 


B.  MEEKER,  who  now  follows  farming 
in  Defavan  Township,  Tazewell  County, 
is  one  of  the  worthy  citizens  that  New 
Jersey  has  furnished  to  this  commu- 
He  was  born  in  Nevyark,  Essex  County,  that 
August  19,  1819.  The  progenitors  of  the 
Meeker  family  came  from  Wales  to  America  in  the 
early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century.  The  first 
of  whom  we  have  record  in  America  is  William 
Meeker,  who  removed  from  New  Haven,  Conn.,  to 
New  Jersey  and  located  in  Elizabethtown  before 
Vranford  and  Milford  Colony  settled  in"Ourtowne 
upon  the  Passaick." 

The  paternal  mansion  of  the  family  was  built 
by  Williain  Meeker  between  1665  and  1670,  and 
still  stands  on  the  main  road  of  Lyon  Farm,  being 
now  occupied  by  Williain  Grummon,  whose  mother, 
Phoebe  (Meeker)  Grummon,  was  the  lastof  thesur- 
vivors  of  the  direct  line  of  Meekers  to  occupy  it. 
She  died  in  the  fall  of  1890,  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
two.  From  the  time  the  house  was  built  down  to 
the  present  there  has  never  been  a  deed  made  to  it 
and  it  has  never  passed  out  of  the  possession  of 
the  family.  It  was  erected  before  any  one  was 
vested  with  power  to  grant  land  in  New  Jersey, 
and  it  has  been  handed  down  from  generation  to 
generation  by  will  or  gift. 

The  original  proprietor  left  it  to  his  son  Benja- 
min, who  had  three  sons,  Jonathan,  Isaac  and 
David.  The  second  inherited  the  property  and  had 
two  sons,  William  and  Jonah.  The  latter  occu- 
pied the  home  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
was  a  scout  and  dispatch  courier  for  the  Continen- 
tal army.  When  the  British  occupied  Elizabeth- 
town,  lie  was  compelled  at  times  to  entertain  par- 
lies of  English  ollicers  at  the  old  home  on  Lyon 
Farm,  and  on  one  occasion  of  this  kind  he  slipped 


out  of  the  house  for  the  purpose  of  getting  some 
neighbors  to  aid  him  in  the  capture  of  the  En- 
glish, but  during  his  absence  an  old  negress  told 
the  officers  of  Mr.  Meeker's  intention  and  they 
made  their  escape.  It  is  said  that  Timothy  Meeker, 
a  brother  of  Jonah,  went  into  battle  at  Springfield 
with  his  ten  sons  and  four  grandsons. 

Benjamin  Meeker,  son  of  Jonah,  and  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  a  soldier  of  the  War  of  1812. 
Emigrating  westward,  he  spent  his  last  days  in 
Tazewell  Count}',  dying  near  Delavan  in  1857. 
He  had  six  sons  and  a  daughter,  but  only  one 
brother  of  our  subject  reached  mature  years,  Moses 
R.,  who  died  in  Pckin,  111.,  about  1890.  The  sis- 
ter, Maria,  was  born  May  19,  1812,  and  was  married 
September  19,  1833,  to  Amzi  Ball,  who  was  born 
near  South  Orange,  N.  J.,  November  15,  1806. 
His  father,  Joseph  Ball,  was  the  fourth  in  descent 
from  the  Scottish  ancestors  who  founded  the  fam- 
ily in  America.  Amzi  Ball  is  now  deceased  but 
his  widow  is  living  with  her  son,  A.  W.  Ball,  of 
Delavan  Township,  and  her  eighty-two  years  rest 
lightly  upon  her. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  D.  B. 
Meeker,  who  at  the  early  age  of  eleven  years 
started  out  in  life  for  himself.  He  worked  as  a 
farm  hand  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  after  which 
he  followed  carpentering  until  1857.  In  that  year 
he  determined  to  seek  a  home  in  the  west,  hoping 
thereby  to  benefit  his  financial  condition,  and  came 
to  Tazewell  County,  111.  He  has  since  lived  upon 
his  farm  in  Delavan  Township. 

In  New  Jersey  Mr.  Meeker  married  Eliza, 
daughter  of  John  Baldwin,  a  native  of  New  Jer- 
sey and  an  uncle  of  W.  R.  Baldwin,  the  Delavan 
banker:  In  1857  he  came  to  Tazewell  County, 
made  judicious  investments  in  real  estate  and  ac- 
quired a  handsome  property,  which  he  left  to  his 
children.  His  death  occurred  in  May,  1887.  Mrs. 
Meeker  died  December  2,  1889.  In  the  family 
were  ten  children,  six  of  whom  are  yet  living: 
Eliza,  wife  of  Benjamin  Edes;  Charles,  who  fol- 
lows farming;  Catherine,  wife  of  Albert  Rhodes; 
Edward,  Harry  and  Frank.  All  of  the  children 
own  farms  upon  the  same  road  where  Mr.  Meeker 
resides.  Frank  married  Libby,  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel Sunderlin,  an  old  soldier,  and  they  have  one 


512 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


child,  Daniel  Sunderlin  Meeker,  born  in  June, 
1893.  Harry  married  a  daughter  of  John  Culbert- 
son,  editor  of  the  Daily  Advertiser. 

Mr.  Meeker  now  makes  his  home  with  his  son 
Frank.  Me  has  been  a  member  of  the  Odd  F'el- 
lows  fraternity  for  more  than  half  a  century,  and 
in  politics  is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 
His  life  has  been  well  spent,  his  career  has  been 
an  honor.ible  and  upright  one,  and  throughout  the 
count}-  he  is  held  in  high  regard. 


xp^ERHARD  I1USMANN.  This  gentleman  is 
(||  c — ;  numbered  among  the  practical  and  suceess- 
^^(J!  ful  businessmen  of  Natrona,  Allen's  Grove 
Township,  Allison  County.  Here  he  embarked  in 
the  mercantile  and  poultry  business  in  1891,  and 
although  lie  began  with  small  capital  he  has  met 
with  Haltering  success.  As  his  trade  increased  lie 
enlarged  his  stock,  until  lie  now  carries  a  full  as- 
sortment of  general  merchandise  valued  at  $5,000. 
His  business  house  is  25x70  feet  in  dimensions, 
with  a  shed  14x50  feet,  and  is  filled  with  a  varied 
assortment  of  goods,  such  as  are  usually  found  in 
a  first-class  general  store.  He  conducts  a  busi- 
ness mounting  to  about  $20,000  per  annum. 

Born  February  25,  1859.  our  subject  is  a  native 
of  Hanover,  Germany,  in  which  province  were 
born  his  parents,  D.  A.  and  Fokje  (Loop)  Husmann. 
There  were  twelve  children  in  the  family,  eleven 
of  whom  are  yet  living,  as  follows:  John  D.,  Ger- 
hard, Margaret,  Fredericka,  Maria,  Dietrich,  Henry, 
Jacob  A.,  Theresa,  Reinhard  and  Alide.  By  a 
former  marriage  there  was  one  child,  Taalke.  The 
parents  and  eight  children  are  still  residents  of 
Hanover,  Germany,  while  the  four  children  who 
came  to  the  United  States  are  residents  of  Illinois. 
April  6,  1887,  Mr.  Husmann  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Catherine  Hesse,  who  was  born  in 
Stedtdorf,  Hanover,  May  5,  1860.  She  is  one  of 
four  children,  Catherine,  Heinrich,  Maria  .and 
Dora,  born  to  the  union  of  Heinrich  and  Margaret 
(Yen  Ohlan)  Hesse,  both  of  whom  died  in  Germany. 
Mrs.  Husmann  came  alone  to  the  United  States  in 
1884  and  settled  in  Natrona,  where  she  has  since 


made  her  home.  The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hus- 
mann has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  four  children,  as 
follows:  Albert  Heinrich,  Margaret  Fokje,  Fred- 
erick John  and  Henry  Cornelius.  These  children 
will  be  given  good  educations  in  German  and 
English,  and  will  be  trained  in  the  religious  faith 
of  the  parents. 

In  "politics  a  stanch  Democrat,  Mr.  Husmann  has 
filled  the  office  of  Town  Clerk  and  was  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  in  Mason  City  for  two 
years.  He  also  served  on  the  Township  Commit- 
tee. Of  the  success  which  he  has  attained  he  is 
in  the  highest  degree  worthy.  Coming  to  the 
United  States  in  1883,  he  began  as  a  clerk  in  a 
business  house  in  Mason  City,  but  being  a  young 
man  of  enterprise  and  energy  it  was  nol  long  be- 
fore he  had  saved  a  sufficient  amount  to  permit 
him  to  embark  in  business  for  himself.  During  an 
honorable  career  as  a  sagacious  business  man  he 
has  attained  financial  prosperity  and  has  displayed 
in  a  good  degree  those  solid  traits  of  character 
that  are  needful  in  securing  success  in  an}'  calling. 
In  his  dealings  with  others,  whether  in  a  business 
or  social  way,  he  has  ever  shown  himself  to  be  a 
man  of  truth,  honor  and  the  utmost  probity.  He 
and  his  wife  are  numbered  among  the  best  people 
of  the  county  and  occupy  an  enviable  place  in  so- 
ciety, both  religious  and  social. 


ETER  SPECKMAN,  an  agriculturist  of  Ha- 
vana  Township,  Mason  County,  now  living 
on  section  23,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  this 
locality,  March  14,  1838,  and  is  therefore  an 
honored  pioneer.  His  father,  Frederick  Speckman, 
was  born  in  the  province  of  Oldenburg,  German}', 
January  6,  1810,  and  married  Anna  Maria  Ncteler, 
who  was  born  in  Hanover  May  4,  1808,  and  was 
a  daughter  of  John  Neteler,  who  on  the  14th  of 
February,  1837,  landed  at  New  Orleans,  and  on  the 
5th  of  April  became  a  resident  of  Mason  County. 
The  father  of  our  subject  located  here  in  1835, 
atter  several  years  spent  in  New  Orleans.  He  had 
to  split  rails  for  a  fence,  break  the  land  for  a  farm, 
and  built  his  house  of  logs.  There  were  only  six 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


513 


buildings  in  Havana  at  that  time.  Mr.  Speckman 
secured  eighty  acres  of  land,  but  afterwards  ac- 
cumulated three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  and  in 
course  of  time  he  replaced  his  cabin  home  by  a 
commodious  frame  residence.  His  death  occurred 
November  27,  1854,  and  his  wife  passed  away 
August  22,  1875.  They  had  three  sons  and  two 
daughters,  of  whom  Peter,  William  and  H.  F.  are 
now  living.  The  parents  were  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church,  and  Mr.  Speckman  affiliated 
with  the  Democratic  party.  His  wife  was  a  lady 
of  excellent  business  ability  and  after  the  death 
of  her  husband  ably  cared  for  her  family. 

The  only  school  privileges  which  Peter  Speck- 
man received  were  those  afforded  in  a  log  school- 
house  witli  slab  seats  and  puncheon  floor,  but  the 
mother,  who  was  well  educated,  used  to  teach  her 
children  in  the  evenings,  reading  aloud  to  them  in 
German.  The  sons  were  of  much  assistance  to  her 
in  the  farm  work,  and  all  remained  at  home  with 
the  mother  until  they  married.  Our  subject  was 
married  October  3, 1865,  the  lad}-  of  his  choice  being 
Eliza  Jane,  daughter  of  Garrett  Armeling,  a  native 
of  Hanover,  Germany,  who  came  to  America  in 
1845  and  located  in  Mason  County,  where  he  and 
his  wife  spent  their  last  days. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Speckman  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  the  farm  which  has  since  been  their  home. 
They  now  have  a  fine  place,  upon  which  is  a  pleas- 
ant residence,  which  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $3,000. 
The  farm  comprises  five  hundred  and  fifty-five 
acres  of  valuable  land,  of  which  three  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  are  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
yield  to  the  owner  a  golden  tribute  in  return  for 
the  care  and  cultivation  he  bestows  upon  them. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Speckman  were  born  nine 
children,  but  four  died  in  infancy,  and  Anna 
Maria,  who  was  born  October  2,  1867,  died  April 
23,  1889,  just  before  her  graduation  from  the 
Havana  High  School.  She  was  considered  one  of 
the  best  scholars  in  her  class.  Those  living  are 
Amelia,  wife  of  William  Ilahn,  of  Havana  Town- 
ship; Frederick  W.;  Eda  and  Alia. 

During  his  entire  residence  here,  Mr.  Speckman 
has  served  as  School  Director,  and  has  done  effec- 
tive service  in  the  interest  of  education.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican,  but  is  not  strongly  partisan. 


He  is  now  serving  as  Road  Commissioner,  to  which 
office  lie  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  one  hundred 
and  seventy.  He  is  a  broad  and  liberal-minded 
man,  possessed  of  progressive  ideas,  and  his  well 
spent  life  ha,s  won  him  universal  confidence  and 
esteem. 


OHN  H.  MATHERS.  The  record  of  the  life 
of  this  gentleman  affords  a  striking  illustra- 
1  tion  of  the  results  of  force  and  decision  of 
purpose,  as  well  as  of  the  power  which  an 
honorable  and  energetic  character  exercises  upon 
the  lives  of  others.  Possessing  versatile  talents, 
he  has  been  successful  in  every  enterprise  with 
which  his  name  has  been  connected.  For  many 
years  he  carried  on  a  large  and  valuable  farm,  but 
retiring  from  agricultural  pursuits  in  1893,  he  ac- 
cepted the  responsible  position  of  President  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Mason  City,  which  he  still 
holds. 

Referring  to  the  ancestry  of  our  subject,  we  find 
that  his  grandfather,  John  Mathers,  was  born  in 
Ireland,  and  emigrating  from  the  Emerald  Isle  to 
America  became  a  pioneer  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  he  followed  his  trade  of  a  blacksmith.  Near 
the  city  of  Cincinnati,  David,  our  subject's  father, 
was  born  and  reared.  There  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing throughout  his  entire  active  life,  meeting  with 
fair  success  in  his  chosen  occupation.  While  not 
a  politician  in  the  usual  sense  of  the  word,  he  was 
loyal  to  the  Democratic  party  and  always  ready 
and  able  to  give  a  reason  for  his  preference  to  that 
organization. 

The  marriage  of  David  Mathers  united  him  with 
Margaret  Williams,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  ac- 
companied her  parents  to  Ohio  in  girlhood.  Her 
father,  Miles  Williams,  who  was  born  in  New 
Jersey,  was  a  man  of  patriotic  impulses  and  served 
with  valor  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  being  a 
soldier  under  General  Washington.  In  political 
opinion  he  was  a  Jeffersonian  Democrat  and  was  a 
man  of  prominence  in  his  community.  David 
Mathers  died  in  Ohio  in  1848,  in  the  prime  of  his 
useful  and  honorable  life.  His  widow  survived 
his  demise  for  many  years,  and  coming  to  Illinois, 


514 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


resided  in  Mason  County  until  her  death  in  1875. 
In  Miami  County,  Ohio,  John  II.  Mathers  was 
born  April  23,  1827.  In  his  youth  lie  was  the  re- 
cipientof  ordinary  educational  advantages,  though 
his  time  was  employed  principally  in  aiding  in  the 
farm  work.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  com- 
menced to  learn  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith,  hut 
followed  that  occupation  one  year  only,  and  was 
afterward  engaged  at  different  kinds  of  work.  Be- 
lieving that  the  great  and  growing  west  offered  an 
opportunity  for  gaining  independence  which  the 
east  did  not  present,  he  came  to  Illinois  in  1851, 
and  in  March,  1853,  settled  in  Mason  County. 
Here  he  purchased  land  upon  which  he  engaged 
in  the  raising  of  stock  and  grain  for  many  years. 
His  property  interests  are  still  extensive  and  valu- 
able, including  considerable  farming  land  as  well  ns 
city  real  estate. 

In  December,  1852,  Mr.  Mathers  married  Miss 
Eli/.abeth  Caven,  a  native  of  Ohio.  This  lady  died 
in  1865,  after  having  become  the  mother  of  seven 
children.  Five  of  the  number  are  now  living:  Eu'-; 
gene,  Artensa,  .John,  Lucy  and  George.  The  pres- 
ent wife  of  Mr.  Mathers,  witli  whom  he  was  united 
in  1866,  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Martha  J.  Say- 
ers  and  was  born  in  Ohio.  The  family  of  which 
she  is  a  member  1ms  long  resided  in  America,  and 
during  the  War  of  the  Revolution  her  grand  father, 
Thomas  Sayers,  was  one  of  the  gallant  soldiers  who 
fought  untiringly  and  amidst  the  most  trying  and 
perilous  surrounding  for  the  freedom  of  the  Colo- 
nies. The  father  of  Mrs.  Mathers  was  Samuel 
Sayers,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  there  passed 
away  May  29,  1877.  Her  mother,  Jane  (Sims) 
Sayers,  was  born  in  the  Old  Dominion  and  died  in 
Miami  County,  Ohio,  in  1866.  By  his  present 
wife  Mr.  Mathers  has  one  child,  Eflie  A.,  now  the 
wife  of  Paul  Enlow,  of  Mason  City. 

As  a  citizen  Mr.  Mathers  deserves  the  high  es- 
teem in  which  he  is  held.  With  sound  under- 
standing developed  by  intelligent  reading  and 
careful  observation,  a  stable  character  and  indus- 
trious habits,  he  is  an  influence  for  good  in  Mason 
City,  with  whose  financial  and  business  interests  he 
is  closely  connected.  He  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  A  citizen  of 
progressive  and  public  spirit,  he  has  always  evinced 


a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  Mason  City  and 
County  and  has  been  connected,  either  directly  or 
indirectly,  with  the  foremost  enterprises  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  material  welfare  of  the  commu- 
nity. 


ORACE  M.  YOUNG.  In  enumerating  the 
successful  agriculturists  of  Tazewell 
County,  mention  should  be  made  of  Mr. 
Young,  who  owns  and  operates  a  valuable 
farm  on  section  20,  Malone  Township.  He  is  a 
native  of  Ohio  and  was  born  in  Medina  County, 
May  3,  1834.  His  parents  were  Ulysses  and  Mary 
(Swan)  Young,  the  forme'1  born  in  Ilaverhill,  N. 
H.,  March  27,  1796,  and  the  latter  in  Berlin,  Vt., 
March  16,  1797.  The  mother  was  a  daughter  of 
Joshua  and  Martha  (Collins)  Swan,  who  were 
married  March  10,  1788;  Mr.  Swan  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1767,  and  died  at  Sharon,  Vt.,  June  15, 
1847,  while  his  wife  was  born  in  1766  and  died  in 
September,  1859.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children. 

Accompanied  by  his  family  Ulysses  Young  mi- 
grated to  Ohio  in  1831,  eleven  years  after  his  mar- 
riage, and  settled  in  Miami  County,  where  he  pur- 
chased land.  After  erecting  a  house  for  his  family 
he  commenced  the  arduous  task  of  improving  the 
farm  upon  which  he  continued  to  make  his  home 
until  liis  death  August  30,  1864,  in  the  town  of 
Granger.  His  wife  died  there  October  26,  1858. 
They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children.  Dor- 
man  L.  was  born  June  15,  1822,  and  died  July  16, 
1852,  while  en  route  to  California.  Helen  M.  was 
born  November  1,  1823.  Eliza  Swan,  who  was 
born  April  18,  1825,  was  accidentally  killed,  May 
13, 1844,  by  an  old  oak  tree  falling  on  her.  Otis 
S.  was  born  January  7,  1827.  Adam  V.  was  born 
May  31,  1829.  Andrew  J.,  whose  birth  occurred 
February  25,  1830,  died  September  15,  1879,  in 
Kansas.  Sally  A.  was  born  March  4,  1832;  Horace 
M.,  May  3,  1834;  Laura  J.  and  Maria  F.,  May  15, 
1836;  Hiram  N.,  June  16,1838;  and  Homer  N., 
July  18,  1841. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Benja- 
min Young,  was  born  February  28,  1771;  and  was 


LIBRARY 
OMHt 
UNIVERSITY  OF 


R.  N.  BARGER,    M.   D. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


517 


drowned  at  Haverhill,  N.  H.,  July  23,  1811.  His 
wife,  Chloe  Swan,  whom  he  married  in  1794,  was 
born  January  12,  1 785, and  died  at  Haverhill,  Sep- 
tember 16,  1848.  Grandfather  Young  was  a  far- 
mer and  spent  his  life  in  that  occupation.  For 
some  time  the  father  of  our  subject  resided  in 
Canada,  making  his  home  near  Montreal.  He  was 
a  private  in  the  War  of  1812  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  conflict.  After  removing  to  Ohio,  he 
cultivated  a  large  farm  and  was  one  of  the  leading 
agriculturists  of  Miami  County. 

After  securing  a  common  school  education,  our 
subject  devoted  his  attention  to  farm  work.  At 
Pekin,  111.,  July  4,  1862,  he  married  Fannie  G. 
Coriell,  and  they  have  had  two  children,  Myron 
L.,  born  March  16,  1867,  and  Lucy  G.,  born  Janu- 
ary 29,  1879,  who  died  in  infancy.  Myron  L. 
married  Linnie  Griffin,  January  1,  1889,  and  they 
had  two  children,  Byron  Leslie,  born  January 
2,  1889,  and  Howard  A.,  born  September  1,  1891; 
he  lived  at  his  father's  home  until  he  died,  Janu- 
ary 20,  1893, and  his  widow  and  children  still  re- 
main here. 

Removing  to  Medina  County,  Ohio,  after  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Young  spent  one  year  there  and  then 
-came  to  Mason  County,  111.,  where  he  operated  as 
a  renter  for  four  years.  He  then  purchased  the 
farm  on  section  20,  Malone  Township,  where  he 
now  lives.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  has 
held  many  of  the  township  offices,  in  all  of  which 
he  has  rendered  efficient  service.  The  parents  of 
Mrs.  Young,  John  and  Elizabeth  (Bush)  Coriell, 
were  natives  of  New  Jersey,  born  in  Somerset 
County.  lie  followed  the  trade  of  a  hatter  in 
Plainfield  until  1855,  when  lie  came  to  Illinois  and 
settled  upon  a  farm  in  Tazewell  County.  There 
he  died  in  1863.  His  widow  continued  to  reside 
there  until  1883,  when  she  moved  to  Green  Val- 
ley and  two  years  later,  went  to  Normal,  111., 
where  sl'ie  now  lives. 

Mrs.  Young  is  the  eldest  of  nine  children  and 
was  born  in  Somerset  County,  N.  J.,  June  23, 1843. 
Of  her  brothers  and  sisters  we  note  the  following: 
Richard,  who  was  born  October  8,  1845,  is  a  far- 
mer of  Sand  Prairie  Township;  he  married  Kmma 
McGee,  and  they  had  five  children.  Archibald, 
who  was  born  August  10,  1847,  is  a  farmer  living 


in  Green  Valley;  he  and  his  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Hettie  Briggs,  have  three  children. 
George  was  born  August  20,  1849,  and  is  now  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Sand  Prairie  Township;  he 
married  Julia  Briggs,  and  they  have  one  son, 
Walter.  Isaiah,  whose  birth  occurred  August  2, 
1851,  is  a  farmer  of  Malone  Township;  he  chose 
as  his  wife  Rilla  Worstall,  and  they  have  two  sons 
and  two  daughters.  Anna  was  born  September  14, 
1855,  and  married  Charles  Nichols,  a  farmer  of 
Malone  Township,  their  union  resulting  in  the 
birth  of  three  children.  Harry  was  born  January 
12,  1857,  and  died  January  20,  1858.  William, 
born  January  11.  1859,  and  now  a  resident  of 
Pekin,  is  a  school  teacher  by  profession;  he  mar- 
ried Emma  Magness  and  they  have  one  son.  Ada, 
who  was  born  December  25,  1861,  lives  with  her 
mother  and  teaches  school. 


OBERT  N.  BARGER,  M.  D.,who  is  numbered 
among  the  leading  residents  of  Hopedale, 
was  born  in  Pulaski,  Hancock  County,  this 
state,  March  19,  1845,  and  is  the  son  of 
the  Rev.  John  S.  Barger,  a  native  of  Virginia 
and  a  pioneer  minister  of  the  Methodist  faith 
in  this  state.  He  was  engaged  in  preaching  the 
Gospel  here  for  more  than  a  half-centur3',  and 
during  thirty  years  of  this  time  was  Presiding 
Elder.  lie  departed  this  life  in  1876,  when  in  his 
seven ty-fifth  year. 

James  H.  Barger,  the  eldest  brother  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  the  first  graduate  of  the  Wesleyan  Uni- 
versity at  Bloomington,  where  he  fitted  himself  to 
become  a  minister.  For  some  time  he  was  Presid- 
ing Elder  of  the  Quincy  district.  His  death  re- 
sulted from  the  accidental  discharge  of  a  gun. 
Another  member  of  the  family,  John  Barger,  is  a 
dentist.in  Sedalia,  Mo.;  William  M.  is  engaged  in 
the  real-estate  business  in  Iowa,  and  Richard  W.  is 
attorney  for  a  prominent  insurance  company  in 
Chicago. 

Our  subject  received  his  literary  education  at 
Illinois  College  in  Jacksonville,  and  after  prepar- 
ing himself  to  take  a  course  of  medical  lectures  he 
became  a  student  at  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chi- 
cago, from  which  institution  he  was  graduated 


518 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


with  the  Class  of  '68.  He  immediately  commenced 
the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Minier,  Tazewell 
County,  and  in  1871  came  to  Hopedale,  where  his 
professional  lalwrs  and  good  judgment  have  been 
rewarded  by  the  acquisition  of  a  good  property. 

The  Doctor  has  of  late  years  devoted  considera- 
ble attention  to  numerous  inventions  and  has  de- 
veloped quite  a  genius  in  this  line.  Some  time 
ago,  while  confined  to  his  home  by  sickness,  he 
studied  out  an  invention  which  is  likely  in  the 
near  future  to  bring  him  fame,  if  not  fortune.  It 
is  a  combination  folding  bed,  billiard  table  and 
sofa,  which  remarkable  piece  of  ingenuity  it  is 
expected  will  come  into  general  use  as  soon  as 
placed  upon  the  market.  Several  have  already  been 
sold  in  Chicago,  and  the  Doctor  is  now  preparing 
to  manufacture  his  invention  at  his  factory  in 
Ilopedale,  together  with  other  articles  which  he 
lias  patented.  Among  the  latter  may  be  men- 
tioned the  combination  billiard  cue  and  chalk 
holder,  also  an  article  of  furniture  for  a  doctor's 
office,  a  combined  operating  table,  settee,  etc. 

In  1870  Dr.  Barger  married  Miss  Martha  S.  Poe, 
who  departed  this  life  February  22,  1891.  His 
present  wife,  whom  he  married  June  1,  1893,  was 
Miss  Allie  .1.  Petty.  The  Doctor  served  for  three 
years  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War,  enlisting  as  a 
private  in  Company  I, Seventy-third  Illinois  Infan- 
try, and  being  on  duty  the  greater  part  of  the  time 
as  Hospital  Steward.  He  is  now  prominently  con- 
nected with  the  Grand  Army  post,  and  in  social 
affairs  is  an  influential  Mason.  In  his  political 
preference  he  is  a  Democrat,  ever  loyal  to  party 
principles.  His  professional  life  has  been  a  busy 
one,  and  as  one  of  the  public-spirited  men  of  the 
place  he  is  active  in  the  support  of  all  enterprises 
tending  toward  the  improvement  and  develop- 
ment of  the  county. 


)!nPREDERICK  STARX'  proprietor  of  the  City 
Irw  Ro^er  M'"s  of  Delavan,  was  born  in  Win- 
Til  terberg,  Germany,  May  23,  1838.  He  is 
the  son  of  George  Starz,  the  occupant  and  opera- 
tor of  a  small  farm  in  the  Old  County,  who  emi- 


grated to  the  United  States  in  1859  and  died  in 
Illinois  three  years  later.  The  mother,  who  was 
born  in  1816,  still  survives.  Frederick  remained 
in  the  land  of  his  birth  until  1856,  when  he  crossed 
the  Atlantic,  seeking  a  home  and  fortune  in  the 
New  World.  In  boyhood  he  had  developed  a  taste 
for  mechanical  work,  for  which  he  has  considera- 
ble native  ability. 

At  the  time  of  coming  to  the  United  States  Mr. 
Starz  had  no  means.  He  made  his  way  as  far 
west  as  Cleveland,  where  he  secured  employment 
in  a  wood-turning  furniture  shop,  remaining  thus 
engaged  for  three  years.  He  then  came  to  Mason 
County,  III.,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  for 
three  years.  When  corn  became  so  low  in  price 
that  it  was  sold  for  fourteen  cents  per  bushel,  he 
made  up  his  mind  that  agriculture  was  not  his 
forte  and  abandoned  the  occupation.  Going  to 
Pekin,  he  secured  a  position  in  the  car  shops, 
where  for  three  years  he  had  charge  of  the  wood- 
working machine.  Later,  he  had  full  charge  of 
all  the  machinery  in  the  T.  &  H.  .Smith  Co.'s  Shops. 

In  1868,  Mr.  Starz  came  to  Delavan,  and  in 
company  with  A.  Stubbs  and  Fred  Lehman,  under 
the  firm  title  of  Starz,  Stubbs  &  Lehman,  built  the 
mill  that  he  has  continued  to  operate  ever  since. 
He  has  kept  pace  with  all  the  improvements  in 
the  milling  business  and  now  has  a  full  roller  pro- 
cess mill,  with  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  barrels 
per  day.  The  flour  manufactured  is  of  a  superior 
quality  and  is  shipped  principally  to  England,  Ire- 
land and  Scotland,  although  large  quantities  are 
sold  in  this  country.  The  mill  is  conceded  to  be 
one  of  the  best  in  this  section  of  the  state  and  its 
enviable  reputation  is  the  result  of  the  exertions 
of  Mr.  Starz. 

The  lady  who  in  the  fall  of  1859  became  the  wife 
of  Mr.  Starz  was  formerly  Miss  Magdalena  Lux, 
and  was  born  in  New  ^ork  State.  Their  oldest 
son,  Frank  B.,  who  is  interested  in  the  nlill,  mar- 
ried Miss  Alice,  daughter  of  A.  Stubbs,  his  father's 
former  partner  and  now  the  proprietor  of  the 
Young  America  Mills  of  Delavan.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frank  Starz  have  two  children,  Leila  and  Bessie. 
He  is  one  of  the  leading  young  business  men  of 
this  city,  is  at  present  serving  as  a  member  of  the 
City  Council  and  belongs  to  the  Knight  Templar 


PORTRAIT    AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


519 


Masons.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Presbyterian. 
W.  Frederick,  the  second  son  of  our  subject, 
married  Miss  Lulu  Briggs,  and  they  reside  at  Mt. 
Pulaski,  where  he  is  in  the  milling  business. 
Emma,  the  oldest  daughter,  married  Fred  Grau,  a 
tailor  of  Howling  Green,  Mo.  George  A.  chose  as 
his  wife  Miss  Laura,  daughter  of  Hon.  Richard 
Holmes.  Fannie  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Ruplc,  a 
miller  living  in  Mt.  Pulaski.  Charles  is  a  clerk 
in  a  drug  store  at  Delavan.  The  youngest  mem- 
ber of  the  family  circle  is  Etura,  a  student  in  the 
public  schools.  The  father  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  in  which  he  is  serving  as  Trus- 
tee. Socially  he  is  identified  with  the  Knights  of 
Honor  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


|  ACOB  PRETTYMAN,  proprietor  of  a  large 
grocery  house  in  Havana,  has  met  with 
success  in  worldly  affairs  and  ranks  high 
in  commercial  circles.  Being  an  old  set- 
tler in  this  county  he  is  well  known, and  that  he  is 
highly  respected  it  needs  but  a  mention  of  his 
name  to  prove.  Fortune  having  smiled  upon  his 
efforts,  he  is  numbered  among  the  well-to-do  citi- 
zens of  the  place,  has  a  good  business  and  owns  a 
substantial  residence,  where  he  and  his  family 
enjoy  all  the  comforts  that  heart  can  desiie. 

Isaac  and  Mary  (Jones)  Prettyman,  the  parents 
of  our  subject,  were  born  respectively  in  Dela- 
ware and  Philadelphia,  Pa.  The  son,  Jacob,  had 
his  birth  March  23,  1824,  in  Salem,  N.  J.,  and  was 
the  son  of  Isaac  Prett3'man,  a  native  of  Delaware, 
who  in  turn  was  a  son  of  Perry  Prettyman,  who 
fought  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War  and 
also  was  a  patriot  in  the  War  of  1812,  in  which 
conflict  he  served  under  General  Green.  The 
ancestors  of  our  subject,  on  his  father's  side,  were 
French  Huguenots,  who  went  to  Wales,  whence 
two  brothers,  Isaac  and  Nehemiah,  came  to  Amer- 
ica and  located  in  Delaware.  The  father  of  our 
subject  departed  this  life  in  that  state  in  1838. 
He  was  a  sea-faring  man  and  served  in  the  United 
States  navy  as  a  sailor  on  the  "Constitution,"  the 
"Brandy  wine"  and  the  "John  Adams."  He  was 


noted  among  his  crew  for  his  daring  and  bravery, 
and  in  politics  was  a  pronounced  Democrat. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  the  daughter  of 
John  Jones,  who  was  a  ship  carpenter  in  Philadel- 
phia, in  which  city  her  birth  occurred  near  the  old 
Swedish  Church.  The  Joneses  in  America  original- 
ly came  from  Wales,  the  first  -representative  of  the 
family  locating  in  the  Quaker  City  many  years 
ago.  Jacob  Prettyman,  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in 
Greenwich,  Salem  County,  N.  J.,  March  23,  1824. 
There  he  spent  his  boyhood  days  receiving  a  com- 
mon school  education,  and  when  fifteen  years  of 
age  learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker,  for  which 
knowledge  he  served  an  apprenticeship  of  six 
year*.  He  worked  as  journej'inan  shoemaker  in 
Philadelphia  for  about  nine  years. 

In  1855-56-57,  Mr.  Prettyman  was  successively 
elected  Assessor  of  the  South  Ward  in  the  city  of 
Camden,  N.  J.,  which  position  he  resigned  in  the 
fall  of  the  last  named  year  in  order  to  cotne  west, 
at  which  time  he  located  in  Mason  County,  near 
Havana,  where  he  was  engaged  in  general  farming 
for  about  six  y ears.  In  March,  1864,  he  moved 
into  the  city,  where  he  was  employed  working  at 
his  trade,  and  in  April  of  that  year  was  elected  to 
the  position  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  of  which  otlice 
he  was  the  incumbent  for  twenty-one  years.  Dur- 
ing that  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  boots  and  shoes,  giving  employment  to  six 
or  seven  men. 

In  July,  1884,  our  subject  embarked  in  the  gro- 
cery business,  which  he  is  conducting  successfully 
at  the  present  time,  carrying  on  an  extensive  trade, 
and  has  one  of  the  best  stocked  houses  in  that  line 
in  the  city. 

October  27,  1844,  Mr.  Prettyman  and  Miss 
Hannah  A.,  daughter  of  Jesse  P.  Mullen,  were 
united  in  marriage.  The  lady  was  born  in  New 
Jersey  on  April  22,  1825,  and  departed  this  life  in 
1881.  Her  grandfather  (Bigger)  fought  under 
General  Washington  during  the  Revolutionary 
War  and  was  of  Irish  ancestry.  The  children  who 
have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife  are: 
Jacob  H.,  located  at  Lincoln,  this  state,  was  a  sol- 
dier during  the  late  war,  serving  in  Company  K, 
Eighty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  which  formed  a  part 
of  Sherman's  army;  George  W.,  the  second  son,  is 


520 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


engaged  in  shoemaking  jn  tliis  city;  William  M.  is 
holding  tlie  responsible  position  of  Police  Magis- 
trate of  Havana;  Isaac  Perry  is  acting  as  clerk  in 
his  father's  store;  Elwood  N.  is  located  at  Red- 
land,  Cal.;  Sylvester  is  living  in  Chicago;  Charles 
F.  is  also  aiding  his  father  in  conducting  the  gro- 
cerj1;  Edward  and  Henry  are  deceased;  Ida  Vir- 
ginia is  the  wife  of  Charles  W.  Gossett,  of  Lone 
View,  Tex.,  and  Leona,  Mrs.  Robert  Harwood, 
is  also  living  in  Dallas,  that  state. 

The  lady  to  whom  Mr.  Prettyman  was  married 
in  1882  was  Mrs.  Ellen  Phalen,  daughter  of  John 
Jones,  a  native  of  Utica,  N.  Y.  By  that  union 
there  has  been  born  one  daughter,  Nellie-,  who  is 
now  nine  years  of  age.  Our  subject  is  a  stalwart 
among  the  Republicans  of  his  section,  and  socially 
is  a  member  of  Havana  Lodge  No.  88,  F.  &  A.  M. 
and  Mason  Lodge  No.  143,  I.  O.  O.  F. 


m 


1  AMES  DEAN,  a  retired  farmer  now  living 
in  Tremont,  was  born  in  Tremont  Town- 
ship, October  21,  1846,  and  is  a  representa- 
tive of  one  of  the  early  families  of  this 
community.  His  parents  were  Joseph  and  Mary 
(Brittnell)  Dean.  His  father  was  born  in  Alfred- 
shire,  England,  November  15,  1809,  and  with  his 
wife  and  three  children  crossed  the  Atlantic  in 
June,  1844.  Coming  to  Illinois,  he  purchased  a 
farm  in  Tremont  Township,  Tazewell  County, 
upon  which  he  spent  his  remaining  days.  He  first 
bought  only  eighty  acres,  but  to  this  he  added 
from  time  to  time  until  four  hundred  acres  of  val- 
uable land  paid  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  return 
for  the  care  and  cultivation  he  bestowed  upon  it. 
He  was  recognized  as  a  successful  farmer  and  en- 
terprising man.  In  early  life  he  was  a  supporter 
of  the  Whig  party,  but  in  later  years  became  an 
earnest  adherent  of  the  Republican  party.  He 
passed  away  January  15,  1887,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-seven, and  his  wife  was  called  to  her  final  rest 
April  15,  189.3,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  six  of 
whom  are  yet  living:  James;  William, of  Tremont 
Township;  Emma,  wife  of  G.  S.  Higgins,  of  Iro- 


quois  County,  III.;  Anna,  wife  of  W.  D.  S  perry,  of 
Allentown  Station;  Kate;  and  Susan,  wife  of  J. 
N.  Shanholtzer,  of  Manito,  Mason  County,  111. 

In  his  boyhood  James  Dean  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Tremont,  and  completed  the  course  in 
the  high  school.  Thus  well  educated  he  started 
out  in  life  for  himself  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years.  He  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  and 
began  the  operation  of  the  old  homestead,  one 
mile  from  the  village.  From  that  time  he  success- 
fully and  continuously  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  until  1892,  when  he  came  to  Tremont,  and 
here  lie  has  since  lived.  He  now  rents  his  farms, 
which  comprise  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  rich  land  in  Tremont  Township,  and  he  derives 
a  fine  income  therefrom.  In  August,  1893,  he  en- 
tered into  partnership  with  H.  G.  Woost,  as  deal- 
ers in  furniture,  paints  and  wall  paper.  Recently 
they  have  removed  to  a  new  building  which  was 
erected  especially  for  them,  and  which  is  one  of 
the  finest  business  blocks  in  the  town. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Dean  has  always  been  a  stalwart 
Republican,  warmly  advocating  the  principles  of 
the  party.  In  1889  he  was  elected  Supervisor  of 
Tremont  Township,  and  served  in  that  position 
for  two  years.  He  won  his  election  by  overcom- 
ing a  Democratic  majority  of  fifty,  and  carrying 
the  township  by  a  vote  of  fifty-three,  which  fact 
indicates  his  personal  popularity  and  the  high  re- 
gard in  which  he  is  held.  He  has  been  for  four 
years,  and  is  now,  School  Director  of  Tremont, 
and  during  this  time  the  new  school  building  was 
erected.  He  is  ever  alive  to  the  best  interests  of 
the  community,  and  does  all  in  his  power  for  the 
promotion  of  the  general  welfare.  The  cause  of 
temperance  finds  in  him  a  warm  advocate.  So- 
cially lie  is  connected  with  Tremont  Lodge  No. 
320,  I.  O.  O.  F.,and  also  belongs  to  Pleasant  Grove 
Camp,  M.  W.  A. 


M.  HART,  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of 
I  Minier,  is  engaged  in  business  as  a  dealer 
in  furniture,  hardware,  groceries,  boots  and 
slices.  His  stock  occupies  three  storerooms 
and  he  is  enjoying  a  large  and  constantly  increas- 
ing trade.  lie  well  deserves  a  liberal  patronage  as 


HARDWARE      FURNI  PURE 

mm 

m 


BUSINESS  PROPERTY  OF  J.  M.   HART  &  SON,  MINIER,  TAZEWELL  CO.,  ILL. 


RESIDENCE  OF  JAMES  DEAN,  SEC.  20,  TREMONT  TP.,  TAZEWELL  CO.,  ILL. 


RESIDENCE  OF  THOMAS  HILL,  SEC.  27,  MANITO  TP.,  MASON  CO.,  ILL. 


LIBRARY 

Of  IHt 

UNIVERSin  Of  IUJMNS 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


523 


the  reward  of  his  fair  and  honest  dealings,  cour- 
teous treatment  and  earnest  desire  to  please  his 
customers. 

The  life  record  of  Mr.  Hart  is  as  follows:  He 
was  born  in  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  September 
27,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  John  M.  and  Regina 
(Cunningham)  Hart,  who  were  natives  of  Somer- 
set County,  Pa.  The  father  was  a  shoemaker  by 
trade.  In  1835  he  emigrated  to  Ashland  County, 
Ohio,  where  he  bought  land  and  followed  farm- 
ing and  shoemaking.  About  1846  he  removed  to 
Wyandot  County,  Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  same  business  until  1855.  Until  1864  he  lived 
in  Defiance  County,  Ohio,  after  which  he  spent 
six  months  in  Indiana,  and  in  the  spring  of  1865 
went  to  McLean  County.  111. 

Purchasing  land  in  Lexington  Township,  John 
M.  Hart  there  engaged  in  farming  until  1875,  when 
he  came  to  Minier  and  embarked  in  the  grocery 
business.  He  is  now  living  a  retired  life.  In  his 
dealings  he  was  quite  successful  and  accumulated 
a  comfortable  competence.  He  holds  membership 
with  the  Christian  Church.  His  wife  was  called 
to  the  home  beyond  February  6,  1884.  In  their 
family  were  ten  children,  live  of  whom  reached 
mature  years,  while  four  are  yet  living.  Solomon 
followed  farming  in  McLean  County,  and  there 
passed  away;  Samuel  is  an  agriculturist  of  Hicks- 
ville,  Ohio;  David  follows  the  same  pursuit  in 
Phelps  County,  Neb.;  and  Abraham,  late  of  Nor- 
mal, 111.,  died  May  11,  1894. 

Under  the  parental  roof  J.  M.  Hart  was  reared 
to  manhood.  In  1862  he  entered  his  country's 
service  as  a  member  of  Company  II,  Eighty-eighth 
Indiana  Infantry,  and  on  his  return  from  the  war 
engaged  in  teaching  school.  Later  he  followed 
farming  in  McLean  County.  On  the  14th  of 
October,  1867,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  John  Walker,  a  farmer 
and  early  settler  of  McLean  County.  Four  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  them:  Jessie,  her  twin 
brother,  John,  who  has  charge  of  the  grocery  de- 
partment of  his  father's  store;  and  Joseph  V.,  who 
was  graduated  from  the  high  school  of  Minier  in 
1894. 

Mr.  Hart  followed  farming  in  McLean  County 
until  the  spring  of  1872,  when  he  came  to  this 


place  and  for  a  year  engaged  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness. Later  he  dealt  in  hardware  and  furniture 
in  connection  with  Henry  Lower,  and  on  selling 
out  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  purchased  a  new 
stock  of  groceries,  carrying  on  business  along  that 
line  for  several  years.  His  next  venture  was  as 
a  lumber  dealer,  and  while  thus  engaged  he  also 
dealt  in  grain.  After  selling  out  his  lumber  yard, 
he  carried  on  business  as  a  grain  dealer  and  dealer 
in  hardware,  furniture  and  farm  implements  for 
a  time,  when  he  disposed  of  his  store  and  l;e- 
came  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Minier  State 
Bank,  of  which  he  was  Cashier  for  fifteen  months. 
Since  that  time  he  has  carried  on  a  general  store. 
He  occupies  two  large  storerooms,  one  70x48 
feet,  and  the  other  35x48  feet,  and  carries  the 
largest  stock  of  goods  of  any  store  in  the  place. 
He  and  his  son  John  are  conducting  a  grocery 
and  boot  and  shoe  business  in  the  same  block 
where  he  carries  on  his  other  establishment.  They 
have  a  large  and  profitable  trade,  and  their  store- 
room, 24x46  feet  in  dimensions,  is  well  stocked 
with  a  complete  assortment  of  groceries,  staple 
and  fancy,  together  with  boots  and  shoes. 

.Socially,  Mr.  Mart  is  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  and  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  and  in  politics  he  has  always 
been  a  Republican.  He  served  as  a  member  of 
the  Town  Board,  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Education  for  ten  years,  and  has  been  Notary 
Public  for  six  years.  He  has  frequently  been  a 
delegate  to  the  county  conventions  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Republican  Central  Committee.  In  re- 
ligious belief  he  is  an  active  member  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  in  which  he  now  serves  as  Secretary 
and  Treasurer.  At  all  times  he  has  been  identified 
with  those  interests  calculated  to  promote  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  town.  He  was 
instrumental  in  securing  the  water  works  in  Minier, 
and  has  been  a  prime  mover  in  other  leading  en- 
terprises which  have  done  much  for  the  upbuild- 
ing and  progress  of  this  region. 


>IIOMAS    HILL.     Twenty-six  years  ago  the 
subject  of   this  sketch  settled  upon  a  tract 
of  partly  improved  land  in  Manito  Town- 
ship, Mason  County,  and  here  he  has  since  resided. 


524 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


The  farm,  which  lies  on  section  27,  consists  of  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  highly  cultivated  land, 
upon  which  may  be  noticed  all  the  improvements  of 
a  model  estate.  The  residence  was  erected  in  1883 
at  a  cost  of  #1,500,  while  the  barn,  a  substantial 
structure,  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $1,100. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  John  and  Jane 
(Nichols)  Hill,  were  natives  of  Lincolnshire,  Eng- 
land, where  the  father  engaged  in  farming  until 
his  death  in  1878.  His  wife  passed  away  the 
same  year.  They  had  three  children  who  attained 
mature  years,  but  Thomas  is  now  the  only  surviv- 
ing member  of  the  family.  lie  was  born  in  Lin- 
colnshire in  September,  1825,  and  was  reared  to 
mil n hood  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  receiving  a  good 
education  in  the  common  schools.  In  1851  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  landing  in  the  United 
States,  proceeded  direct  to  Knox County,  111.,  where 
he  was  employed  on  a  farm  and  in  a  brickyard. 
After  spending  some  time  in  Victoria  and  Abing- 
don  he  went  to  Peoria  and  worked  in  a  tavern  for 
several  years.  Later  he  bought  a  team  and  oper- 
ated a  farm  near  Princeville. 

Coining  to  Mason  County  in  1860,  Mr.  Hill 
rented  a  farm  in  Man i to  Township,  and  then  op- 
erated as  a  renter  in  Egypt,  this  county,  for  a  few 
years.  Afterward  he  bought  live  acres  and  a 
house  in  Tazewell  County,  which  he  disposed  of 
in  six  months.  On  his  return  to  Mason  County 
he  resided  for  three  years  on  the  Alfs  place  and 
then  purchased  the  farm  where  he  now  resides  and 
upon  which  he  is  engaged  in  raising  grain  and 
stock.  An  untiring  worker  and  a  persevering  man, 
he  has  gained  success,  not  by  luck,  but  through  the 
exercise  of  good  judgment  and  sound  common 
sense.  His  time  has  been  devoted  entirely  to  his 
farming  pursuits  and  he  is  not  actively  interested 
in  politics,  preferring  to  give  his  undivided  atten- 
tion to  agriculture. 

The  lady  who  in  March  of  1862  became  the  wife 
of  Mr.  Hill  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Nancy  C. 
Long  and  is  the  daughter  of  John  and  Belinda 
(Kuykcndall)  Long,  natives  respectively  of  Ten- 
nessee and  Indiana.  Her  parents  were  married  in 
Indiana,  and  about  1815  settled  in  Clark  County, 
111., before  the  Indians  had  left  the  state.  In  1851 
they  removed  to  Mason  County  and  established 


their  home  in  Manito  Township,  where  the  father 
died  in  1853  and  the  mother  in  1864.  Of  their 
twelve  children  four  are  now  living.  Mrs.  Hill 
was  born  August  15,  1835,  and  first  married  Will- 
iam Charlton,  who  died  January  3,  1861.  The 
two  children  born  of  this  union  are:  James  B.,  who 
married  Mary  Iscnbarg  and  has  five  children;  and 
Abraham  Lincoln,  who  married  Catherine  Wood- 
ling  and  has  four  children. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  are  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren, viz.:  John  T.;  George,  a  resident  of  Manito, 
who  married  Alice  Combs  and  has  two  children; 
Sergeant  M.,  of  Manito  Township,  who  married 
Laura  Callaway,  and  they  have  one  child;  Corne- 
lius Edward,  who  chose  as  his  wife  Miss  Irene 
Steward,  and  they  with  their  child  reside  in  Man- 
ito Township;  and  Columbus,  a  teacher  of  this 
township,  who  by  his  union  with  Ada  Kennedy 
has  one  child.  Mrs.  Hill  has  devoted  her  life  to 
the  welfare  of  her  family  and  may  well  be  proud 
of  the  fact  that  they  are  useful  and  honorable  cit- 
izens of  this  locality.  In  her  religious  connections 
she  is  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 


r  -//RANC'IS  E.  SMITH  is  a  leading  business 
man  of  Hopedale,  Tazewell  County,  who  is 
successfully  engaged  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness. He  is  a  native  of  this  township  and  county, 
his  birth  occurring  September  15,  1864.  He  is  the 
onl}'  son  of  Henry  M.  Smith,  who  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  this  county,  and  his  father,  John,  was  one 
of  the  earl3'  pioneers  here,  coming  from  Kentucky 
in  an  early  day,  and  died  when  comparatively  a 
young  man. 

The  father  of  our  subject  has  been  a  farmer  in 
this  township  all  his  life,  and  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  Methodist  Church  from  his 
boyhood  days.  He  is  a  great  worker  in  the  church 
and  for  the  cause  of  temperance, and  at  the  present 
time  is  County  Superintendent  of  Sundaj'-schools. 
The  mother  of  Francis  E.  was  Miss  Mary  E.,  a 
daughter  of  William  R.  Hodson,  an  early  settler  in 
this  county.  She  has  borne  her  husband  four  chil- 
dren: Our  subject;  Ella,  who  married  William  E. 
Hobert,  a  merchant  in  Armington,  this  county; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


525 


Evaline,  the  wife  of  John  M.  Prugli,  a  traveling 
salesman,  also  making  his  home  in  Armington,  and 
Carrie,  who  is  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools. 

The  original  of  this  sketch  grew  to  manhood  on 
his  father's  farm,  and  received  his  education  in  the 
Wesleyan  College  at  Bloomington.  Although  a 
young  man  he  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  stock 
business,  and  besides  is  the  owner  of  five  hundred 
acres  of  good  fanning  land,  but  has  lately  engaged 
in  the  hardware  business  in  Ilopedale  with  his 
brother-in-law,  W.  II.  Orndorff. 

On  the  2-2d  of  October,  1886,  Mr.  Smith  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  E.,  a  daugh- 
ter of  E.  T.  Orndorff,  a  prominent  farmer  and  one 
of  the  pioneers  of  the  county.  To  this  young 
couple  have  been  born  two  children,  Howard  E. 
and  Milton  Orndorff.  Mr.  Smith,  like  his  father, 
is  a  devoted  Methodist  in  religion,  and  with  his 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  church  in  Ilopedale.  Po- 
litically, he  casts  his  vote  and  influence  with  the 
Republican  party.  He  is  a  man  of  excellent  judg- 
ment and  firm  convictions  upon  all  subjects  of 
importance,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  substan- 
tial citizens  of  the  community. 


GE  W.  WESSLING  is  one  of  the 
brightest  and  most  enterprising  young  men 
of  Mason  County,  doing  business  in  Bishop. 
His  father,  John  G.  Wessling,  now  a  resident  of 
Havana,  came  to  Mason  County  in  1844,  locating 
on  section  22,  Forest  City  Township.  The  grand- 
father, J.  G.  Wessling,  was  a  native  of  Hanover, 
Germany.  The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Catherine  A.  Wessling,  and  died 
in  1887.  In  the  family  were  seven  children,  four 
yet  living:  Mrs.  Anna  Wahlfeld;  George  W., 
Mrs.  Emelie  Wahlfeld  and  Mrs.  Adele  Trimpe. 

Our  subject  was  born  June  30,  1856,  on  a  farm 
on  section  23,  Forest  City  Township,  and  acquired 
his  education  in  the  public  schools,  in  the  college 
of  Naperville(  which  he  attended  two  years),  and  in 
.  the  German  school  of  Petersburg,  III.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  teaching,  which  he  followed  from  1879 
to  1882.  In  March,  1881,  he  embarked  in  business 


with  John  H.  Bishop,  at  his  present  location,  as  a 
dealer  in  general  merchandise,  but  in  1884  bought 
out  his  partner  and  has  since  been  alone.  His 
sales  amount  to  about  19,000  annually,  and  he  has 
a  well  stocked  store  and  receives  from  the  public 
a  liberal  patronage,  which  is  well  deserved. 

On  the  21st  of  February,  1884,  Mr.  Wessling 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Luella  A.  Rogers,  a 
native  of  Linden,  Whitcside  County,  111.,  born 
October  9,  1865,  and  a  daughter  of  George  W. 
Rogers,  now  of  Newton,  Kan.  In  their  family  are 
two  children,  Annie  Gertrude  and  John  Mott. 

Mr.  Wessling  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men society  of  Topeka,  III.  In  1886,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Postmaster  of  Bishop,  serving  in  that 
capacity  until  March,  1889,  when  he  resigned.  In 
politics  he  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and  is  a 
warm  advocate  of  the  principles  of  his  party.  He 
served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  from  1885  to  1893, 
and  is  now  serving  his  fifth  consecutive  year  as 
Supervisor  of  Forest  City  Township.  His  frequent 
re-election  to  these  positions  well  indicates  the 
prompt  and  faithful  manner  with  which  he  dis- 
charges his  duties  and  the  confidence  reposed  in 
him  by  his  fellow-townsmen. 

In  1888  Mr.  Wessling  drew  up  and  circulated  a 
petition  for  the  investigation  of  the  books  of  sev- 
eral county  officials,  extending  back  several  years. 
The  petition  was  presented  to  the  County  Board 
and  rejected.  He  then  tried  to  make  it  an  issue 
at  the  next  election,  but  failed  in  this.  The 
matter  was  then  brought  before  the  people  through 
the  papers,  and  he  got  out  a  petition  for  each 
township  to  be  signed  at  the  time  of  the  election. 
Out  of  thirteen  petitions  four  were  returned  and 
presented  to  the  Board,  which  in  1889  ordered  an 
investigation;  and  shortages,  in  some  of  them 
amounting  to  several  thousand  dollars,  were  found 
on  the  books  of  the  Sheriff,  Circuit  Clerk,  Treas- 
urer and  County  Clerk.  "  Fee  Book  00  "  was  miss- 
ing, and  has  not  yet  been  discovered.  Through 
this  investigation  several  thousand  dollars  were 
re-imbursed  to  the  count}-,  and  won  for  Mr.  Wess- 
ling the  confidence  of  the  honest  people,  and  since 
his  first  election  on  the  Board  he  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  finance  committee  of  the  Board  and  has 
been  its  chairman  for  four  years.  He  is  also  chair- 


526 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


man  of  the  personal  property  equalization  com- 
mittee, and  is  one  of  the  foremost  members  of  the 
County  Board.  At  this  writing  he  is  a  candidate 
on  the  Demociatic  ticket  for  County  Treasurer. 
He  lias  a  host  of  friends  throughout  the  commu- 
nity, and  all  who  know  him  hold  him  in  the  highest 
regard  for  his  sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity. 


\EORGE  PIERSON,  who  devotes  his  time 
and  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  oper- 
ates  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land  on  section  20,  Forest  City  Township,  Mason 
County.  He  is  the  son  of  Robert  Pierson,  who 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania  about  1815  and  came 
with  his  parents,  Abel  and  Nancy  Pierson,  in  a 
boat  of  their  own  construction  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  when  that  now  large  city  contained  only 
a  few  scattering  houses. 

The  maiden  name  of  our  subject's  mother  was 
Miss  Susan  Black.  She  was  likewise  a  native  of 
the  Keystone  State  and  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Christina  Black,  who  were  born  there  and  removed 
to  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  during  pioneer  times. 
There  the  father  purchased  a  large  amount  of 
Government  land  and  resided  until  their  death. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  Pierson  were  married  in  the 
Buckeye  Slate  and  afterward  located  on  a  farm  in 
Harrison  Township,  Hamilton  County,  which  had 
been  purchased  from  Grandfather  Black.  On  this 
the}-  located  in  the  spring  of  1828  and  made  the 
place  their  permanent  home.  They  reared  a  family 
of  nine  children,  and  the  father  died  in  1865,  and 
was  followed  to  the  better  land  by  his  wife,  who 
died  a  year  later.  Our  subject  is  the  eldest  of  the 
children  living,  the  others  being  Adam  and  Eliza- 
beth. The  mother  was  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  in  which  she  was  an  active  worker. 
The  elder  Mr.  Pierson  was  an  extensive  farmer, 
and  for  his  well  spent  life  occupied  an  enviable 
position  in  the  regard  of  his  many  friends. 

George  Pierson  of  this  sketch  was  born  August 
31,  1828,  on  the  Pierson  homestead  in  Hamilton 
County,  Ohio,  and  was  there  reared  to  manhood, 


and  like  other  farmer  boys  attended  school  in  the 
old  log  house  with  its  primitive  furnishings. 
When  reaching  mature  years  he  was  married,  Octo- 
ber 17,  1850,  to  Miss  Jane  Laughlin,  a  native  of 
Ireland,  who  came  to  America  with  her  parents 
when  four  years  of  age  and  located  in  Butler 
County,  Ohio.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Pierson 
worked  on  his  father's  farm  until  the  following 
spring,  when  he  moved  upon  his  own  place,  which 
was  in  the  same  locality,  and  was  engaged  in  furm 
pursuits  until  the  death  of  his  father,  lie  then 
moved  upon  the  old  homestead,  which  he  managed, 
and  took  care  of  his  mother  until  she  too  departed 
this  life.  • 

He  of  whom  we  write  came  west  in  1867  in 
order  to  find  a  suitable  location,  and  in  that  year 
selected  and  purchased  his  present  farm.  He  moved 
his  family  here  a  few  months  later,  they  making 
their  home  in  a  temporary  house  which  had  been 
erected  on  the  new  farm.  Mr.  Pierson  built  the 
residence  where  his  son  Clinton  is  now  living,  in 
1877,  at  a  cost  of  11,100.  His  present  dwelling, 
however,  is  a  much  more  modern  structure  and 
with  the  barn  and  numerous  outbuildings  is 
valued  at  $3,000.  He  is  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing on  his  tract  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres, 
and  for  the  past  sixteen  years  has  dealt  very 
extensively  in  stock,  and  keeps  constantly  on  his 
place  many  fine  animals. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Pierson  are  the  parents  of 
twelve  children  who  grew  to  mature  years.  Emma, 
Mrs.  Milton  White  lives  in  Sigourney,  Iowa; 
Mary  Jane  married  Jacob  Smith  and  makes  her 
home  in  Hoopestown,  this  state;  Adam  took  to 
wife  Clara  Beal  and  is  living  in  southern  Nebraska; 
John  Wesley  married  Katie  Zimmerman,  and  also 
lives  in  that  section  of  Nebraska,  as  does  also 
Elizabeth,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Martin,  and  George  L.,  who 
married  Mary  Ilubscy;  Sarah  became  the  wife  of 
Samuel  Gumbel,  and  is  now  deceased;  Annie  mar- 
ried Willis  Martin  and  makes  her  home  in  Ne- 
braska; Clinton  married  Annie  Twellback,  and  is 
a  farmer  in  Mason  County;  Ida  May  is  now  Mrs. 
Clark  Ellsworth  and  is  living  in  Nebraska;  Minnie 
is  at  home  with  her  parents,  and  Fred,  who  married 
Leoni  Johnson,  is  a  resident  of  Nebraska.  Mrs. 
Pierson  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and 


UBRMV 
OF  THt 
UNIV£RS|?>  Of 


E.  C.  CULBERTSON. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


529 


our  subject,  although  not  a  member,  gives  liberally 
of  his  means  toward  its  support. 

He  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  has  rendered 
efficient  service  on  the  School  Board  in  his  district, 
and  is  serving  his  third  term  as  Treasurer  of  the 
Grange.  He  is  one  of  the  Commissioners  of  the 
Mason  and  Tazcwell  Drainage  District,  which  has 
accomplished  $220,000  worth  of  improvements  in 
this  locality.  In  his  political  views  he  supports 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has 
represented  the  same  in  county  conventions. 

Adam  Pierson,  a  brother  of  our  subject,  went 
overland  to  California  in  1850,  and  during  the 
Civil  War  was  wounded.  He  is  now  living  in 
Clay  County,  this  state. 


I®. 


++*+**********+* 


l  DWARD  C.  CULBERTSON,  who  is  a  retired 
farmer  of  Delavan,  was  born  in  Muskingum 
^  County,  Ohio,  October  29,  1826.  He  traces 
his  lineage  to  Scotland,  whence  his  ancestors  re- 
moved to  the  North  of  Ireland  during  the  Revo- 
lution in  the  former  country.  The  first  repre- 
sentative of  the  family  in  America  settled  in 
Pennsylvania,  where  was  born  our  subject's  grand- 
father, Alexander  Culbertson.  The  latter  was  a 
tanner  by  trade  and  accumulated  considerable 
wealth,  which  he  invested  in  large  tracts  of  land 
in  Ohio.  Several  brothers  of  Alexander  were  sol- 
diers in  the  Colonial  army  during  the  War  of 
the  Revolution,  and  one  was  killed  by  the  Indians. 
John  Culbertson,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  July  4,  1792,  and 
was  the  youngest  of  eight  children.  The  oldest 
brother,  Samuel,  was  a  prominent  lawyer  in  Zanes- 
ville,  Ohio;  James  was  the  owner  of  large  glass 
works  and  salt  works  in  the  same  place;  Alexander 
owned  and  operated  a  tannery;  William  was  an 
extensive  farmer  in  Ohio;  Robert,  who  was  edu- 
cated for  the  Presbyterian  ministry,  died  in  mid- 
dle life;  Elizabeth  married  Jacob  Casel,  a  mer- 
16 


chant;    Margaret    married    a    Mr.    Wilson,    who 
cultivated  a  farm  in  Pennsylvania. 

The  lady  whom  John  Culbertson  married  was 
Ann  M.  Beavers.  She  was  born  in  Virginia  in 
1797,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Samuel  Beavers,  a 
pioneer  of  the  Buckeye  State.  Her  family  con- 
sisted of  three  sons  and  five  daughters,  but  the 
latter  died  in  childhood.  Edward  C.  is  the  eldest 
of  the  brothers.  The  second,  William,  went  to 
California  in  1853,  and  died  during  the  same 
year.  The  youngest,  John,  is  Postmaster  at  Dela- 
van, and  is  an  influential  newspaper  man  of  this 
city.  Edward  C.  grew  to  manhood  amid  the  pio- 
neer scenes  of  Ohio,  and  as  advantages  were 
meager  in  those  early  days  he  received  but  a  lim- 
ited education.  After  his  mother's  death,  he  being 
the  eldest  took  charge  of  the  housework  with 
his  brother  William  until  his  father  married  again. 

September  5, 1864,  Mr.  Culbertson  came  to  Taze- 
well  County  and  settled  south  of  Delavan,  where 
he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land.  In  time  he  became  one  of  the  most  exten- 
sive stock-raisers  and  dealers  in  the  count3',  and 
as  he  was  prospered  he  added  to  his  original  prop- 
erty until  he  owned  six  hundred  and  thirty  acres. 
A  large  portion  of  this,  however,  he  has  disposed 
of  to  his  sons,  but  still  retains  in  his  possession 
one  hundred  and  ninety  acres.  In  1891  he  re- 
tired from  his  farm,  though  lie  still  superintends 
its  management.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church  for  forty-three  years,  and  is 
an  active  worker  in  religious  and  temperance 
causes. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Culbertson  occurred  No- 
vember 29,  1854,  uniting  him  with  Miss  Ruth  C. 
Shertz,  a  native  of  Maryland,  who  in  childhood 
accompanied  her  parents  to  Ohio.  They  have  six 
children:  William  J.,  a  grain  and  stock  dealer  of 
Delavan;  Morris  E.,  residing  on  a  farm  two  miles 
west  of  Delavan;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  William 
C.  Duncan,  a  farmer  of  Delavan  Township;  John 
T.,  an  agriculturist  living  in  Delavan  Township; 
Ruth  Caroline,  who  was  educated  at  the  North- 
western University  and  in  St.  Mary's  Seminary,  of 
Knoxville,  and  is  now  at  home;  and  Mary  Belle, 
who  was  educated  at  Oxford,  Ohio,  and  is  now  a 
teacher.  While  never  aspiring  to  political  h»nors, 


530 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mr.  Culbertson  has   held  various  local  offices,  and 
is  at  this  time  City  Treasurer  of  Delavan. 

/^pjN  IIARLES  GUSTAVUS  KREBAUM,  a  prom- 
f|(  inent  business  man  of  Havana,  and  widely 
^^^/  known  as  a  breeder  of  fine  trotting  horses, 
was  born  December  22,  1837,  in  the  city  where  he 
now  resides,  and  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having 
been  the  first  white  child  born  in  Mason  County. 
For  particulars  regarding  the  family  history,  the 
reader  is  referred  to  the  sketch  of  his  brother, 
Adolph,  which  is  presented  on  another  page  of 
this  volume.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  Havana, 
and  received  a  practical  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  this  place. 

The  business  career  of  Mr  Krebaum  commenced 
in  1851,  at  which  time  he  accepted  the  position  of 
Deputy  Clerk  in  the  office  of  his  brother,  Adolph, 
who  was  Clerk  of  Mason  County  for  a  number  of 
years.  After  having  filled  the  position  of  Deputy 
until  1863,  he  embarked  in  the  mercantile  business 
in  Havana,  and  with  G.  W.  Langford  as  his  part- 
ner, did  an  extensive  and  lucrative  business  under 
the  firm  name  of  Langford  &  Krebaum.  Later 
Mr.  Langford  withdrew  from  the  enterprise,  and 
Henry  Middlekamp  entered  the  linn,  the  business 
being  conducted  in  that  manner  for  some  time, 
after  which  our  subject  sold  out  to  Slade  &  Mid- 
dlekamp. 

Entering  the  grain  business  in  1868,  Mr.  Kre- 
baum has  since  conducted  a  large  trade  in  that  line, 
and  makes  shipments  to  the  various  markets  of  the 
country.  For  several  years  he  was  engaged  in  the 
buying  and  selling  of  cattle  and  hogs,  which  he 
ships  in  large  numbers  to  different  markets.  He 
has  grain  warehouses  and  elevators  at  Poplar  City, 
Liverpool  and  Topeka,  111.  In  addition  to  these 
enterprises  he  is  also  engaged  in  the  sale  of  hides 
and  furs,  seeds,  etc. 

With  the  breeding  of  fine  trotting  horses,  the 
name  of  Mr.  Krebaum  is  perhaps  more  closely  iden- 
tified than  with  any  of  his  other  enterprises.  Every 
animal  on  his  place  is  standard-bred,  and  many  of 
them  represent  in  their  blood  lines  some  of  the 


leading  sires  that  hold  the  world's  record.  "Honest 
Byerly,"  a  five-year-old,  has  a  record  of  2:24^,  and 
in  his  first  race,  at  Peoria,  June  27,  1893,  won  three 
straight  heats,  and  upon  the  following  Tuesday, 
July  4,  at  Monmouth,  111.,  he  made  a  record  of 
2:24£  on  a  muddy  track.  He  has  been  in  nine 
races,  and  has  proved  beyond  a  doubt  his  superior 
qualities  as  a  trotting  horse.  He  was  sired  by  llBy- 
erly  Abdallah,"  1856;  dam,  "Nina  K.,"  who  has  a 
record  of  2:28£.  "Honest  Byerly"  is  half-brother 
to  Jerome  Turner,  with  a  record  of  2:15f. 

The  bay  mare  "Nina  K.,'%  foaled  in  1878,  was 
sired  by  "Honesty"  170,  record  2:42,  also  the  sire 
of  "Big  Soap,"  2:23;  first  dam,  "Bay  Pet,"  by 
"Champion  Black  Hawk;"  second  dam  by  "St. 
Lawrence."  In  color  "Nina  K."  is  a  beautiful  bay, 
and  is  fifteen  and  one-half  hands  high.  She  is 
sound,  kind  and  gentle,  and  her  record  of  2:28| 
is  no  measure  of  her  speed.  She  trotted  the  Lin- 
coln track  in  2:22,  timed  by  half  a  dozen  horse- 
men; a  half-mile  at  Freeport  in  1:10,  a  quarter  in 
thirty-four  seconds,  a  2:12  gait.  Her  produce  arc: 
1887,  "Honest  Byerly,"  by  "Byerly  Abdallah;" 
1889,  "May  Day,"  by  "Strawn"  3330;  1890,"IIon- 
est,"  by  "Byerly  Abdallah"  1856;  1891,  "Elector- 
ite"  by  "Elector  "No.  10830;  1893,  "Midnight"  by 
"Billy  Wilkes"  No.  2938. 

"Honest"  No.  21860,  a  three-year-old  colt, 
stands  sixteen  hands  high,  and  has  a  speed  of  3:00 
at  any  time.  "Electorite,"  21861,  dam  by  "Nina 
K.,"  sired  by  "Elector"  No.  10830  is  a  beautiful 
bay.  "Dottie  Dimple, "a  bay  mare,  is  a  half-sister 
of  "Nina  K.,"  record  2:28^  and  dam  by  "Honest 
Byerly,"  2:24£;  sired  by  "Indianapolis"  517,  rec- 
ord 2:21,  sire  of  "Budd  Doble,"  2:13^;  "Bonaven- 
ture,"  2:18£;  "Indigo,"  2:23^; "Regulator,"  2:28}; 
"De  Jarnette,"  2:17;  "Indianapolis  Boy,"  2:20^; 
"Indianapolis,"  2:28|;  "Holstein,"  2:29£;  and  the 
dams  of  "Opliir,"  2:26£;  "Captain  Lee,"  2:29. 
First  dam,  "Bay  Pet,"  by  "Champion  Black  Hawk." 
Second  dam,  by  "St.  Lawrence,"  trial  2:28;  "In- 
dianapolis" 517,  by  "Tattler"  300,  record  2:21; 
dam  "Indiana,"  by  "Mambrino  Chief"  11;  "Tatt- 
ler" 300,  by  "Pilot,  Jr.,"  record  2:26;  dam,  "Tell- 
tale," by  "Telamou,"  son  of  "Medoc."  "Dottie 
Dimple"  is  sixteen  hands  high,  and  is  compactly 
built,  with  plenty  of  bone  and  substance,  making 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


531 


her  desirable  both   for  the  track  and  as  a  brood 
mare. 

"May  Day,"  standard,  registered  volume  twelve, 
is  a  bay  mare,  fifteen  and  one-half  hands  high,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  promising  fillies  on  the  farm. 
She  was  foaled  in  1889,  sired  by  "Strawn"  3330, 
sire  of  "Carrie  Strawn,"  2:29f,  first  dam,  "Nina 
K.,"  by  "Honesty"  170,  record  2:42;  second  dam, 
"Bay  Pet,"  by  "Champion  Black  Hawk,"  sou  of 
"Black  Hawk"  (Vermont);  third  dam,  by  "St.  Law- 
rence Strawn"  3330,  by  "Mammont"  2052;  dam, 
"Black  Swan,"  by  "Bashaw"  50  (Greens);  "Mam- 
mont" 2052,  by  "Almont"  33;  dam,  "Mag  Fergu- 
son," by  "Mambrino  Chief"  11;  "Honesty"  170, 
by  "Hiatoga,"  (Stier's)  son  of  "Hiatoga"  497. 

"Krebaum  Honesty"  9239,  standard,  registered 
in  volume  eight,  is  sixteen  hands  high,  and  in 
harness  is  pleasant  and  gentle.  Though  never 
driven  by  a  professional,  he  has  shown  remarkable 
speed.  He  is  an  own  brother  to  "Nina  K.,"  and 
was  sired  by  "Honesty"  170,  record  2:42.  "Hon- 
est" 21860,  standard,  registered  volume  twelve,  is 
a  bay  colt,  sixteen  hands  high,  foaled  1890;  one  of 
the  handsomest  colts  on  the  farm,  with  splendid 
trotting  action  and  can  be  driven  in  2:30,  or  bet- 
ter if  given  sixty  days  work.  He  is  a  full  brother 
to  "Honest  Byerly,"  2:24^,  and  was  sired  by  "By- 
erly  Abdallah"  1856;  first  dam,  "Nina  K." 

Among  the  horsemen  of  the  state,  Mr.  Krebaum 
is  well  known,  and  his  horses  have  a  reputation 
equal  to  the  best.  A  lover  of  the  animal,  he  finds 
one  of  his  chief  pleasures  in  owning  and  raising 
fine  horses,  and  is  thoroughly  capable  and  efficient 
in  this  line.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  but  does 
not  take  an  active  part  in  public  affairs.  Socially, 
he  is  identified  with  Havana  Lodge  No.  88,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  Chapter  No.  86,  R.  A.  M.  and  Havana 
Commandery  No.  42,  K.  T. 

In  1861  Mr.  Krebaum  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  E.  John,  of  Tazewell  County,  the 
daughter  of  William  M.  John,  a  native  of  Ohio. 
Four  children  have  blessed  the  union,  one  of 
whom,  Francis,  is  deceased.  Nina  F.  is  bookkeeper 
for  a  law  firm  in  Chicago,  and  is  also  a  Notary 
Public:  Carl  G.  and  Hope  Beatrice,  aged  respect- 
ively fourteen  and  nine  years,  are  students  in  the 
Havana  schools,  The  family  home  js  beautifully 


situated   and   a   comfortably  furnished    residence 
situated  on  Pearl  Street. 


OHN  McCARTY.  A  visitor  strolling  along 
the  streets  of  Mason  City  will  invariably 
note  with  a  glance  of  admiration  the  at- 
tractive frame  residence  in  which  Mr.  Mc- 
Carty  and  his  family  make  their  home,  which  is  one 
of  the  finest  dwellings  in  the  city,  is  modern  in 
architecture,  and  contains  every  convenience  as 
well  as  elegant  furnishings,  which  prove  the  re- 
fined tastes  of  the  inmates. 

One  of  the  sons  of  the  Buckeye  State,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Clark  County,  April 
19,  1836.  His  father,  Cornelius,  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Mason  County,  having  come  hither  in 
1851.  A  Democrat  in  his  political  views,  he  was 
a  man  of  influence  in  public  affairs,  and  his  death, 
in  1866,  was  deeply  mourned.  His  wife  was 
known  by  the  maiden  name  of  Jemima  Bell,  and 
was  born  in  Tennessee;  her  death  occurred  in  Ma- 
son County  in  April  of  1865. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  accompanied  his  pa- 
rents in  their  removal  from  Ohio  to  Illinois,  and 
grew  to  manhood  upon  a  farm  near  Petersburg, 
Menard  County.  His  time  was  principally  de- 
voted to  the  work  of  improving  the  land,  his  ed- 
ucational advantages  being  limited  to  a  brief  at- 
tendance at  the  neighboring  schools.  At  the  age 
of  eighteen  he  commenced  the  independent  career 
of  a  farmer,  and  from  the  first  met  with  success, 
his  methods  of  cultivating  the  land  being  such  as 
to  secure  the  most  advantageous  results.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  raising  of  cereals,  he  also  engaged 
extensively  in  raising  stock,  which  he  shipped  to 
the  various  markets. 

That  Mr.  McCarty  has  been  successful  in  his  en- 
terprises, it  need  but  be  stated  that  he  now  owns 
nine  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  in  Salt  Creek 
Township,  fifteen  hundred  acres  in  Hall  County, 
Neb.,  a  half  interest  in  thirty-two  hundred  acres  of 
school  lands  in  Nebraska  (lying  in  Cedar  County), 
and  considerable  residence  property  in  Mason  City. 
In  public  affairs  he  has  always  taken  an  active  part, 


532 


POKTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  was  one  of  the  instigators  and  projectors  of 
the  present  drainage  system.  Politically  he  sup- 
ports the  principles  of  the  Republican  party. 
Both  in  educational  and  religious  enterprises  he 
is  warmly  interested,  and  to  them  he  gives  his  cor- 
dial support  and  active  aid. 

November  14,  1866,  occurred  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  McCarty  and  Miss  Anna  Josephine  Beck. 
This  accomplished  and  amiable  lady  was  born  in 
Ohio,  and  in  childhood  accompanied  her  father, 
Arthur  Beck,  to  Illinois.  She  is  the  mother  of  two 
children.  The  elder,  Ona  B.,  is  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Isaac  McCarty,  of  Riverside,  Cal.,  while  the 
younger,  Ida  B.,  still  remains  with  her  parents 
and  is  numbered  among  the  popular  young  ladies 
of  Mason  City.  The  religious  home  of  the  family 
is  in  the  United  Brethren  Church,  to  the  support 
of  which  Mr.  McCarty  is  a  liberal  contributor. 
He  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank,  and  for  several  years  served  as  one  of 
its  stockholders  and  directors. 


v ALTER  K.  TERRELL.  In  the  spring  of 
1860  Mr.  Terrell  came  to  Mason  County 
and  purchased  in  Pennsylvania  Town- 
ship the  farm  where  he  has  since  resided.  At  the 
time  of  his  arrival  the  place  was  unimproved,  con- 
sisting of  raw  prairie  land,  but  through  his  per- 
sistent and  intelligent  efforts  it  has  been  brought 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  is  now  one 
of  the  finest  estates  in  the  neighborhood.  It  is 
embellished  with  a  neat  residence,  20x30  feet  in 
dimensions,  with  an  "L"  14x20.  The  house  is  two 
stories  in  height,  and  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$2,000.  There  is  also  a  substantial  barn,  40x40, 
built  at  a  cost  of  f  900. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  New 
Jersey,  February  14,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Squire 
and  Rebecca  (Kirkpatrick)  Terrell.  The  paternal 
grandparents  were  Thomas  and  Mary  Terrell, 
while  the  maternal  grandparents  bore  the  names 
of  Alexander  and  Sarah  Kirkpatrick.  The  Kirk- 
patrick family  was  represented  in  New  Jersey  at  a 
period  very  early  in  its  settlement,  and  our  sub- 


ject's  great  uncle,  Andrew  Kirkpatrick,  held  a 
very  important  position,  filling  an  office  known  in 
those  days  as  that  of  Chief  Justice. 

Squire  Terrell  was  born  September  10, 1792,  and 
died  January  4,  1867.  In  1819  lie  married  Re- 
becca Kirkpatrick,  whose  birth  occurred  June  15, 
1796,  and  who  passed  away  August  5,  1864.  Of 
their  children  we  note  the  following:  Aulley  was 
born  November  9,  1820,  married  October  27, 1841, 
and  died  October  27,  1851;  Mary,  who  was  born 
January  27, 1822,  married  April  18,  1840,  and  de- 
parted this  life  February  22,  1876;  Jane  was  born 
August  7,  1823,  married  February  28,  1847,  and 
died  November  15,  1863;  Ann,  whose  birth  took 
place  April  3,  1828,  married  November  13,  1852, 
and  died  September  6,  1853;  Thomas,  who  was 
born  May  14,  1832,  was  married  on  the  1st  of 
September,  1860;  Margaret  was  born  September  3, 
1834;  E.  D.,  August  16,  1836;  W.  K.,  February 
14,  1839;  and  George,  March  29,  1842. 

Under  the  parental  roof  Walter  K.  was  reared 
to  manhood,  acquiring  a  common  school  education 
in  the  home  locality.  When  about  twenty  years 
of  age  he  came  west,  and  in  1859,  stopped  in 
Jersey  County,  111.  After  a  sojourn  there  of  a 
few  months  he  came  to  Pennsylvania  Township, 
Mason  County,  in  1860,  and  here  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  Purchasing  an  unimproved  farm 
he  broke  the  sod  during  the  first  season  and  grad- 
ually brought  the  place  under  good  cultivation. 

The  first  purchase  made  by  Mr.  Terrell  in  this 
township  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  to  which  he  has  from  time  to  time  added, 
until  his  landed  possessions  now  aggregate  three 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  all  under  cultivation.  A 
neat  hedge  fence  has  been  planted  around  the 
farm,  which  is  also  divided  and  subdivided  into 
fields  of  convenient  size  by  a  good  system  of 
fencing.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  Terrell  occurred  in 
1873,  and  united  him  with  Miss  Ellen,  the  daugh- 
ter of  James  Riggins,  of  this  county.  Two  chil- 
dren bless  the  union,  Maud  and  Roy,  both  of 
whom  are  at  home. 

As  a  citizen  Mr.  Terrell  is  public  spirited  and 
progressive,  and  gives  his  support  to  all  measures 
for  the  promotion  of  the  welfare  of  the  people, 
lie  served  as  Supervisor  of  Pennsylvania  Town- 


LIBRARY 
Of  (W 
UNIVERSITY  Of 


JAMES   M.  WATKINS. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


535 


ship  fora  number  of  years  and  is  the  incumbent 
of  that  office  at  the  present  time,  having  been  re- 
elected  in  the  spring  of  1893.  He  is  discharging 
the  duties  of  the  position  in  an  efficient  manner. 
He  is  also  serving  his  second  term  as  School  Trus- 
tee. In  political  affairs  he  supports  the  principles 
of  the  Democratic  party  and  casts  his  ballot  in 
favor  of  its  men  and  measures. 

-****! 


M.  WATKINS,  M.  D.  Among  the 
names  held  in  honor  in  Green  Valley,  that 
'which  introduces  these  lines  has  for  many 
years  occupied  a  prominent  place.  He  who 
bears  it  came  to  this  place  in  1873  and  has  since 
taken  an  important  part  in  its  growth,  maintain- 
ing an  unceasing  interest  in  its  prosperity  and 
contributing  to  its  upbuilding. 

Our  subject  is  a  son  of  William  Watkins,  and 
was  born  in  Parke  County,  Ind.,  near  Montezuma, 
November  15,  1830.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
Rockbridge  County,  Va.,  and  in  1829  went  to 
Richmond,  Ind.,  but  subsequently  journeyed  to 
Parke  County,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farm  pur- 
suits until  1835.  In  that  year  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Terre  Haute  and  there  made  his  home 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1873.  He  was 
a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  his  father,  who 
was  a  Welshman  by  birth,  was  a  gallant  soldier  in 
the  War  of  the  Revolution. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  who  was  known  in 
her  maidenhood  as  Mary  Patterson,  was  a  native 
of  Virginia  and  the  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary 
Patterson,  both  of  Irish  ancestry.  She  passed 
from  this  life  in  1863,  at  sixty-four  years  of  age. 
James  M.  Watkins  had  four  brothers  and  three  sis- 
ters, all  of  whom  grew  to  mature  years  but  are  now 
deceased  with  the  exception  of  two:  George,  who 
is  a  farmer  near  Terre  Haute;  and  Frances,  the  wife 
O.  B.Soules,  a  farmer,  also  living  near  Terre  Haute. 
Our  subject  lived  on  his  father's  farm  until  reach- 
ing his  eighteenth  year,  receiving  until  that  time 
only  a  common-school  education.  He  then  com- 
menced the  study  of  medicine,  which  had  been  his 
life  ambition,  but  being  in  limited  circumstances 


he  could  not  afford  to  carry  it  on  steadily,  and  for 
some  time  was  engaged  in  his  father's  sawmill. 
Again  resuming  his  medical  studies,  in  1862  he 
attended  lectures  at  the  Philadelphia  Medical  Col- 
lege, and  in  1864  was  graduated  from  Rush  Med- 
ical College  at  Chicago. 

Dr.  Watkins  commenced  to  practice  at  Monte- 
zuma, Ind.,  at  which  place  he  remained  for  several 
years,  and  then  for  three  years  resided  at  Terre 
Haute.  Thinking  he  could  find  a  better  field  for 
his  labors,  in  1873  he  came  to  Green  Valley,  and 
since  that  time  has  been  in  active  practice  here, 
giving  his  undivided  attention  to  his  profession. 
His  life  has  been  a  busy  one,  for  he  has  always 
been  quick  to  respond  to  the  call  of  distress,  and 
his  skill  is  recognized  by  patients  throughout  the 
county. 

In  1852  Dr.  Watkins  married  Mary  Ann  Hodges, 
a  native  of  Indiana,  and  to  them  was  born  one 
child,  Sarah,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  H.  B.  Ferth. 
After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  in  1862,  the  Doc- 
tor was  again  married,  taking  as  his  companion 
Sarah  McGaw,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Indiana. 
To  this  union  were  born  four  children,  only  two 
of  whom  are  now  living.  The  eldest  son,  Samuel, 
was  accidentally  drowned  in  the  Okaw  River 
when  a  young  man.  Anna  is  now  the  wife  of 
Lewis  Woodrow,  a  merchant  in  Green  Valley. 
James  E.,  who  resides  with  his  father,  is  telegraph 
operator  at  this  point.  The  good  mother  of  these 
children  passed  to  the  life  beyond  May  21,  1888. 
Politically,  Dr.  Watkins  has  been  a  life-long  Dem- 
ocrat, but  has  never  aspired  to  public  office.  He  is 
a  genial  gentleman,  a  loyal  citizen  and  a  true  and 
trusted  friend. 


LEXANDER  D.  INGERSOLL,  one  of  the 
large  land  owners  of  Tazewell  County,  and 
an  influential  citizen  of  Malone  Town- 
ship, was  born  in  Graf  ton,  Ohio,  Novem- 
ber 28,  1826.  He  is  the  son  of  Reuben  Ingersoll, 
who  was  born  in  Lee,  Mass.,  in  May,  1788,  and 
grew  to  manhood  upon  his  father's  farm,  alternat- 
ing attendance  at  school  with  the  tilling  of  the 


536 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


soil.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  commenced  to 
teach  school,  and  followed  that  profession  for 
three  years.  He  then  married  Miss  Christina  Van 
Deusen,  of  Lee,  Mass.,  shortly  after  which  event 
he  brought  his  wife  to  Grafton,  Ohio,  and  pur- 
chasing property,  commenced  to  clear  and  improve 
a  farm. 

In  1826  the  family  moved  to  Ilinckley,  Medina 
County,  Ohio,  where  the  father  purchased  a  farm, 
and  for  a  number  of  years  engaged  in  agricultu- 
ral pursuits.  Thence  removing  to  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
he  embarked  in  the  hotel  business,  and  became  the 
proprietor  of  the  Ingersoll  House.  After  the 
death  of  his  wife,  which  occurred  in  1867,  he  dis- 
posed of  the  hotel  and  came  to  Illinois,  where  he 
made  his  home  with  his  son,  A.  D.,  in  Pekin,  until 
his  death  in  1872.  He  and  his  wife  had  eleven 
children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  oth- 
ers are:  Henry,  Jared,  Truman,  Samuel  (all  de- 
ceased), Mary,  Hattie  (deceased),  Dr.  B.  F.,  a 
physician  and  farmer  in  Nebraska;  Lyman,  who  is 
an  agriculturist  in  E.iston ,  Mason  County,  III.,  and 
Orman,  who  is  a  butcher  living  in  Nebraska. 

When  an  infant  our  subject  was  taken  by  his 
parents  to  Ilinckley,  Ohio,  where  he  had  such  edu- 
cational ad  vantages  as  the  common  school  afforded. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  left  home  and  worked 
on  a  neighbor's  farm,  receiving  $8  per  month. 
After  two  years  he  embarked  in  the  dry  goods  and 
grocery  business  at  Hinckley,  and  was  thus  en- 
gaged for  four  years,  when  he  disposed  of  the 
stock  and  closed  up  the  business.  While  a  resi- 
dent of  Hinckley,  February  22,  1853,  he  married 
Miss  Sarah  Van  Orman,  who  was  born  in  Ontario 
County,  N.  Y.,  her  parents,  James  and  Orpha 
(Flemming)  Van  Orman,  having  also  been  natives 
of  Ontario  County. 

After  selling  his  stock  of  goods,  Mr.  Ingersoll 
came  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Tazewell  County 
in  the  spring  of  1855,  making  the  journey  from 
Ohio  by  team,  and  spending  twenty-two  days  upon 
the  road.  His  first  home  in  this  county  was  near 
the  site  of  his  present  farm,  and  after  tilling  the 
soil  thirteen  years  he  moved  to  Pekin,  in  1868,  in 
order  that  his  children  might  have  the  advantages 
afforded  by  the  excellent  schools  of  that  city.  In 
1873  he  returned  to  Maloue  Township,  where  he 


has  since  resided.  At  the  present  he  is  the  owner 
of  sixteen  hundred  acres  in  Tazewell,  and  twelve 
hundred  and  sixty-eight  acres  in  Mason  County. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ingersoll  are  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  namely:  James  R.,  who  was  born  Novem- 
ber 27,  1853;  George,  June  9,  1854;  Edward  V., 
July  1,  1855;  John  E.,  September  27,  1857;  Hu- 
bert L,  July  1,  1860;  Charles  E.,  August  31,  1862; 
Henry  C.,  November  12,1867;  Ella  M.,  June  16, 
1868;  Dr.  Benjamin  F.,  September  21,  1871;  and 
Josie,  April  16,  1876.  John  E.,  who  lives  on  the 
home  farm,  is  married  and  has  six  children.  Po- 
litical^7 a  Democrat,  Mr.  Ingersoll  has  held  the 
offices  of  Road  Commissioner,  Assessor,  Drainage 
Commissioner,  and  other  local  positions  of  trust. 


J.  KNUPPEL  is  numbered  among 
the  gentleman  of  German  birth  and  pa- 
rentage who  make  their  home  in  the 
prosperous  township'  of  Forest  City,  Mason 
County,  where  he  is  generally  conceded  to  be  one 
of  the  substantial  and  enterprising  farmers  in  the 
community.  He  came  to  America  poor  in  this 
world's  goods,  and  by  means  of  his  natural  ability 
and  energy  has  accumulated  a  handsome  property, 
being  at  this  writing  the  owner  of  a  farm  com- 
prising four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  which 
is  the  result  of  unceasing  labor  on  his  part. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  occurred  February  21, 
1838,  in  Hanover,  Germany,  and  when  attaining 
his  eighteenth  year  he  decided  to  try  his  fortunes 
in  America,  and  crossing  the  Atlantic,  made  his 
way  to  Cook  Count}',  this  state,  where  he  engaged 
in  farm  pursuits.  This  was  the  first  work  of  the 
kind  which  he  had  ever  done,  and  he  remained 
there  working  for  other  people  until  1858,  when 
he  came  to  Mason  County  and  found  work  on  the 
railroad.  The  first  month  being  cheated  out  of  his 
pay,  he  abandoned  that  kind  of  life,  and  again  hired 
out  as  a  farm  laborer,  this  time  for  J.  G.  Wcssling. 
Later  he  worked  for  John  Corey,  and  was  after- 
ward in  the  employ  of  Hugh  Mcllarry. 

After  spending  several  years  in  the  New  World 
working  for  other  people,  our  subject  rented 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


537 


property,  which  lie  cultivated  to  good  advantage, 
in  this  township.  He  had  been  thus  occupied  one 
year  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out.  and  feeling 
brave  enough  to  encounter  danger  and  hardships 
belonging  to  a  soldier's  life,  he  in  July,  1861,  en- 
listed as  a  soldier  in  Company  C,  Second  Illinois 
Cavalry,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Fullerton, 
of  Havana.  He  was  sent  with  his  regiment  to 
Cairo,  where  they  were  drilled  and  then  placed  on 
guard  duty  at  Caledonia,  this  state,  at  which  place 
the  telegraph  lines  were  threatened.  From  there 
his  company  went  to  Ilickman,  Ky.,  on  a  scouting 
expedition,  and  later  was  engaged  in  a  battle  at 
Union  City,Tenn.  During  his  army  experience 
our  subject  participated  in  the  following  well 
known  conflicts:  Obine  River,  Tenn.,  in  1862; 
Hatcher's  Run,  October  5  of  that  year,  and  Holly 
Springs,  December  20,  1863. 

At  the  battle  of  Holly  Springs  Mr.  Knuppel  re- 
ceived a  sabre  wound  on  the  right  side  of  the 
head  which  he  did  not  think  of  sufficient  conse- 
quence to  secure  his  discharge.  He  went  on  duty 
as  usual,  but  taking  a  heavy  cold  was  compelled 
to  go  to  the  hospital  at  Memphis,  Tenn.  After 
convalescing  he  was  placed  on  detached  duty  and 
remained  there  until  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
enlistment.  August  18,  1864,  Mr.  Knuppel,  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Springfield,  after  a  service 
of  three  years. 

After  returning  from  the  battlefield  our  subject 
crossed  the  Atlantic  and  spent  one  year  in  his 
native  land,  receiving  treatment  for  his  eyes, 
which  had  been  in  a  critical  condition  ever  since 
being  wounded  in  the  army.  At  the  expiration 
of  that  time  he  returned  to  his  rented  farm,  which 
he  carried  on  for  two  seasons,  and  then  purchased 
his  present  property. 

In  January,  1866,  Henry  J.  Knuppel  and  Miss 
Anna  Harfst  were  united  in  marriage.  The  lady 
was  also  of  German  birth,  and  the  daughter  of 
Garret  Ilarfst,  who  came  to  America  and  settled  in 
this  township  in  1858;  he  is  now  deceased.  Mrs. 
Knuppel 's  birth  took  place  in  April,  1849,  and  by 
her  union  with  our  subject  she  has  become  the 
mother  of  six  children.  The  eldest  of  the  family, 
Emma  Johanna,  is  now  the  wife  of  Joseph  Hove}-, 
and  makes  her  home  in  Pennsylvania  Township; 


the  remainder  of  the  children  are:  August,  Anna 
Catherine,  John  Garret,  Henry  William  and  Louisa 
Rebecca.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knuppel  are  members  in 
good  standing  of  the  Methodist  Lutheran  Church, 
in  which  body  they  are  both  Sunday-school  teach- 
ers, and  the  former  holds  the  office  of  Deacon. 

Our  subject  has  given  his  children  good  educa- 
tions in  both  the  German  and  English  languages, 
and  from  the  interest  which  he  has  taken  in  school 
affairs,  his  fellow-citizens  have  elected  him  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board,  which  position  he  is  at  present 
holding  from  District  No.  2.  As  before  stated,  lie 
is  the  proud  possessor  of  four  hundred  acres  of 
land,  which  he  has  improved  and  cultivated  until 
it  is  one  of  the  best  in  Mason  County.  His  resi- 
dence, which  he  erected  in  1888,  cost  besides  his 
labor  $2,100,  and  is  finished  and  furnished  in  a 
manner  which  indicate  its  occupants  to  be  people 
of  means  and  culture. 

In  his  political  belief  Mr.  Knuppel  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  on  which  ticket  he  was  elected  Road 
Commissioner,  and  served  for  a  term  of  three 
years.  He  takes  an  active  part  in  all  the  work- 
ings of  his  party,  and  has  on  various  occasions 
been  sent  as  a  delegate  to  county  conventions.  As 
may  be  expected,  he  is  a  prominent  Grand  Army 
man,  meeting  with  J.  Q.  A.  Jones  Post  No.  526, 
at  Havana. 


J~~?  OHN  M.  BUNN  derives  both  pleasure  and 
|    profit    from   the   management   of   the   old 
i    homestead,  which  is  located  on  section  24, 
_       Mason  City  Township,  and  bears  a  full  line 
of  excellent    improvements.     He   was  born  on   a 
farm  in  Quiver  Township,  Mason  County,  May  5, 
1855,  and  is  the  son  of  David  Burin,  a  native  of 
New  Jersey,  where  the  father  was  reared  to  man's 
estate  and  followed  farm  pursuits. 

In  1848  David  Bunn  emigrated  to  this  state, 
and  locating  in  Quiver  Township,  this  county, 
purchased  a  quarter  section  of  land,  which,  when  it 
came  into  his  possession,  bore  no  improvements 
whatever.  He  remained  there  until  1869,  when  he 
took  up  his  abode  on  four  hundred  and  ten  acres 
of  land  in  this  township,  three  hundred  and  forty- 
nine  of  which  is  the  property  of  our  subject.  On 


538 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


it  the  father  erected  first  class  buildings  and  made 
many  other  valuable  improvements,  until  it  is  now 
one  of  the  best  appointed  and  most  attractive 
homes  in  this  part  of  the  state.  David  Bunn  re- 
tired from  the  farm  in  1882,  in  which  year  he  re- 
moved to  Mason  City,  but  only  lived  there  for 
eighteen  months,  when  he  returned  to  the  farm  and 
spent  the  following  two  years.  When  that  time 
had  expired  we  again  find  him  in  Mason  City, 
where  his  death  took  place  in  1886.  He  was  an 
ardent  Democrat  in  politics,  which  party  he  often 
served  on  various  committees  in  his  township  and 
for  many  years  was  School  Trustee. 

Mrs.  Cornelia  E.  (Appleman)  Bunn,  the  mother 
of  our  subject,  was  also  born  in  New  Jersey  and  is 
now  living,  making  her  home  in  Mason  City. 
She  is  the  mother  of  three  children,  Martha  A., 
Mrs.  M.  D.  Woodruff,  who  makes  her  home  in  Lin- 
coln, this  state;  John  M.,  of  this  sketch,  and  Will- 
iam C.,  who  is  an  agriculturist  of  this  township. 
lie  of  whom  we  write  spent  the  first  fourteen  years 
of  his  life  in  Quiver  Township,  and  after  coming  to 
this  township  carried  on  his  studies  in  the  district 
school.  He  had  been  thoroughly  trained  in  farm 
pursuits  by  his  honored  father,  and  often  when  the 
latter  was  away  on  business  he  assumed  the  man- 
agement of  the  estate,  although  quite  young  in 
years. 

Mr.  Bunn  remained  under  the  parental  roof  un- 
til his  marriage  January  26,'  1876,  when  Miss 
Martha  J.  Anderson  became  his  wife.  She  was 
born  in  Jacksonville,  this  state,  whence  she  was 
taken  by  her  parents,  when  four  years  of  age,  on 
their  removal  to  Sangamon  Count}',  and  later  to 
Logan  County,  where  she  met  and  was  married  to 
our  subject.  Soon  after  his  union,  the  original  of 
this  sketch  made  his  home  in  Sheridan  Township, 
the  above  county,  where  he  resided  until  the  spring 
of  1881,  when  he  took  possession  of  the  old  home- 
stead. The  first  two  years  after  coining  here  lie 
lived  in  the  city,  but  soon  found  that  he  could 
manage  affairs  better  by  living  upon  the  estate. 
He  has  the  place  slocked  with  thoroughbred  horses, 
cattle  and  swine,  and  is  giving  the  greater  part  of 
his  attention  to  stock-raising.  This  estate,  which 
is  considered  one  of  the  finest  in  Mason  County, 
includes  three  hundred  and  forty-nine  acres,  and 


our  subject  from  his  thorough  understanding  of 
farm  pursuits  is  adding  to  its  value  year  by  year. 
He  displays  excellent  judgment  and  untiring  in- 
dustry, and  the  success  which  is  attending  his  ef- 
forts is  well  deserved. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  M.  Bunn  have  been  born 
two  sons,  David  M.  and  Walter  A.  In  his  politi- 
cal belief  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  may  be  relied 
upon  at  all  times  to  give  his  influence  in  behalf  of 
all  that  is  true,  uplifting  and  beneficial. 


AMTTEL  BIGGS,  President  of  the  State 
Bank  of  San  Jose,  is  at  the  head  of  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  solid  financial  con- 
cerns of  Mason  County.  The  bank  was 
established  in  1892  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000, 
and  although  soon  afterward  came  the  trying  days 
of  the  panic,  when  banks  on  every  hand  sus- 
pended operations,  yet  this  institution  preserved 
its  credit,  and  now  ranks  among  the  substantial 
concerns  of  its  kind.  The  bank  building  is  a 
credit  to  the  village  of  San  Jose,  and  of  it  Mr. 
Biggs  is  half-owner.  It  is  an  elegant  two-story 
brick  structure,  with  an  imitation  stone  front. 
The  first  floor  is  occupied  by  the  bank,  while  on 
the  second  is  situated  a  fine  hall. 

In  addition  to  this  important  enterprise,  Mr. 
Biggs  is  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  on 
section  1,  township  21,  range  5,  Allen's  Grove 
Precinct,  where  he  owns  and  operates  four  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  choice  land  adjoining  the  vil- 
lage of  San  Jose.  He  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  having 
been  born  in  Clermont  County,  January  13,  1834. 
His  parents,  David  G.  and  Elizabeth  (Anderson) 
Biggs,  were  born,  reared  and  married  in  New  Jersey, 
and  there  five  of  their  children  were  born.  Thence 
about  1830  they  migrated  to  Clermont  Count}-, 
Ohio,  where  their  family  was  increased  by  the 
birth  of  two  children. 

The  brothers  and  sisters  of  our  subject  were 
named:  William  E.,  Margaret  J.,  John  A.,  Cath- 
arine A.,  David  F.  and  Mary  R.  E.  All  are  still 
living  with  the  exception  of  David  F.  The 
parents  are  deceased.  In  1855  Samuel  Biggs  came 


LIBRARY 

OF  (HI 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ttilNWS 


G.  W.  GREELEY. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


541 


to  Illinois  and  settled  near  Delavan,  Tazewell 
County,  where  he  worked  as  a  farm  laborer  for 
two  years.  Later  lie  went  across  the  plains  to 
Pike's  Peak,  where  he  worked  in  the  mines  for  a 
short  time.  From  there  he  went  to  Denver  and 
soon  afterward  returned  to  Illinois.  The  trip 
westward  had  been  made  with  an  ox  team  and  it 
required  from  March  15  to  July  to  reach  the 
journey's  end.  When  passing  through  Kansas, 
Mr.  Biggs  noticed  many  Indians  and  buffaloes, 
but  habitations  of  white  men  were  very  few. 

Having  gained  in  experience,  though  not  in 
monej',  Mr.  Biggs  returned  from  his  trip  west,  and 
for  two  years  continued  to  work  as  a  farm  laborer. 
July  7,  1860,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Isaac  C.  and  Agnes  Brown. 
This  lady  was  born  in  England,  October  1,  1838, 
and  accompanied  her  parents  to  the  United  States 
in  infancy.  She  died  January  25,  1881,  after 
having  become  the  mother  of  four  children. 
Oliver  S.,  who  was  born  May  6,  1861,  married 
Miss  Frances  Rummel,  March  3,  1887.  and  now 
lives  in  Allen's  Grove  Township.  Matilda,  who 
was  born  March  6,  1864,  married  Henry  Rummel, 
November  17,  1887,  and  they  reside  in  Logan 
County.  Agnes  E.  died  March  27,  1885;  Jean- 
nette  died  in  infancy. 

February  19,  1884,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Biggs  to  Miss  Elizabeth  F.,  daughter  of  George 
W.  and  Mildred  A.  Corbin.  Mrs.  Biggs  was  born 
in  Douglas  County,  111.,  May  21,  1854,  and  is  a 
lady  of  amiable  disposition,  devoted  to  the  wel- 
fare of  her  family.  Her  only  daughter,  Mary  E., 
was  born  February  1,  1885,  and  is  a  bright  child, 
the  pet  of  the  household  as  well  as  of  a  large 
circle  of  friends. 

August  12,  1862,  Mr.  Biggs  enlisted  in  the  de- 
fense of  the  Union,  becoming  a  member  of  Com- 
pany II,  One  Hundred  and  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry. 
He  was  with  the  Army  of  the  Mississippi  under 
General  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  and  participated  in  the 
battle  of  Haynes  Bluff  and  Arkansas  Post.  While 
he  was  not  wounded,  he  was  not  so  luck}'  in  escap- 
ing disease.  While  in  camp  at  Young's  Point,  he 
was  seized  with  a  severe  attack  of  measles  in 
February,  1863.  The  following  March  he  was 
honorably  discharged  for  disability.  After  his 


discharge  he  returned  home  to  his  family  iu  Mason 
County  and  resumed  farming  as  soon  as  he  was 
able. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Biggs  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
his  present  farm,  upon  which  he  at  once  commenced 
the  work  of  improvement.  As  prospered,  he  has 
added  to  his  original  purchase  until  he  is  now  the 
owner  of  four  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  as  fine 
farming  land  as  is  to  be  found  in  the  count}'.  In 
addition  to  this  tract  he  owns  four  hundred  acres 
in  Barber  County,  Kan.  In  politics  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  has  held  a  number  of  minor  offices  in  the 
township.  The  family  has  a  warm  place  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people  of  San  Jose  and  Allen's 
Grove  Township,  and  is  prominent  in  social 
circles. 


^^  EORGE  W.  GREELEY,a  well  known  farmer 
(||  c — -,  of  Elm  Grove  Township, Tazewell  Count}', 
^^^  has  for  forty-four  years  made  his  home  at 
his  present  place  of  residence.  He  was  born  in 
Salisbury  Township,  near  Franklin,  N.  II.,  Janu- 
ary 1,  1824,  and  is  one  of  nine  children,  four  of 
whom  are  yet  living.  His  father,  Benjamin  Gree- 
ley,  was  born  in  the  same  locality  as  our  subject, 
and  the  grandfather,  Benjamin  Greeley,  Sr.,  was  a 
native  of  Salisbury,  Mass.,  and  became  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Salisbury,  N.  II.,  where  he  spent 
his  last  days,  dying  at  an  advanced  age. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Rebecca  Whitcher.  She,  too,  was  born  in 
New  Hampshire  and  is  a  daughter  of  Jonathan 
Whitcher.  Benjamin  Greeley,  Jr.,  was  a  cooper 
by  trade  and  carried  on  that  occupation  in  con- 
nection with  farming.  In  1836  he  emigrated 
westward  with  his  family  and  located  in  Elm 
Grove  Township,  Tazewell  County,  111.,  where  he 
remained  until  called  to  the  home  beyond.  In 
the  summer  he  followed  farming  and  in  the  win- 
ter carried  on  coopering.  His  death  occurred  in 
1857,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven,  and  his  wife 
passed  away  in  1826. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Tazewell 
County  when  twelve  years  of  age.  He  had  ac- 


542 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


quired  a  good  education  in  his  native  state  and 
followed  teaching  as  a  means  of  livelihood  in  his 
earlier  years.  In  the  year  1851  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Sarah  Becker,  a  native  of  Al- 
bany, N.  Y.,  and  a  daughter  of  Adam  P.  and  Sa- 
rah (Briggs)  Becker,  the  former  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  the  latter  of  Massachusetts.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Greeley  were  born  four  sons  and  one 
daughter:  Edward  II.  and  George  D.,  who  are  now 
in  California;  Benjamin  L.,  who  remains  on  the 
home  farm;  and  James  M.  and  Laura  M.,  both  de- 
ceased. 

Mr.  Greeley  has  resided  upon  the  farm  which 
he  still  makes  his  home  since  the  year  1850.  It 
comprises  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  valu- 
able land,  which  as  the  result  of  his  untiring  ef- 
forts is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
well  improved,  being  supplied  with  all  the  acces- 
sories and  conveniences  of  a  model  farm.  It  is 
neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance  and  indicates  the 
careful  supervision  of  the  owner,  who  is  justly 
numbered  among  the  practical  and  progressive 
agriculturists  of  this  region. 

Mr.  Greeley  has  always  manifested  a  deep  inter- 
est in  everything  pertaining  to  the  development 
of  his  town  and  county  and  does  all  in  his  power 
to  aid  in  its  upbuilding  and  promote  its  advance- 
ment. In  1851,  when  Elm  Grove  was  first  organ- 
ized, he  was  elected  Tax  Collector,  and  was  three 
times  re-elected  to  that  office.  Since  the  township 
has  had  an  existence  he  has  continually  served  in 
some  of  its  public  offices  and  has  ever  been  found 
true  and  faithful  to  his  duties.  For  eighteen  years 
he  has  filled  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  and 
is  still  serving  in  that  capacity  with  credit  to  him- 
self and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  He  was 
for  some  years  Commissioner  of  Highways  and 
at  different  times  has  served  as  Town  Clerk,  Asses- 
sor and  Supervisor.  He  has  been  Treasurer  of  the 
school  fund  for  more  than  thirty-five  consecutive 
years,  and  his  public  spirit  and  devotion  to  the 
interests  of  the  people  have  made  him  one  of  the 
valued  citizens  of  the  community. 

Benjamin  L.  Greeley,  a  son  of  our  subject,  now 
operates  the  home  farm.  He  was  born  in  1866, 
and  on  the  3d  of  March,  1892,  he  married  Miss 
Mary  E.  Simpson,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  She  is 


one  of  a  family  of  ten  children  born  unto  W.  D. 
and  Nancy  J.  Simpson,  both  of  whom  are  still 
living. 


F.  AND  C.  A.  GRIFFIN,  who  follow  farm- 
ing in  Hittle  Township,  Tazewell  County, 
are  natives  of  Madison  Count}-,  Ohio,  and 
sons  of  Foster  and  Anna  (Allen)  Grilfin. 
The  grandpaients  were  Benjamin  and  Experience 
(Mitchell)  Griffin,  and  the  great-grandfather  also 
bore  the  name  of  Benjamin.  He  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  and  was  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Rev- 
olution. The  first  American  ancestors,  three  broth- 
ers by  the  name  of  Griffin,  crossed  the  Atlantic  in 
the  historic  "Mayflower"  in  1620  and  landed  at 
Plymouth  Rock.  One  of  the  brothers  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Indians  and  was  never  heard  from 
again. 

When  nineteen  years  of  age  his  grandfather  left 
his  home  in  New  York  and  went  to  Bradford 
County,  Pa.,  where  he  carried  on  farming  and 
blacksmithing.  Later  he  emigrated  to  Ohio,  loca- 
ting near  Cincinnati,  where  he  carried  on  mer- 
chandising for  a  short  time.  He  served  in  the  War 
of  1812,  and  was  never  wounded.  His  last  days 
were  spent  in  Van  Wert  County,  Ohio,  where  he 
died  at  the  age  of  ninety  years,  while  his  wife 
reached  the  age  of  ninety-one.  Foster  Griffin, 
father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
in  1806,  acquired  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  and  embarked  in  business  for  himself  as  a 
merchant  of  Liverpool,  Ohio,  where  he  carried  on 
operations  for  eighteen  years.  He  was  married  in 
Madison  County  to  Anna  Allen,  who  was  born 
in  1809,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Anna 
(Dodd)  Allen.  In  1856  Mr.  Griffin  emigrated  with 
his  family  to  Armington,  111.,  and  located  on  the 
farm  now  owned  by  his  sons.  Here  he  carried  on 
farming  and  stock-raising  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1872.  His  wife  survived  him  twelve 
years  and  passed  away  in  1884.  They  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  were 
highly  respected  people.  In  politics  Mr.  Griffin 
was  a  Republican.  The  family  numbered  five  chil- 
dren: Mary  E.,  wife  of  J.  Q.  Darnell;  S.  F.;  B.  H., 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


543 


deceased;  S.  E.,  wife  of  William  Kelley;  and  C.  A. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  S.  F.  and  C. 
A.  Griflin  were  reared  and  with  their  parents  came 
to  Illinois.  After  their  father's  death  B.  H.  and 
C.  A.  engaged  in  business  together.  B.  H.  died  in 
February,  1892.  Since  then  C.  A.  has  continued  the 
business.  The  elder  brother  is  now  quite  exten- 
sively engaged  in  the  breeding  of  fine  horses  and 
owns  some  fine  imported  stock.  They  are  both 
men  of  good  business  ability,  and  b}'  their  well 
directed  efforts  have  won  success.  The  younger 
brother  is  not  only  now  engaged  in  farming,  but 
also  carries  on  business  as  a  grain  and  lumber  mer- 
chant of  Armington. 

In  1876  C.  A.  Griffin  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  A.  E.  Albright,  daughter  of  Michael  and 
Mary  A.  Albright.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  three  children,  Anna,  Homer  and  Virgil.  The 
father  of  this  family  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows' society,  and  is  a  public  spirited  and  pro- 
gressive citizen,  who  gives  his  support  and  co-op- 
eration to  all  enterprises  calculated  to  prove  of 
public  benefit.  The  brothers  are  representatives 
of  an  honored  pioneer  family,  and  are  numbered 
among  the  leading  farmers  and  valued  citizens  of 
their  adopted  county. 

.  J,  ->  S-^. <* 


J"  [  AMES  MOSLANDER.   This  gentleman  may 
truly  be  called  a  self-made  man,  as  will  be 
!    seen  by  the  perusal  of  his  history.     He  oc- 
cupies a  finelj'  improved   farm  on  section 
10,    Salt    Creek    Township,  Mason    County,   and 
ranks  among  the  highly  respected  citizens  of  the 
county  by  reason  of  his  intelligence  and   sterling 
character.     He  is  an  enterprising  farmer,  prudently 
changing  the  crops  in  order  to  keep  up  the  fertil- 
ity of  the  soil,  and  devoting  the  greater  amount  of 
his  land  to  grain  without  neglecting  other  articles 
of  produce. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Cape  May  County, 
N.  J.,  November  16,  1834,  and  is  the  son  of  James 
Moslander,  also  a  native  of  that  county,  where  his 
birth  occurred  in  1794.  He  spent  the  years  of  his 
life  until  1840  in  New  Jersey,  and  that  year  com- 
ing west  to  Illinois  located  in  Sangamon  County, 


whence  he  afterward  removed  to  Menard  Count}'. 
After  a  residence  in  the  latter  place  of  a  year  the 
father  came  to  this  county  and  made  location  in 
Leeses  Grove,  where  he  purchased  property  for 
which  he  paid  $1.25  per  acre.  He  erected  a  log 
house  on  the  new  land  and  worked  hard  to  place 
it  under  cultivation.  He  lived  here  until  his  de- 
cease, which  occurred  in  April,  1849,  when  in  his 
fifty-fifth  year.  His  father,  Abram  Moslander,  is 
supposed  to  have  been  born  in  Long  Island  and 
was  of  German  descent. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Evans)  Moslander  was  born, 
reared  and  married  in  New  Jersey  and  was  the 
daughter  of  David  Evans.  James,  of  this  sketch, 
was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  the  parental 
family,  and  was  six  years  of  age  when  he  was 
brought  by  his  parents  to  this  state.  After  their 
location  in  this  county  he  carried  on  his  studies 
in  a  log  schoolhouse  in  Salt  Creek  Township. 
During  vacation  he  assisted  in  performing  the 
farm  duties  and  remained  at  home  until  his  mar- 
riage, which  event  was  celebrated  March  31,  1859, 
when  Miss  Eliza  Shay  became  his  wife.  Mrs.  Mos- 
lauder  was  torn  in  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  Novem- 
ber 19,  1840.  She  came  to  this  county  in  compan}' 
with  her  mother  and  step-father  when  fifteen  years 
of  age,  and  here  met  and  married  our  subject. 

Soon  after  his  marriage  James  Moslander  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  in  Salt  Creek  Township,  which  he 
operated  with  good  success  for  six  years.  In  1866 
he  purchased  his  present  estate  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  when  it  bore  but  few  improve- 
ments. It  is  now  thoroughly  tilled,  improved  in 
every  part,  and  is  made  more  valuable  by  the 
erection  of  good  and  favorably  located  buildings. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
eleven  children,  all  of  whom  are  deceased  with  the 
exception  of  two.  They  are:  Alpheus  P.,  born  in 
1869,  and  Arthur  F.,  who  was  born  in  1880.  The 
former  was  married  in  1891  to  Miss  Ellen  B.  Ben- 
nett, of  Menard  County,  where  they  now  reside; 
they  have  one  child,  Harmon.  Those  deceased  are: 
Charles  L.,  who  died  in  1864,  as  did  also  George 
W.  and  Sarah  E.;  James  and  Christine  departed 
this  life  in  1868,and  John  F.  in  1874.  Three  died 
unnamed. 

In    politics   Mr.  Moslander  gives  his  allegiance 


544 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


to  the  Republican  party.  He  has  never  sought 
office,  but  at  the  solicitation  of  his  fellow-citizens 
he  has  at  different  times  occupied  the  positions  of 
School  Director  and  Commissioner  of  Highways. 
With  his  wife  he  is  an  active  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Epicopal  Church,  in  which  he  has  been  Trus- 
tee and  Steward. 

Mrs.  Moslander  is  the  youngest  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren born  to  her  parents,  ten  of  whom  grew  to 
manhood  and  womanhood.  She  was  seven  years 
of  age  when  her  father,  Samuel  Shay,  died.  He 
was  born  July  10,  1797,  and  died  in  1833.  He 
was  a  native  of  New  York,  while  her  mother,  Mrs. 
Sarah  (Fowler)  Shay,  was  born  February  29,  1800, 
in  New  Jersey,  and  died  in  Wisconsin  in  1867. 


[OHN  T.  TOM  LIN.  Crane  Creek  Township, 
Mason  County,  is  a  rich  agricultural  center) 
and  the  men  who  conduct  its  farming  in- 
terests are  enterprising,  self-reliant  and 
shrewd  business  men.  Among  these  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  occupies  no  unimportant  place,  being 
the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  eighty-seven  acres 
of  finely  cultivated  land,  pleasantly  located  on 
sections  1  and  2. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  born  in  Sangamon 
County,  this  state,  March  19,  1841,  and  is  the  son 
of  Thompson  Tomlin,  a  native  of  Cumberland 
County,  N.  J.,  where  his  birth  occurred  in  August, 
1812.  He  was  there  reared  to  manhood,  and 
resided  until  1887.  when  he  journeyed  to  this  state 
and  located  on  land  about  ten  miles  west  of 
Springfield.  This  he  cultivated  until  1846,  when 
he  came  to  this  county,  making  his  home  in  Crane 
Creek  Township,  where  he  also  engaged  in  farm 
pursuits.  The  land  here  was  purchased  from  Isaac 
Tinkem,and  the  only  improvement  which  it  bore 
was  a  rude  log  cabin  and  about  ten  acres  of  the 
soil  broken. 

In  1854  Thompson  Tomlin  removed  to  another 
purchase  in  the  same  township,. which  was  located 
on  section  11,  where  his  decease  occurred  when  in 
his  sixtieth  year.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  the  township,  and  so  conducted  himself  in 


his  career  as  a  farmer,  husband,  father  and  neigh- 
bor as  to  win  the  respect  and  regard  of  all  who 
knew  him.  He  was  a  Douglas  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics, and  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
many  years.  He  was  the  son  of  John  Tomlin.  who 
was  of  Irish  and  English  descent. 

Mrs.  Rebecca  (Moslander)  Tomlin,  the  mother 
of  our  subject,  was,  like  her  husband,  also  a  native 
of  Cumberland  County,  N.  J.,  and  the  date  of  her 
birth  was  September,  1815.  She  was  reared  and 
married  in  her  native  place,  and  at  the  present 
time  makes  her  home  in  this  county.  She  became 
the  mother  of  ten  children,  seven  of  whom  grew 
to  manhood  and  womanhood.  John  T.  was  the 
fourth  in  order  of  birth,  and  was  a  lad  of  five 
years  when  the  removal  of  the  family  brought 
them  to  this  county.  Here  he  attended  school  in 
a  log  cabin  with  its  puncheon  floor,  old-fashioned 
fireplace  and  rude  seats,  and  during  vacations 
assisted  on  the  farm. 

When  attaining  his  majority,  our  subject  began 
earning  his  own  money,  his  first  work  being  as  a 
farm  laborer.  This  he  carried  on  for  a  twelve- 
month, and  after  farming  on  his  own  account  for 
the  same  length  of  time,  he  was  married  the  next 
year,  July  2,  1863,  to  Miss  Catherine  Zentmire,  a 
native  of  Ohio.  Mrs.  Tomlin  was  born  in  Warren 
County  in  June,  1839,  and  departed  this  life  two 
years  after  her  marriage,  her  death  being  occa- 
sioned by  the  explosion  of  a  can  of  oil.  The  two 
sons  of  whom  she  became  the  mother  died  in 
infancy. 

The  lady  to  whom  our  subject  was  married  in 
1866  was  Miss  Lydia  J.  Neal.  She  was  born  in 
this  state,  while  her  parents  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia. Of  this  marriage  were  born  ten  children, 
of  whom  the  six  living  are:  Bertha,  at  home; 
Rose,  attending  college  in  Bushnell,  McDonough 
County,  this  state;  Eva,  Oscar,  Roscoe  and  Rus- 
sell. Those  deceased  are  Catherine,  Scott,  John  T. 
and  Frank. 

After  his  first  marriage  Mr.  Tomlin  located  on 
the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  and  a  portion  of 
which  he  purchased  from  William  Pelham  without 
even  a  dollar  to  pay  down.  He  began  tilling  the 
soil  and  gradually  accumulated  means  which  ena- 
bled him  to  pay  off  his  indebtedness,  lie  gives 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

umvERsm  »  ILLINOIS 


EDWARD   PRATT. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


547 


considerable  attention  to  the  breeding  of  fine 
stock,  and  the  well  tilled  acres  are  devoted  to 
raising  mixed  crops.  He  has  a  substantial  dwell- 
ing, which  was  completed  in  1889  at  a  cost  of 
$1,700,  and  a  barn  which  is  valued  at  $1,000. 

Mr.  Tomlin  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  was 
a  Constable  for  three  years.  Has  been  Tax  Col- 
lector, Justice  of  the  Peace  for  eight  years,  Road 
Commissioner  eight  years,  and  School  Director  and 
Trustee  twelve  years.  (Socially,  he  belongs  to 
Lodge  No.  403,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Mason  City; 
Havana  Chapter  No.  86;  Damascus  Commandery 
No.  42.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  P^piscopal  Church,  and  they  live  the 
lives  of  true  Christians. 


PRATT,  one  of  the  highly  re- 
spected citizens  of  Tazewell  County,  who 
resides  in  Tremont  and  follows  farming  in 
Elm  Grove  Township,  claims  Massachusetts  as  the 
state  of  his  nativity,  and  was  born  in  Pelham, 
Hampshire  County,  June  10,  1833.  His  father, 
Nathaniel  Pratt,  was  a  native  of  Belchertown, 
Mass.,  and  in  1838  came  to  the  west  with  his  fam- 
ily, locating  in  Elm  Grove  Township.  He  was  a 
wheelwright  by  trade  and  followed  that  pursuit  for 
many  years.  In  1849  he  turned  his  attention  to 
farming,  and  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until 
his  death,  in  1853.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mary  II.  Kinginau,  was  born  in  Bridge- 
water,  Mass. 

The  Kingman  family  was  founded  in  the  Old 
Bay  State  in  1627,  when  the  first  American  ances- 
tors landed  at  Plymouth.  The  father  of  Mrs. 
Pratt  was  Henry  Kingman,  of  Bridgewater,  Mass. 
In  early  life  he  removed  to  Pelham,  Mass.,  and 
some  of  his  descendants  are  now  living  on  the  old 
homestead  at  that  place.  In  the  Pratt  family  were 
five  children:  Amelia,  who  died  at  the  age  .of  six- 
teen; Eliza,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen;  Ed- 
ward, of  this  sketch;  Warner  L.,  a  resident  of  Elm 
Grove;  and  Henry,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four. 

Mr.  Pratt,  whose  name   heads  this   record,  was  a 


lad  of  six  summers  when  with  his  parents  he  came 
to  Illinois.  In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  boys 
he  spent  his  childhood  days,  and  when  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  started  out  in 
life  for  himself  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world. 
He  had  acquired  a  good  education,  having  at- 
tended a  private  school  at  Tremout,  and  later  an 
academy  in  Galesburg,  111.  He  was  twenty-eight 
years  of  age  when,  in  August,  1862,  he  responded 
to  the  President's  call  for  troops  to  aid  in  crushing 
out  the  Rebellion,  and  became  a  member  of  Com- 
pany I,  One  Hundred  and  Eighth  Illinois  Infan- 
try, in  which  he  served  three  years,  being  mustered 
out  in  August,  1865.  For  a  time  he  was  Sergeant- 
Major,  but  when  discharged  was  serving  as  First 
Lieutenant.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Chickasaw  Bayou,  Arkansas  Post,  Champion  Hills, 
the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  the  battles  of  Guntown  and 
Memphis  and  the  siege  of  Mobile,  together  with 
many  other  engagements  of  lesser  importance.  He 
was  always  found  at  his  post  of  duty,  true  to  the 
Old  Flag  and  the  cause  it  represented. 

When  the  country  no  longer  need  his  services, 
Mr.  Pratt  returned  home  and  resumed  farming. 
In  February,  1879,  he  married  Mary  A.  Griffith,  a 
native  of  Tazewell  County,  and  a  daughter  of 
John  Griffith,  who  came  of  an  old  Virginia  family. 
On  removing  to  the  north  he  settled  in  Illinois, 
where  he  and  his  wife  spent  their  last  days.  Since 
his  marriage  Mr.  Pratt  has  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  practical  and 
progressive  farmers  of  the  county.  He  also  has  an 
honorable  ofh'cial  business  career. 

In  politics  Mr.  Pratt  is  a  stalwart  Democrat,  and 
has  frequently  been  elected  on  that  ticket  to  public 
office.  In  1859  he  was  made  Assessor  of  Elm  Grove 
Township,  and  was  afterward  re-elected;  he  also 
served  as  Collector  one  term.  In  1868  he  was 
elected  County  Sheriff  for  a  term  of  two  years,  af- 
terward served  as  Commissioner  of  Highways,  and 
for  one  term  was  County  Supervisor.  In  1874  he 
was  again  elected  Sheriff,  and  on  the  expiration  of 
his  term  was  ckosen  his  own  successor.  Later  he 
was  made  Highway  Commissioner.  He  has  also 
served  as  School  Trustee,  has  frequently  been 
Trustee  of  Tremont,  and  for  three  terms  has  been 
President  of  the  Village  Board,  which  position  he 


548 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


now  occupies.  The  confidence  and  trust  reposed 
in  him  are  shown  by  his  frequent  call  to  office,  and 
his  faithfulness  and  fidelity  have  been  manifested 
by  his  various  re-elections.  His  course  in  office  has 
ever  been  straightforward  and  honorable,  and  has 
won  him  the  high  commendation  of  all  concerned. 
Since  1868  he  has  been  a  member  of  Tremont 
Lodge  No.  462,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M. 


1  OHN  J.  DONALDSON,  a  capitalist  and  real- 
estate  owner  of  Havana,  was  born  in  New 
York  in  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  James  Don- 
aldson, a  native  of  Scotland,  hav  ing  been 
in  I laddington,  October  20,1811.  On  the 
15th  of  May,  1830,  the  date  of  his  marriage,  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  leaving  his  young  wife 
in  the  land  of  Scotia.  So  well  was  he  pleased  with 
the  prospects  offered  by  the  New  World,  that  he  re- 
turned for  his  wife,  and  in  the  spring  of  1832 
again  crossed  the  ocean,  the  voyage  consuming 
eighty  days. 

Settling  in  New  York,  Mr.  Donaldson  there  re- 
mained for  a  number  of  years,  removing  thence  to 
LaSalle  County,  111.,  in  1845.  During  the  follow- 
ing year  he  was  employed  on  the  canal, and  sub- 
sequently ran  a  repairing  boat  for  the  state,  em- 
ploying from  sixteen  to  twenty-five  hands.  In 
1849,  he  bought  forty-six  acres  of  canal  land  at 
$4.50  per  acre,  and  fifteen  years  afterward  bought 
another  eight}'  at  $30  an  acre.  He  opened  a  quarry 
on  his  farm,  and  for  three  years  supplied  sandstone 
for  some  of  the  best  buildings  in  the  count}'  and 
for  the  bridges  on  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pa- 
cific Railroad,  at  the  same  time  carrying  on  his 
farm.  In  1861  he  moved  to  Utica,  and  there,  until 
1875,  was  engaged  in  the  meat  business,  after 
which  time  he  lived  retired  until  his  death,  Sep- 
tember 12,  1890. 

A  Democrat  in  politics,  Mr.  Donaldson  served  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  five  years, and  as  Highway 
Commissioner  for  six  years.  In  educational  mat- 
ters he  was  especially  interested,  and  served  as 
superintendent  in  the  erection  of  a  large  school- 
house  in  Utica.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 


Margaret  Caroline  McKinzie,  and  who  was  born 
in  Scotland,  passed  from  earth  January  16,  1885. 
Five  children  had  been  born  to  them,  but  two  of 
the  number  died  in  infancy.  The  survivors  are 
our  subject  and  his  two  sisters,  Frances,  wife  of 
Lewis  Falrad,  and  Harriet,  who  married  Clark 
Dickinson. 

At  the  age  of  six  years  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
accompanied  his  parents  to  LaSalle  County,  III., 
settling  witli  them  near  Utica,  where  he  received  a 
common  school  education.  In  1861  he  enlisted  as 
a  member  of  Company  K,  Eleventh  Illinois  In- 
fantry, commanded  by  Capt.  H.  H.  Carter  and  Col. 
W.  H.  L.  Wallace,  assigned  to  the  Seventeenth 
Army  Corps.  After  having  served  for  three 
years,  he  was  mustered  out  at  Vicksburg,  Miss., 
August  9,  1864,  and  returned  immediately  to  La- 
Salle County.  In  the  spring  of  the  following  year, 
he  came  to  Mason  County,  and  purchasing  land 
embarked  in  farming,  which  he  has  since  conducted 
successfully.  For  some  years  he  has  engaged  in 
the  buying  and  shipping  of  stock,  and  has  also 
transacted  business  in  shipping  grain.  His  landed 
possessions  are  large  and  valuable  and  require  con- 
siderable attention  on  his  part. 

While  not  at  all  partisan  in  his  preferences,  Mr. 
Donaldson  entertains  a  pronounced  sympathy  for 
and  belief  in  the  principles  of  the  Democratic 
party.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  Havana  Lodge 
No.  88,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Chapter  No.  86,  R.  A.  M.,  and 
Damascus  Commandery  No.  42,  K.  T.  On  the  9th 
of  December,  1864,  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Mc- 
Harry,  who  was  born  near  Albany,  in  Floyd 
County,  Ind.,  removing  thence  with  her  parents  to 
Mason  County,  111.,  where  she  was  reared.  Her 
father,  Hugh  McHarry,  was  a  native  of  the  North 
of  Ireland,  and  emigrated  thence  to  the  United 
States,  settling  in  Indiana.  From  there,  some 
time  during  the  '40s,  he  came  to  Mason  County, 
and  on  Quiver  Creek  built  the  first  flour  mill  in  the 
county.  He  always  took  an  active  interest  in  pub- 
lic affairs  and  built  the  new  iron  bridge  at  Havana. 
Hugh  McHarry,  about  1872,  bought  the  wooden 
bridge  that  spanned  the  Illinois  River  at  Havana, 
which  at  the  time  was  out  of  repair,  the  draw  hav- 
ing fallen  into  the  river.  He  immediately  replaced 
the  draw  by  an  iron  draw,  after  which  he  made  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


549 


entire  bridge  of  iron.  Mr.  McHarry  made  a  con- 
tract with  the  city  of  Havana,  by  which  the 
bridge  was  to  fall  to  the  city  at  his  death.  The 
stipulation  in  the  contract  was,  that  the  city  was 
to  pay  him  $100  per  month  during  his  life  time, 
and  then  at  his  death  this  payment  was  to  stop, 
and  the  city  was  to  become  owner  of  the  bridge 
in  fee  simple. 

A  successful  business  man,  at  the  time  of  his 
death  lie  was  said  to  be  the  richest  man  in  the  en- 
tire county.  In  politics,  he  was  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, always  upholding  the  principles  of  that 
party  with  fidelity  and  enthusiasm.  Prior  to  com- 
ing to  Illinois,  he  made  a  brief  sojourn  in  both 
Kentucky  and  Ohio.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Rachel  Davis,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  re- 
moved thence  to  Ohio,  and  died  in  Mason  County 
September  28,  1869,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Donaldson  were  the  parents  of  four 
children,  as  follows:  Mellora  L.;  James  H.,  deceased; 
Dollie  L.  and  Margaret  Caroline. 


JOHN    BKNTON   BARNES.     There  are  few 
residents   of    Mason    County    who  are  un- 
familiar with    the    name    introducing    this 
'    sketch.     It  is  that  of  a  self-made  man  in 
the    broadest'  sense    of    the  term,  one  who  in  his 
youth  resolved  to  make  life  a  success  if,  that  result 
could  be  secured  by    industry  and  wise   manage- 
ment.    Without  the  prestige  of  family  or  the  in- 
fluence of  wealth  to  aid    him    he   has  worked    his 
way  to  the   highest  round  of  the  ladder  and  now 
occupies  a  prominent  place  among  the  agricultur- 
ists   of   Forest  City  Township,  where    he  owns  a 
quarter-section    of  valuable   laud;    he  is  also  the 
proprietor  of  an  improved  tract  of  eight  hundred 
acres  in  Nebraska. 

Our  subject  is  the  youngest  son  of  Deacon 
Nathan  Barnes,  now  deceased,  and  of  whom  a 
more  extended  sketch  will  be  found  in  the  biog- 
raphy of  George  E.  Barnes  on  another  page  of  this 
work.  John  Ben  ton  Barnes  was  born  on  the  3d  of 
October,  1846,  in  Greenfield,  Hillsboro  County,  N. 


H.,and  upon  the  removal  of  his  parents  to  Bunker 
Hill,  Macoupin  County,  this  state,  there  attended 
the  public  schools. 

During  the  progress  of  the  late  war  Mr.  Barnes, 
in  February,  1864,  left  home  and  in  company  with 
Fred  Cross,  who  was  sutler  for  the  Seventh  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  joined  that  regiment  at  Pulaski, 
Teun.  It  formed  a  part  of  General  Sherman's 
army  and  was  stationed  the  greater  portion  of  the 
time  at  Rome,  Ga.  In  September  of  that  year  our 
subject  was  appointed  Clerk  to  the  Postmaster  of 
the  Fourth  Division,  Fifteenth  Army  Corps  of 
General  Sherman's  army,  which  position  he  held 
until  April  13,  1865,  when  he  participated  in  the 
celebrated  march  to  the  sea  and  on  through  the 
Carolinas.  He  left  his  regiment  at  Goldsboro, 
N.  C., returning  home  May  11  of  that  year  to  this 
county. 

In  the  fall  of  the  above  year  Mr.  Barnes  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  land  on  section  30,  this 
township,  which  he  sold  three  years  later  to  A.  H. 
Barnes,  and  going  to  Whiteside  County  rented 
land  there.  He  was  married  in  that  place  June  9, 
1869,  to  Miss  Mary  L.,  daughter  of  Rev.  Francis 
and  Marcia  Cornelia  (Blair)  Smith,  the  former  of 
whom  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  the  latter  a  native 
of  New  York  State.  Her  parents  were  married  in 
the  Empire  State  and  there  made  their  home  until 
coming  to  Illinois  in  1846.  The  father  was  a  min- 
ister of  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church  and  died 
near  Independence,  Iowa,  in  1872.  The  mother 
still  survives.  Three  of  their  children  are  now 
living.  Marian,  the  wife  of  J.  W.  De  Lapp,  re- 
sides in  Chickasaw  County,  Iowa.  Flora  J.,  now 
Mrs.  Robert  Miller,  makes  her  home  near  Shenan- 
doah,  that  state,  and  Mrs.  Barnes,  who  is  the 
youngest,  was  born  June  2,  1851,  near  Mel  leu  ry, 
this  state. 

In  March,  1870,  our  subject  and  his  wife  came 
to  Mason  County  and  lived  for  a  year  with  A.  II. 
Barnes,  when  they  purchased  a  farm  on  the  bluffs 
nine  miles  northwest  of  his  present  place.  But 
selling  very  soon  afterward,  he  rented  property 
for  three  years  and  in  1875  bought  his  present 
estate.  It  includes  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
and  bears  a  fine  line  of  improvements,  the  most 
of  which  he  has  placed  upon  it  himself.  His  pres- 


550 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ent  substantial  and  commodious  residence  was 
erected  in  1874. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Ida  M.,  now  Mrs.  James  B.  Whittaker, 
who  lives  in  Man ito  Township;  Gilbert  A.  and  Alta 
Roselle.  The  wife  and  mother  is  a  member  of  the 
Wesleyan  Methodist  Church,  while  our  subject  isa 
Baptist  in  religion.  They  have  given  their  chil- 
dren fine  educations.  Mrs.  Whittaker  was  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Lincoln  (111.)  University. 

Our  subject  is  a  Republican  in  politics  with 
prohibition  tendencies,  and  has  been  keenly  alive 
to  the  interests  of  his  party.  He  has  been  Direc- 
tor of  School  District  No.  9,  and  for  eleven  years 
was  Commissioner  of  Garden  Special  Drainage 
District,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  organizers, 
and  was  very  active  in  getting  it  in  working  order. 
An  uncle  of  our  subject,  Artemus  Barnes,  was  a 
bachelor  and  made  his  home  with  him  for  seven- 
teen years,  or  until  his  death,  January  23,  1892. 
Mrs.  Marcia  C.  Smith,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Barnes, 
has  also  made  her  home  with  our  subject  for  the 
past  twenty  years. 


AMES  M.  SAMUELL,  SK.,  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  on  his  fine  farm  on  section  26, 
Sherman  Township,  Mason  County.  As  he 
is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  com- 
munity, we  feel  assured  that  this  record  will  prove 
of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers.  Born  in  Vir- 
ginia, on  the  27th  of  July,  1809,  he  is  a  son  of 
Andrew  Samuell,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  in 
1784,  and  a  grandson  of  Thomas  Samuell.  who  was 
of  English  descent.  The  father  served  as  a  soldier 
in  the  War  of  1812.  In  the  Old  Dominion  he  mar- 
ried Sarali  Broaddus,  who  was  born  in  Caroline 
County,  Va.,  in  1788,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Ed- 
ward Broaddus,  a  native  of  the  same  state.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Samuell  continued  to  live  in  Virginia  un- 
til 1815,  which  year  witnessed  their  emigration  to 
Kentuck}-.  They  settled  in  Christian  County,  near 
Hopkins  ville,  where  they  made  their  home  for  some 
time.  In  1835,  they  removed  to  Morgan  County, 
111.,  and  in  1838  came  to  Mason  County,  locating 


five  miles  south  of  Bath  on  the  Illinois  River.  The 
father  died  in  1869,  and  the  mother  passed  away 
some  years  previous.  They  were  the  parents  of  a 
family  of  nine  children,  six  of  whom  are  yet  liv- 
ing, namely:  James,  whose  name  heads  this  record; 
Robert,  Benjamin,  William,  Henry,  and  Mrs.  Sarali 
Thompson,  a  resident  of  Kansas. 

Our  subject  spent  the  first  six  years  of  his  life 
in  the  state  of  his  nativity,  and  then  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Kentucky,  where  in  the  common 
schools  he  acquired  his  education.  He  was  reared 
on  a  farm  and  early  became  familiar  with  all  the 
duties  of  farm  life.  In  1834,  he  made  his  way  to 
Havana,  111.,  and  since  that  time  has  lived  in  this 
section  of  the  state. 

In  1838,  Mr.  Samuell  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Matilda  Taylor,  daughter  of  John  and  Bar- 
bara (Beason)  Taylor,  both  natives  of  North  Caro- 
lina, the  former  born  September  13,  1782,  and  the 
latter  March  7,  1788.  Removing  to  Tennessee, 
they  lived  near  Nashville  for  a  time,  and  in  1828 
became  residents  of  Cass  County,  111.,  where  the 
father  died  September  3,  1842.  His  wife  long  sur- 
vived him,  being  called  to  the  home  beyond  June 
13,  1871.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children, 
but  Mrs.  Samuell  is  now  the  only  survivor  of  the 
family.  She  was  born  on  the  4th  of  January, 
1819,  in  Sunnier  County,  Tenn. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Samuell  lookup  his  resi- 
dence in  Virginia,  Cass  County,  111.  He  hauled 
the  first  stick  of  timber  used  for  a  "house  at  that 
place,  and  for  some  time  was  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  growth  and  development  of  that 
region.  The  history  of  pioneer  life  in  this  com- 
rnunit}'  is  familiar  to  him,  and  he  can  relate  many 
interesting  incidents  of  the  days  when  this  was  a 
frontier  settlement.  In  1844,  he  came  to  Mason 
County,  and  settled  on  Field's  Prairie,  five  miles 
southeast  of  Bath,  where  he  improved  a  farm.  For 
several  years  he  continued  its  cultivation,  but  in 
1855  removed  to  the  farm  on  which  he  has  since 
lived.  It  was  then  a  wild  tract,  not  a  furrow  hav- 
ing been  turned  or  an  improvement  made,  but 
with  characteristic  energy  he  began  its  develop- 
ment, and  in  course  of  time  abundant  harvests 
were  garnered  as  the  reward  of  his  earnest  labors. 
As  his  financial  resources  increased  he  made  addi- 


LIBRARY 

of  m 

UNIVEKSI1Y  Qf 


GEORGE   FURRER. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


553 


tional  purchases  of  land,  until  atone  time  he  owned 
one  thousand  acres,  but  of  this  he  has  given  a  con- 
siderable portion  to  his  children.  In  1872  he  laid 
out  the  village  of  Easton. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Samuell  were  born  twelve  chil- 
dren, of  whom  five  are  3'et  living.  JohuT.,  of  Sher- 
man Township,  married  Octavia  Samuell  and  has 
nine  children;  James  M.  married  Mary  Cooper. and 
has  six  children;  Paschal  II.  married  Annie  Lacy 
and  has  eight  children;  Robert  B.  is  at  home,  and 
Lucy  E.  is  the  wife  of  W.  A.  Lee,  a  wholesale  mer- 
chant of  Peoria,  by  whom  she  has  two  children. 

The  parents  of  this  family  are  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  and  for  many  years  Mr.  Samuell 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He 
organized  the  school  district  and  built  the  first 
schoolhouse,  served  as  School  Director,  and  has 
ever  labored  in  the  interests  of  education.  He  cast 
his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Henry  Clay,  and  for 
many  years  supported  the  Democracy,  but  is  now 
independent  in  politics.  He  served  as  Justice  of 
the  Peace  during  the  late  war,  and  has  long  been 
recognized  as  one  of  the  prominent  and  highly 
honored  citizens  of  Sherman  Township. 


FURRER,  one  of  the  progressive 
farmers  of  Sherman  Township,  Mason 
County,  is  now  living  on  section  36,  where 
he  owns  and  operates  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  valuable  land,  all  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  He  was  born  on  the  17th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1843,  in  Baden,  Germany,  and  when  about 
nine  years  of  age  was  brought  by  his  parents  to 
America.  He  was  reared  under  the  parental  roof 
and  worked  at  farm  labor  in  all  its  various  de- 
partments until  he  entered  the  Union  army.. 

Feeling  that  the  country  needed  his  services, 
and  prompted  by  patriotic  impulses,  Mr.  Furrer  in 
December,  1861,  joined  the  boys  in  blue  of  Com- 
pany M,  Second  Illinois  Cavalry,  at  Havana 
under  Captain  Solenbarger,  now  deceased.  He 
17 


joined  his  regiment  at  Bird's  Point,  Mo.,  went 
thence  to  Kentucky,  and  entered  Columbus  with 
the  first  troops  that  marched  into  that  city.  lie  was 
engaged  for  a  time  in  guarding  railroads  and  par- 
ticipated in  some  skirmishes,  after  which  he  went 
to  Union  City  and  later  to  Moscow.  He  took  part 
in  the  battle  of  Bolivar,  where  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Hogg  was  killed,  and  in  the  battle  of  La  Grange. 
Under  the  command  of  General  Grant  he  went 
through  Mississippi  to  Oxford,  after  which  lie  re- 
turned to  Holly  Springs.  His  company  served  as 
body  guard  for  General  Lahman  on  this  expedi- 
tion until  they  fell  back  to  Memphis,  where  they 
joined  the  regiment.  They  then  went  to  Baton 
Rouge,  La.,  where  they  were  engaged  in  scouting 
and  in  guard  duty.  A  sharp  fight  occurred  at 
Tallahatchee  River.  From  Baton  Rouge  they 
marched  seven  hundred  miles  to  West  Pascagoula 
Bay,  and  thence  to  New  Orleans,  after  which 
they  returned  to  Baton  Rouge.  Our  subject  was 
there  mustered  out  and  in  Cairo,  111.,  was  honor- 
ably discharged  in  January,  1865.  He  was  in  all 
the  engagements  of  his  company,  but  was  never 
wounded  or  taken  prisoner. 

When  his  time  had  expired  Mr.  Furrer  returned 
to  his  home  and  began  farming  on  the  old  home- 
stead, where  hecontinued  to  reside  until  1869.  In 
that  year  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Kreiling,  a 
daughter  of  H.  G.  Kreiling,  now  deceased.  Their 
union  has  been  blessed  with  ten  children,  namely: 
Barbara,  Oscar,  Henry,  Clara,  Annie,  Eva,  Fannie, 
Addie,  Ollie  and  George. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Furrer  resided  for  one 
year  in  Pennsylvania  Township,  and  in  1870  re- 
moved to  a  farm  on  which  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  He  now  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land,  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation and  finely  improved.  In  1882  he  erected  a 
fine  residence  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  and  the  other 
buildings  upon  the  place  are  in  keeping  with  his 
home.  In  connection  with  general  farming  he 
makes  a  specialty  of  raising  shorthorn  graded 
stock  for  the  market.  His  success  in  life  is  his 
own  achievement.  It  results  from  earnest  and 
untiring  effort,  not  from  fortunate  circumstances, 
and  is  therefore  well  deserved.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Furrer  is  a  Democrat,  and  he  and  his  wife  are 


554 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


members  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  Throughout 
the  community  they  have  a  wide  acquaintance  and 
are  held  in  high  regard  by  all. 


|;  OSEPH  CULBERTSON  DUNCAN,  one  of 
the  wealthy  retired  farmers  of  Deiavan,  was 
born  near  Newville,  on  "  Big  Spring  "  in 
Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  July  29,  1822. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  William  Duncan,  was 
three  times  married,  and  the  grandmother  of  our 
subject  was  in  her  maidenhood  a  Miss  Culbertson. 
Joseph  Duncan,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  May  24,  1787.  His 
brother,  Alden,  lost  his  life  in  the  Revolutionar}' 
War.  Joseph  Duncan  married  Miss  Nancy  Beat- 
tie,  daughter  of  William  Beattie,  a  native  of  Scot- 
land. She  was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  and 
there  died  when  her  son  Joseph  was  only  a  year- 
old.  In  1826,  the  father  removed  with  the  family 
to  Franklin  County,  near  Mercersburgh,  Pa.,  where 
he  made  his  home  until  1850,  when  he  became  a 
resident  of  Fayette  County,  Ind.,  locating  near 
Connersville.  In  1859  he  made  a  visit  in  Deia- 
van, and  the  following  year  took  up  his  residence 
here,  but  was  not  long  permitted  to  enjoy  his  new 
home,  his  death  occurring  in  1861.  In  the  Duncan 
family  were  the  following  children:  Margaret, 
born  August  6,  1809,  became  the  wife  of  Archi- 
bald Skinner,  and  died  in  Ohio,  June  20,  1840; 
Mary,  born  November  21,  1810,  died  July  31, 
1813;  William  Culbertson,  born  February  27, 
1814.  died  January  9,  1815;  Mary  Jane,  born 
March  25,  1816,  became  the  wife  of  William  Dor- 
ranee,  removed  to  Deiavan  in  1855,  and  in  1867 
moved  near  Pawnee  City,  Neb.,  where  she  still  re- 
sides; her  husband  died  in  Deiavan  in  1858;  Isa- 
bella Elizabeth,  born  October  16,  1819,  is  the  wife 
of  William  Huston,  father  of  ex-United  States 
Treasurer  Huston.  Her  death  occurred  June  1, 
1849. 

The  youngest  of  the  family  is  our  subject.  He 
was  reared  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  on  the  4th  of  February,  1845,  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Margaret,  daughter  of  Thomas 


and  Isabella  (Huston)  McKinstry,  sister  of  James 
Huston  McKinstry,  now  of  Deiavan.  She  was 
born  February  4,  1824.  In  1850,  Mr.  Duncan 
came  with  his  family  to  Indiana,  in  1855  to  Illi- 
nois, and  five  years  later  began  farming  three  and 
a-half  miles  southwest  of  Deiavan,  III.,  where  he 
purchased  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land, 
and  later  added  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  His 
capital  at  the  time  of  his  arrival  was  about  $8,000, 
and  he  was  numbered  among  the  wealthiest  men 
of  the  county.  His  possessions  were  acquired 
through  his  own  efforts  and  are  the  just  reward  of 
his  labors.  He  continued  farming  until  the  year 
1874,  when  he  became  a  resident  of  Deiavan.  In 
1876  he  embarked  in  the  hardware  and  implement 
business,  but  in  1877  sold  out  and  has  since  lived 
retired. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duncan  have  been  born  the 
following  children:  Nancy  Belle,  who  was  born 
December  5,  1845,  became  the  wife  of  William 
Reed  September  12,  1872,  and  died  December  19, 
1873,  leaving  one  child,  who  was  born  September 
13,  1873,  and  died  August  6,  1874.  Emma  Jane, 
born  February  5,  1848,  died  in  infancy.  Joseph  B., 
born  March  1,  1849,  married  Martha  E.  Roberts, 
and  they  have  four  children,  James  R.,  Margaret 
B.,  Joseph  C.  and  May  I.;  he  is  now  engaged  in 
business  as  a  dealer  in  hardware  and  machinery  in 
Deiavan.  Thomas  McKinstry,  born  April  13,1851, 
is  now  a  farmer  of  Lawrence,  Kan.;  he  married 
Nancy  Higbee,  of  Jacksonville,  III.,  and  they  have 
four  children,  Thomas  Nelson,  Grace,  Allington 
and  Mina.  Mary  Elizabeth,  born  August  25,  18535 
is  at  home;  William  Culbertson,  born  November 
12,  1855,  is  a  farmer  of  Tazewell  Count}';  he 
married  Lizzie,  daughter  of  E.  C.  Culbertson,  and 
they  have  two  children.  Margaret  Sophia,  born 
May  20,  1858,  was  married  December  12,  1881, 
but  is  now  deceased.  Florence  Harriet,  born  Octo- 
ber 19,  1860,  was  married  October  4, 1887,  to  Mor- 
ris Culbertson,  a  son  of  E.  C.  Culbertson.  The 
parents  of  this  family  are  among  the  original 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Deiavan, 
and  from  the  beginning  Mr.  Duncan  has  served  as 
Elder.  They  have  taken  a  prominent  part  in 
church  and  benevolent  work,  and  the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  community  have  always  received  their 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


555 


support.  Since  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party,  Mr.  Duncan  has  been  a  Republican,  and  has 
held  some  local  offices,  but  has  never  sought  polit- 
ical preferment.  By  all  who  know  hirn  he  is  held 
in  high  esteem,  and  this  work  would  be  incom- 
plete without  his  sketch. 


M.  REINHEIMER,  the  leading  dry-goods 
and  clothing  merchant  of  Delavan,  was 
born  in  Thaleischweiler,  Germany,  October 
6,  1844.  He  is  of  Jewish  ancestry  and 
personally  adheres  to  the  faith  of  his  forefathers. 
His  father,  Jacob  Reinheimer,  who  was  a  hide  and 
leather  merchant,  was  a  man  of  considerable  means, 
and  also  of  large  influence  among  his  fellow- 
citizens.  For  many  years  he  was  a  member  of  the 
City  Council  in  his  native  city,  where  he  passed 
away  in  1892,  aged  eighty-four. 

In  the  family  there  were  five  sons,  of  whom  the 
subject  of  this  notice  is  the  next  to  the  eldest. 
The  eldest  brother,  Joseph,  is  the  only  one  of  the 
number  who  did  not  come  to  America,  and  he  has 
succeeded  to  his  father's  business  in  Germany. 
Michael  J.  is  a  clothier  at  Mt.  Pulaski,  this  state. 
Lewis  is  a  manufacturer  of  clothing  in  New  York 
City.  Simon  is  a  clothing  merchant  in  Sacramento, 
Cal.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  manhood 
in  his  native  place  and  received  the  advantages  of 
a  good  education.  When  his  studies  were  com- 
pleted, he  was  apprenticed  to  the  dry-goods  busi- 
ness at  Blies-Castel,  some  twenty  miles  distant 
from  his  native  town.  He  served  for  three  years 
without  any  remuneration,  and  then,  an  ambitious 
youth  of  seventeen,  he  came  to  the  United  States. 
For  four  years  Mr.  Reinheimer  was  employed  as 
clerk  in  a  dry-goods  store  in  Louisiana,  Mo.,  and 
from  that  city  went  to  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  where  he 
clerked  for  a  number  of  mouths.  In  1868,  he  came 
to  Delavan  and  opened  a  small  clothing  store. 
From  the  first  he  prospered  and  soon  added  a  com- 
plete assortment  of  dry-goods  to  his  stock.  His 
business  has  increased  until  now  he  has  one  of  the 
largest  stores  to  be  found  in  any  town  of  the  size 
of  Delavan.  This  result  has  been  secured  not  only 


by  his  native  abilit}',  but  also  by  a  strict  honesty 
and  square  dealing.  He  has  gained  the  confidence 
of  the  people  of  the  community,  who  know  that 
what  Mr.  Reinheimer  says  can  be  depended  upon. 
In  1875,  he  took  in  as  partner  David  Strouse,  the 
firm  now  being  S.  M.  Reinheimer  &  Co.  In  ad- 
dition to  his  large  business  he  owns  several  val- 
uable pieces  of  property  and  one  of  the  linest 
homes  in  Delavan. 

In  1869,  Mr.  Reinheimer  married  Miss  Theresa, 
daughter  of  Leopold  Stern,  an  instructor  in  the 
German  language.  They  have  seven  children,  of 
whom  the  eldest,  Rose,  is  the  wife  of  H.  H.  Al- 
shuler,  a  clothing  merchant  at  Aurora,  111.  The 
others,  Tenriie,  Bertha,  Lillie,  Carry,  Emma  and 
Edwin,  are  at  home.  Mr.  Reinheimer  has  been  a 
Democrat  during  his  entire  life,  and  has  filled 
man}'  positions  of  trust.  For  some  time  he  was 
President  of  the  Village  Board,  and  was  the  first 
Mayor  of  the  city,  serving  in  that  capacity  for  two 
terms.  For  thirteen  years  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Education,  and  during  ten  years 
of  that  time  was  Clerk  of  the  Board.  While 
filling  these  positions  satisfactorily,  he  has  never 
been  an  aspirant  for  official  honors,  preferring  to 
devote  his  entire  attention  to  business  affairs. 

~  ' 


j^ETER  F.  RANKIN,  a  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser  residing  on  section  l,Manito  Town- 
ship, Mason  County,  is  the  son  of  John 
and  Elizabeth  (Limback)  Rankin,  the 
former  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  in  1808,  and 
the  latter  in  Prussia  in  1829.  In  1848  the  father 
emigrated  to  America,  and  settling  in  LaSalle,  111., 
there  followed  the  trade  of  a  weaver.  Upon  com- 
ing to  Pekin  he  was  in  the  employ  of  Teis  Smith 
&  Co.,  and  later  worked  on  a  farm  belonging  to 
James  Wilson,  near  Delavau.  In  the  interests  of 
Mr.  Netler  he  went  to  Havana,  and  soon  afterward, 
about  1852,  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
on  section  11,  Manito  Township. 

The  land  was  wholly  unimproved,  and  it  re- 
quired the  most  arduous  exertions  on  the  part  of 
Mr.  Rankin  to  clear  and  cultivate  the  place.  After 


556 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL,   RECORD. 


building  a  small  frame  house  he  gave  his  attention 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  succeeded  in 
evolving  from  its  primitive  state  a  valuable  es- 
tate. In  all  his  enterprises  he  received  the  assis- 
tance of  his  wife,  whom  he  married  in  February, 

1854,  and  who  is  still  living.     He  passed  away  at 
the  home  farm   August  21,  1871,  and  in  his  death 
the   community   lost   one    of  its  most  highly  re- 
spected citizens.     In  the  Lutheran  Church  he   was 
one  of  the  leading  members,  and  served  as  Deacon 
and  Trustee  for  some  time  prior  to  his  death.    His 
widow  is  also  identified  with  that  church.     Their 
children   were  five  in  number,  of  whom   four  are 
living,  viz.:  Peter  F.,  Fred,  Mary  Hilse  and  Henry. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  April  16, 

1855,  in  the  township  where  he  has  since  resided. 
In  the  common  schools  of  the  locality  he  gained 
a   fair   education,  which  lie  has  since  enlarged  by 
reading  and  observation.     October  7,  1877,  he  was 
united   in   marriage  with  Miss  Emma  R.  Singley, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  July  27,  1856,  be- 
ing   the    daughter    of   Jacob  and  Sabina  (Bailie) 
Singley,   who  died  in  Indiana.     In  the  spring  of 
1878   Mr.  Rankin  settled  on  the  farm  he  now  oc- 
cupies, consisting   of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  improved  land.    In  the  fall  of  1891  he  increased 
the  beauty  as  well  as  the  value  of  his  property  by 
the  erection  of  a  residence  at  a  cost  of  $1,700.    He 
also  has  a  substantial  barn,  built  at  a  cost  of  $650. 
In  addition  to  the  raising  of  cereals,  he  has  on  his 
place  a  number  of  Poland-China  hogs  and  Short- 
horn cattle,  also  several  horses  of  Arabian  stock. 
lie  lias  made  a  success  in  the  raising  of  stock,  and 
is  conducting  that  department  of  agriculture  upon 
a  constantly  increasing  scale. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rankin  are  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living,  namely: 
John  I.,  George  F.,  Daniel  Frank  and  Louis  W. 
The  family  is  identified  with  the  Lutheran  Church, 
of  which  Mr.  Rankin  has  been  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer for  nine  years.  Interested  in  educational 
matters,  he  has  not  only  given  his  sons  excellent 
advantages,  but  has  also  labored  in  behalf  of  others 
in  that  direction,  having  been  School  Director 
since  the  age  of  twenty-three.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Vigilance  Society,  organized  in  1857  by  his  fa- 
ther, and  has  been  its  Secretary  for  fifteen  years. 


He  is  also  Secretary  of  the  Grange.  As  a  member 
of  the  Democratic  party,  he  has  long  taken  an  ac- 
tive interest  in  politics.  He  has  filled  the  position 
of  Road  Commissioner  and  was  Supervisor  of 
Manito  Township  from  1885  to  1892. 


JOHN  T.  BURNS,  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
farm  in  Malone  Township,  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty, was  born  in  Carroll  County,  Md.,  Sop- 
_  '  tember  5,  1836.  For  an  account  of  his 
parentage  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  sketch  of 
L.  II.  Burns,  of  Sand  Prairie  Township,  presented 
on  another  page  of  this  volume.  His  early  life 
was  spent  upon  the  home  farm,  going  to  school 
three  months  each  winter  and  working  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm  in  the  summer.  Believing  that  the 
west  offered  better  opportunities  to  agriculturists 
than  the  east  afforded,  he  came  to  Illinois  in  the 
spring  of  1857,  and  settled  in  Tazewell  County, 
where  for  a  time  he  worked  by  the  month  in  the 
employ  of  different  farmers  and  neighbors. 

In  the  spring  of  1865  Mr.  Burns  married  Miss 
Ellen  Wilson,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  the  daughter 
of  Joseph  and  Mary  Ann  Wilson,  who  were  born 
in  New  Jersey  and  removed  thence  to  Ohio  in  an 
early  day.  Shortly  before  his  marriage  he  pur- 
chased the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  and  he  and 
his  wife  commenced  housekeeping  upon  the  place 
where  they  have  since  continued  to  reside.  For 
some  years  he  was  actively  engaged  in  tilling  the 
soil,  and  as  a  farmer  was  distinguished  by  pro- 
gressiveness  and  business  sagacity.  Owing  to  ill- 
health  in  recent  years  he  has  been  compelled  to 
relinquish  active  work  and  now  rents  his  land. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burns  are  the  parents  of  three 
children.  The  eldest,  Anna  May,  was  married  in 
November,  1886.  to  Grant  Davis,  who  engaged  in 
farming  until  his  death  in  1887;  they  had  one 
child,  Harry  Stanley,  who  now  lives  with  his 
grandparents.  The  other  children,  Beesie  Maud 
and  Elmer  Guy,  reside  with  their  parents.  By 
hard  labor  and  frugality  Mr.'Burns  has  acquired  a 
valuable  property  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
situated  on  section  2,  Malone  Township.  In  re- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


557 


ligious  connections  Mrs.  Burns  is  identified  with 
the  Green  Valley  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the 
services  of  which  the  other  members  of  the  family 
regularly  attend.  Mr.  Burns  was  reared  in  the 
faith  of  the  Lutheran  Church  but  has  never  united 
with  that  denomination.  As  a  citizen  he  is  well 
posted  upon  the  great  questions  of  the  age,  and  in 
his  political  views  is  unbiased  by  party  lines,  sup- 
porting the  men  and  measures  that  in  his  opinion 
are  best  adapted  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the 
people. 


BRAM  THOMPSON.  There  is  no  greater 
pleasure  for  the  hand  and  pen  of  the 
biographer  than  to  record  the  life  and 
achievements  of  a  man  who  has  begun 
life's  battles  under  adverse  circumstances,  and 
through  his  own  unaided  efforts  has  secured  the 
general  acknowledgment  of  being  one  of  the  best 
farmers  in  the  county.  Such  a  man  is  Mr.  Thomp- 
son, who  is  the  possessor  of  five  hundred  and  three 
acres  in  Mason  County;  he  has  accumulated  a 
sufficient  amount  of  this  world's  goods  to  enable 
him  to  retire  and  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  earlier 
toils. 

Our  subject,  who  was  born  in  Muskingum 
County,  Ohio,  January  31,  1828,  is  the  son  of 
Archibald  Thompson,  a  native  of  Virginia;  he 
died  when  our  subject  was  a  lad  of  six  years.  The 
maiden  name  of  his  mother  was  Elizabeth  Stout. 
She  was  born  and  reared  in  New  Jersey,  and  by 
her  union  with  Archibald  Thompson  reared  a  fam- 
ily of  five  sons  and  one  daughter.  Our  subject, 
who  was  the  fourth  son  and  fourth  child,  grew  to 
manhood  in  Shelby  County,  Ohio,  and  remained 
at  home  with  his  mother  until  his  marriage.  He 
learned  the  cooper's  trade  when  sixteen  years  of 
age,  and  followed  it  for  six  years  and  thereafter 
turned  his  attention  to  farming. 

Abram  Thompson  was  married  in  1848,  while 
residing  in  Ohio,  to  Miss  Cynthia  A.  Conroy,  who 
was  a  native  of  Shelby  County,  that  state.  Soon 
after  his  union  he  located  on  a  farm  on  which  he 
resided  until  coming  to  Mason  County  in  1854. 
That  year  he  purchased  a  quarter-section  of  land 


in  Salt  Creek  Township,  where  he  lived  until  1891 
engaged  in  general  farm  pursuits.  His  landed 
possessions  include  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  the  old  homestead,  near  which  is  located  his 
one  hundred  and  sixty-acre  tract,  and  eighty 
acres  in  Pennsylvania  Township,  which  with  the 
twenty-three  acres  on  which  he  resides,  make  in 
all  five  hundred  and  three  acres,  all  of  which  he 
rents  to  good  advantage. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  were  born  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Sarah  E.  is  the  wife  of  Lorenzo 
House  and  resides  in  Union  County,  Iowa.  Je- 
mima J.  is  the  widow  of  Thomas  Norton  and  re- 
sides in  Pennsylvania  Township,  this  county. 
Rebecca  E.  married  Joseph  Barton,  a  farmer  in 
Salt  Creek  Township.  Harriet  I.  is  now  deceased; 
she  was  the  wife  of  P.  W.  Stevens.  George  E.  is 
also  deceased,  and  Isaac  M.  lives  on  one  of  his 
father's  farms  in  Salt  Creek  Township. 

In  politics  our  subject  is  a  stanch  Democrat 
and  is  foremost  among  the  members  of  his  party 
in  the  county.  He  has  been  Supervisor  of  his 
township  for  three  years  and  has  held  numerous 
other  offices  of  trust.  The  best  interests  of  the 
community  ever  find  in  him  a  friend,  and  he  is  in 
sympathy  with  everything  that  tends  to  promote 
the  general  welfare.  Genial  and  pleasant  in  man- 
ner, he  has  gained  a  host  of  warm  friends  and  well 
deserves  representation  in  the  history  of  his 
adopted  county. 


?ILLIAM  WALKER.  Mason  County,  like 
other  portions  of  the  United  States,  is  in- 
debted largely  to  citizens  of  foreign  birth 
for  the  development  of  her  agricultural  resources 
and  for  examples  of  a  good  citizenship.  The  Em- 
erald Isle  has  sent  forth  many  sons  who  have  held 
honorable  places,  and  among  the  number  is  the 
subject  of  this  biographical  notice,  who  occupies 
an  estate  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  lo- 
cated on  section  1,  Mason  City  Township. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  County  Tyrone,  April 
23,  1830,  where  also  his  father,  Robert  Walker, 
was  born.  The  latter  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 


558 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  came  to  America  in  1838,  in  which  year  he 
located  in  Behnont  County,  Ohio,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farm  pursuits  for  many  years.  Later  he 
came  to  this  state  and  passed  the  remainder  of  his 
life  in  Logan  County,  where  his  death  occurred 
when  eighty-five  years  of  age.  His  wife,  who 
prior  to  her  marriage  was  Miss  Isabel  Fulton,  was 
born  in  County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  and  departed  this 
life  in  Bellaire,  Ohio,  when  forty-five  years  of  age. 

The  parental  family  of  our  subject  included  five 
sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  with  one  ex- 
ception grew  to  mature  years.  William,  of  this 
sketch,  was  the  second  son,  and  as  he  was  a  lad  of 
eight  years  when  he  came  with  the  rest  of  the  fam- 
ily to  America,  he  obtained  his  schooling  in  the 
state  of  Ohio.  In  March,  1854,  he  came  to  Logan 
County,  this  state,  where  he  farmed  for  one  season, 
and  then  removed  to  Stark  County,  where  he  also 
made  a  business  of  cultivating  the  soil. 

October  17,  1856,  William  Walker  and  Miss 
Elizabeth  Jarvis,  a  native  of  West  Virginia,  were 
united  in  marriage.  The  lady  was*born  in  Green- 
brier  County,  October  31,  1839,  and  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  William  Jarvis,  also  a  native  of  that  state, 
and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  died  when  Mrs. 
Walker  was  nine  years  of  age,  and  her  mother, 
Mrs.  Lucinda  (McCamey)  Jarvis,  departed  this  life 
two  years  previously.  She  was  reared  in  the  fam- 
ily of  Isaac  V.  Cunningham,  and  is  the  only  mem- 
ber who  is  living  of  her  parents'  family  of  six  sons 
and  four  daughters. 

Immediately  after  his  marriage,  our  subject  lo- 
cated on  property  in  Stark  County,  and  in  1861 
removed  to  this  county,  and  for  three  years  lived 
in  Allen's  Grove  Township.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time  they  made  another  move,  which  brought 
them  to  this  township,  where  they  are  at  present 
residing  and  have  a  good  home.  At  the  time  their 
farm  came  into  their  possession  it  was  a  tract  of 
wild  prairie,  but  the  labors  of  Mr.  Walker  soon 
transformed  it  into  rich  and  fertile  fields.  It  is 
now  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  in  extent, 
and  yields  to  the  owner  a  golden  tribute. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born  nine  chil- 
dren: Mary  I.,  now  Mrs.  W.  H.  Anderson;  Eliza 
F.,  deceased;  as  are  also  Charles  F.,  Thomas  J., 
William  V.,  Robert  M.,  Elizabeth  L.  and  George 


B.  F.  Amnah  Bell,  the  youngest  in  the  family, 
married  James  B.  Harris,  and  is  living  in  Menard 
County. 

Mr.  Walker  is  a  stanch  Democrat  in  politics,  but 
he  has  never  sought  or  desired  the  honors  of  pub- 
lic office,  preferring  to  devote  his  entire  time  and 
attention  to  his  business. 


EORGE  E.  EMMITT.  The  Buckeye  State 
has  contributed  to  Illinois  many  estimable 
citizens,  and  none  are  more  worthy  of  re- 
spect and  esteem  than  the  sub'ject  of  this  sketch, 
who  is  manager  and  yeast  maker  in  the  Globe  Dis- 
tillery at  Pckin.  He  was  born  in  Waverly,  Ohio, 
June  17,  1853,  and  is  the  son  of  Robert  Emmitt, 
who  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  who  lo- 
cated with  his  parents  in  Ohio  when  quite  young. 
The  father  was  also  a  distiller,  which  business  he 
carried  on  in  Peoiia,  whither  he  had  come  in 
1856.  He  remained  here  six  years,  and  on  his  re- 
turn to  Ohio,  carried  on  the  same  business  in  part- 
nership with  his  brother,  James  Emmitt,  until  his 
decease,  in  1883. 

Mrs.  Eliza  J.  (Renode)  Emmitt,  the  mother  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  New  York,  and  accom- 
panied her  parents  on  their  removal  to  Ohio. 
They  first  located  in  Waverly,  but  afterwards 
moved  to  Chillicothe.  Her  father,  Stephen  Renode, 
was  a  cooper  by  trade  and  an  early  settler  of  Pitts- 
field,  Ohio,  where  the  declining  years  of  his  life 
were  spent. 

George  E.,  of  this  sketch,  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  Buckeye  State,  and  when 
reaching  his  sixteenth  year  was  apprenticed  to 
learn  the  distiller's  trade  under  the  instruction  of 
his  father.  He  was  thus  employed  for  about  ten 
years  in  Chillicothe  and  Waverly,  and  in  1882 
went  to  Lexington,  Ky.,  accepting  a  position  as 
manager  of  a  distillery  in  that  city.  Six  years 
later  he  came  to  Pekin  and  was  made  Superintend- 
ent of  the  Star  Distillery,  later  was  with  the  Cres- 
cent and  is  now  manager  of  the  Globe  Distillery. 
The  building  of  the  latter  was  erected  in  1892 
under  the  supervision  of  our  subject,  and  was  in- 


PORTEAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


559 


corporated  with  a  capital  of  $250,000.  It  employs 
about  one  hundred  men  and  has  a  capacity  of  five 
thousand  bushels  of  grain  a  day. 

While  residing  in  Kentucky,  in  1886,  Mr.  Em- 
mitt  was  married  to  Maude  McClure,  who  was  a 
native  of  that  state;  she  bore  him  two  children, 
Minnie  F.  and  George  R.  Socially,  our  subject  is 
an  Odd  Fellow,  belongs  to  the  encampment  and  is 
connected  with  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men. He  has  also  been  Assistant  Adjutant  of  the 
Fourth  Regiment,  and  is  in  politics  a  true-blue 
Republican.  He  keeps  thoroughly  abreast  of  the 
times  in  the  improvements  and  progress  made  in 
his  calling,  is  well  informed  on  the  current  topics 
of  the  day,  and  converses  with  intelligence  on  all 
leading  subjects. 


^ILLIAM  McGINNIS  owns  and  operates  a 
valuable  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  on  sec- 
tion 10,  Little  Mackinaw  Township,  and  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of 
Tazewell  Count}-.  His  place  is  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation  and  is  well  improved  with  all  neces- 
sary buildings  and  other  accessories  of  a  model 
farm.  The  improvements  were  placed  there  by  his 
own  efforts,  and  therefore  stand  as  monuments  to 
his  thrift  and  enterprise. 

Mr.  McGinnis  was  born  in  Hawkins  County, 
Tenn.,  September  27,  1831,  and  was  brought  to 
Tazewell  County  in  1844  by  his  parents,  Abraham 
and  Elizabeth  (Myers)  McGinnis,  natives  of  Ten- 
nessee. The  father  was  a  farmer,  and  on  coming 
west,  located  on  section  3,  Little  Mackinaw  Town- 
ship, where  he  purchased  a  partially  improved 
tract  of  land  of  one  hundred  acres.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1850.  He  was  a  supporter  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  and  was  a  highly  respected  citizen. 
Nine  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McGin- 
nis: John,  who  was  a  soldier  of  the  Union  army, 
and  who  now  lives  in  Ilittle  Township;  James,  a 
farmer  of  Mitchell  County,  Kan.;  Isaac,  who  fol- 
lows farming  in  Mitchell  County;  Amanda,  wife 
of  John  Gordon,  of  Little  Mackinaw  Township, 


and  Charlotta,  wife  of  Richard  Pippin.  Three  of 
the  family  are  now  deceased. 

Since  of  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  Mr. McGinnis 
has  been  a  resident  of  Tazewell  County,  and  upon 
the  old  homestead  was  reared  to  manhood,  there 
living  until  his  marriage.  On  the  1st  of  March, 
1864,  he  wedded  Miss  Martha,  daughter  of  Nich- 
olas Fail,  a  native  of  Coles  County,  and  an  early- 
settler  of  McLean  County,  111.  His  last  days, 
however,  were  spent  in  Little  Mackinaw  Town- 
ship, Tazewell  County.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Lydia  Anna  Stilwell,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Indiana,  but  during  early  girlhood  came 
to  Illinois. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McGinnis  began  their  domestic 
life  on  section  10,  Little  Mackinaw  Township, 
where  our  subject  purchased  a  tract  of  unbroken 
prairie  land  and  began  the  development  of  one 
of  the  fine  farms  of  the  county.  Twelve  children 
came  to  bless  their  home,  two  of  whom  are  deceas- 
ed: Mary;  Polly,  wife  of  William  Lower,  who  is 
living  near  Bradley,  111.;  William,  who  follows 
farming  near  the  old  home;  Julia,  wife  of  C.  W. 
Cruse,  a  carpenter  and  builder  of  Minier;  Eppa, 
Margaret,  David,  George,  Charles  and  Edward. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  McGinnis  are  faithful 
members  of  the  Christian  Church  of  Minier,  are 
prominent  people  of  the  community,  and  occupy 
an  enviable  position  in  social  circles.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  served  as  School  Di- 
rector of  his  township.  The  best  interests  of  the 
community  have  ever  found  in  him  a  friend,  and 
during  his  long  residence  in  Tazewell  County  he 
has  ever  borne  his  part  in  promoting  those  enter- 
prises which  are  calculated  to  prove  of  public 
benefit. 


W"  WILLIAM    G.    LE  SOURD.      There    is    no 
greater  pleasure  for  the  hand  and  the  pen 
„  w      of  the  historian  to  perform,  than  to  record 
the  life  and  achievements  of  a  man  who  has  begun 
life's   battles   under   adverse    circumstances    and 
through    his  own  unaided  efforts  has  secured  the 
general  acknowledgment  of  being  an  honest  man, 
a   gentleman,   and    one    who    has   accumulated  a 
handsome  fortune.     Such  a  man  is  Mr.  Le  Sourd, 


560 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


who  is  the  proprietor  of  eight  hundred  acres  of  as 
fine  farming  land  as  is  to  be  found  in  Mason 
County. 

Joseph  Le  Sourd,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
a  native  of  Ohio,  and  was  born  September  23, 

1811.  He  was  taken   to  Maryland  by  his  parents 
when   an    infant,  his   father,  Peter  Le  Sourd,  who 
was  a  native  of  that  state  and  an   early  settler  of 
Butler  County,  Ohio,  having   been  compelled   to 
return  to  his  native  place  on  account  of  the  War 
of  1812.     After  the  cessation  of  hostilities  he  re- 
turned to  Ohio  and  continued  to  reside  there  un- 
til his   decease.     The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mrs. 
Rachael  (Gorsuch)  Le  Sourd,  was  also  a  native  of 
Maryland,  where  her  birth  occurred  in   1809,  and 
was  the  daughter  of  Charles  and  Ruth  (Rutledge) 
Gorsuch.     Her  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of 

1812,  after  which  he  removed  to    Butler   County, 
Ohio,  where   he  was   living  at  the  time  of  his  de- 
cease. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Le  Sourd  were  married  in 
Maryland,  and  made  location  in  Ohio  in  1835. 
They  operated  a  farm  in  Butler  County,  that  state, 
until  1866,  the  date  of  their  advent  into  Topeka, 
111.,  where  they  both  died  in  1883.  Of  their  fam- 
ily of  six  children  only  four  are  living,  of  whom 
William  G.  is  the  eldest.  Sarah  J.  is  the  widow 
of  James  Newlin;  Mar}'  Ellen  married  Leonidas 
Jones  and  is  living  in  Nebraska;  Charles  T.  makes 
his  home  in  Mason  County.  The  parents  were 
devoted  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  with  which  they  were  identified  for  many 
years. 

Mr.  Le  Sourd  was  born  September  26,  1834,  in 
Maryland  and  was  reared  and  educated  in  Butler 
County,  Ohio.  He  remained  upon  his  father's 
farm  until  reaching  his  thirty-fifth  year,  when  he 
established  himself  in  the  grain  and  stock  business. 
In  1883  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  for  six  years  was 
engaged  as  a  general  merchant  in  Topeka. 

In  1864  William  G.  Le  Sourd  and  Miss  Sarah  Ann 
Gorsuch,  who  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Ohio, 
in  1842,  were  united  in  marriage.  This  lady  died 
August  2,  1882,  leaving  a  family  of  three  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Russell  is  the  only  member  living. 
While  residing  in  the  Buckeye  State  Mr.  Le  Sourd 
served. on  the  School  Board  and  was  Township 


Trustee.  In  politics  he  has  always  been  a  stanch 
Democrat,  and  is  foremost  among  the  members  of 
that  party  in  the  county.  He  is  the  promoter  of 
every  worthy  enterprise  which  tends  to  advance 
the  interests  of  the  community  and  aid  in  the  up- 
building and  development  of  the  county.  His 
life  has  been  well  and  worthily  passed,  and  from 
a  financial  standpoint  may  also  be  said  to  be  very 
successful,  and  he  deserves  all  the  more  credit  for 
his  prosperity, as  it  has  been  achieved  through  his 
own  unaided  efforts. 


KNJAMIN  S.  PRETTYMAN,  JR.  The 
v  learned  professions  have  many  disciples  bo 
aspire  to  honor  and  dignity  in  their  chosen 
field,  and  all,  with  greater  or  less  reason, 
expect  their  efforts  to  be  crowned  with  success.  He 
of  whom  we  have  the  pleasure  of  giving  a  short 
biographical  sketch  is  one  of  the  many  who  has 
won  success  before  the  Bench  and  Bar  of  Pekin. 
Nor  does  he  aspire  without  cause,  for  nature  has 
gifted  him  generally  with  those  qualities  that 
make  themselves  felt  in  the  legal  profession. 

Our  subject  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  S.  Prettyman, 
Sr.,  and  was  born  in  this  city,  February  22,  1857. 
He  received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  the 
city,  and  in  1874  entered  the  University  of  Illi- 
nois, where  he  was  a  student  for  three  years. 
After  being  graduated  from  that  institution,  he 
began  reading  law  with  his  father  and  John  B. 
Cohrs,  a  former  prominent  attorney  of  Pekin,  and 
in  1879  was  admitted  to  practice  at  the  Bar.  From 
1880  to  1884  he  was  City  Attorney  of  Pekin, 
and  the  year  after  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
ofh'ce,  he  was  appointed  Deputy  United  States 
Revenue  Collector,  which  position  he  still  occu- 
pies. 

The  lady  to  whom  our  subject  was  married  in 
this  city,  in  1879,  was  Miss  Lillie  M.  Sholl,  who 
was  born  in  Peoria  County,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
Adam  Sholl.  Their  union  has  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  four  children,  Benjamin  (now  deceased), 
Lewis,  Nellie  also  (deceased)  and  an  infant  son. 
The  family  occupy  a  beautiful  residence  on  Buena 


LIBRARY 
OF  fHt 
UNIVERSI1Y  OF 


MARK   COOPER. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


563 


Vista  Street,  which  is  all  that  a  model  home  should 
be,  and  here  they  entertain  a  host  of  friends  and 
acquaintances. 

In  politics  he  is  a  pronounced  Democrat  and 
takes  much  interest  in  the  triumphs  of  his  party. 
lie  is  highly  respected  and  his  advice  and  aid  in 
all  enterprises  regarding  the  advancement  of  the 
city  are  much  appreciated. 


ARK  COOPER,  who  is  now  successfully  en- 
gaged in  farming  on  section  26,  Sherman 
Township,  has  for  many  years  been  prom- 
inently identified  witli  the  history  of 
Mason  County,  and  his  name  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  the  growth  and  development  of  some 
localities.  He  came  here  in  an  early  day,  and  has 
always  borne,  his  part  in  advancing  the  best  inter- 
ests. A  native  of  Yorkshire,  England,  he  was  born 
May  13,  1844.  His  parents,  Mark  and  Jane  (Las- 
celles)  Cooper,  were  also  born  in  England,  and  the 
father  was  of  Scotch  descent,  while  the  mother  was 
of  French  lineage.  They  were  married  in  their  na- 
tive land,  and  there  resided  until  1857,  when  they 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America.  In  July  thej'  came 
to  Mason  County  and  located  two  and  a-half  miles 
south  of  Bath,  where  they  made  a  permanent  home. 
The  father  died  June  17,  1863,  and  the  mother 
died  in  1877.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church. 

In  the  Cooper  family  were  ten  children,  seven 
of  whom  are  yet  living,  Mrs.  Ann  Fletcher,  of 
Lynchburg  Township;  John,  who  resides  in  Bath 
Township;  Mark,  of  this  sketch;  Henry,  who  makes 
his  home  in  Coffey  County,  Kan.;  Robert,  a  resi- 
dent of  Kippeha,  Neb.;  Mrs.  Mary  Jane  Samuels, 
of  Sherman  Township,  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Patter- 
son, of  Mason  City  Township. 

Mark  Cooper  was  only  thirteen  years  of  age 
when  with  his  parents  he  came  to  the  New  World. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  responded  to  the  call  of 
his  adopted  country  for  troops,  enlisting  in  the 
Union  service,  July  15,  1862,  as  a  private  of  Com- 
pany F,  Fifty-first  Illinois  Infantry.  He  joined 
the  camp  at  Chicago,  was  sent  to  luka,  theirtoTe- 


cumseh,  and  later  to  Decatur,  Ala.  He  went  to  Nash- 
ville with  the  command  of  John  M.  Palmer,  and 
after  the  battle  at  that  place  marched  to  Mitchell- 
ville,  Ky.,  where  he  met  the  army  of  General  Rose- 
crans.  Returning  to  Nashville,  his  regiment  after- 
ward participated  in  the  battles  of  Murfreesboro 
and  Stone  River,  and  the  engagement  at  Columbia, 
Tenn.,  under  General  Sheridan.  Going  to  Bridge- 
port, he  crossed  the  river  to  Chattanooga,  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  on  Satur- 
day afternoon,  September  19,  1863.  He  was  there 
struck  in  the  head  behind  the  left  ear  by  a  slug, 
and  ten  minutes  later  a  bone  in  his  right  leg  was 
shattered  by  a  minie  ball.  lie  was  carried  to  the 
field  hospital  and  was  captured  the  next  day  by 
rebel  cavalry,  but  after  thirteen  days  was  paroled 
and  taken  to  Chattanooga.  Later  he  was  conveyed 
across  the  mountains  in  a  wagon  train  to  Steven- 
son, Ala.,  and  from  there  by  railroad  to  Nashville, 
where  he  remained  in  the  hospital  for  two  weeks. 
He  was  afterward  in  the  hospital  at  Louisville,  Ky., 
where  a  bullet  was  taken  out  of  his  head,  thence 
wont  to  New  Albany,  Ind.,  and  on  to  Evansville, 
where  he  was  granted  a  sixty  days'  furlough. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  returned  to 
Evansville,  and  after  four  days  was  sent  to  the 
United  States  Hospital  in  Springfield,  111.,  where 
he  was  discharged  June  29,  1865,  and  on  the  4th 
of  July  reached  home.  He  now  draws  a  pension 
of  $6  per  month. 

For  a  year  after  his  return,  Mr.  Cooper  engaged 
in  farming  on  the  old  homestead,  and  in  the  fall 
of  1866  rented  a  farm  on  section  25,  Sherman 
Township.  Two  years  later  he  purchased  land. 
In  1868,  he  married  Miss  Lilley  J.  Patterson,  who 
was  born  in-  Mason  County  December  13,  1844, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Sabina  (Moore) 
Patterson.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  but 
during  his  infancy  was  brought  to  America,  and 
became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Mason  County, 
where  he  still  makes  his  home.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cooper  were  born  three  children,  two  yet  living, 
Minnie,  wife  of  Wylie  Elmore,  who  resides  on  sec- 
tion 26,  Sherman  Township,  and  Lillie  Jane,  wife 
of  David  Van  Ettan,  a  farmer  living  on  section  23, 
Sherman  Township.  The  mother  of  this  family 
died  in  1871,  and  for  his  second  wife,  Mr.  Cooper 


564 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


chose  Isabel  Waterworth,  who  was  born  in  York- 
shire, England,  in  1850.  This  marriage  occurred 
December  18,1873.  Her  parents,  James  and  Nancy 
Waterworth,  came  to  America  in  1857,  and  located 
in  Havana  Township,  Mason  County,  where  the 
mother  is  still  living.  The  father  has  now  passed 
away. 

From  the  time  of  his  first  marriage,  Mr.  Cooper 
resided  on  section  25,  Sherman  Township,  until 
1881,  when  he  removed  to  his  present  farm.  In 
that  year  he  built  a  comfortable  residence  at  a 
cost  of  $1,300,  and  put  up  barns  and  other  out- 
buildings to  the  value  of  $2,200.  His  home  farm 
comprises  four  hundred  and  three  acres'  of  rich 
land,  all  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. In  addition  he  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Allen's  Grove  Township.  In  1889,  he 
erected  a  house  and  other  necessary  buildings  on 
a  farm  on  section  28,  Allen's  Grove  Township,  at  a 
cost  of  $1,750.  He  has  ever  been  a  progressive 
and  practical  farmer,  and  the  improvements  which 
he  has  made  have  done  much  toward  the  develop- 
ment of  the  county.  In  politics,  Mr.  Cooper  ie  a 
Republican,  has  served  as  School  Director  for  a 
mimber  of  years,  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  seven 
years,  served  as  Township  Supervisor  and  Collec- 
'tor,  and  was  Drainage  Commissioner  for  five  years, 
during  which  time  $140,000  were  spent  on  the 
work  of  draining  in  the  district.  Socially,  Mr. 
Cooper  is  connected  with  J.  Q.  A.  Jones  Post, 
G.  A.  R.,  of  Havana,  and  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America. 


IRAM  N.  HOFFMAN.  The  finely  im- 
proved farm  owned  and  occupied  by  this 
well-known  resident  of  Mason  County  is 
situated  on  section  18,  Allen's  Grove 
Township,  and  consists  of  one  hundred  and  ten 
acres  of  choice  land.  Our  subject  it  a  son  of  Eli 
and  Elizabeth  (Chance)  Hoffman,  natives  of  New 
Jersey,  the  former  of  Swedish  descent  and  the  latter 
of  English  ancestry.  They  were  married  in  New 
Jersey,  and  there  the  father  died  in  1845,  after 
having  become  the  parent  of  twelve  children. 
Three  now  survive:  Oratio  T.,  who  resides  in 


Sumner  County,  Kan.;  Eunice  W.  C.,  the  wife  of 
James  Sweeney,  of  Allen's  Grove  Township;  and 
Hiram  N. 

In  1852,  the  mother  was  again  married,  becom- 
ing the  wife  of  James  Mickle,  a  native  of  New  Jer- 
sey. The  year  of  their  marriage  they  came  to 
Illinois  and  settled  in  Pleasant  Plains,  Sangamon 
County,  where  Mr.  Mickle  died  in  1853.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1854,  the  mother  came  to  Allen 's  Grove,  Ma- 
son County,  where  the  preceding  fall  she  had  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  After  re- 
maining there  about  three  years,  she  came  to  the 
place  where  Hiram  N.  now  lives.  The  latter  re- 
mained with  his  mother  until  he  was  twenty-three, 
when  he  married  Miss  Sarah  A.  Cox,  the  daughter 
of  L.  D.  and  Mary  W.  (Ryker)  Cox.  She  was 
born  in  Jefferson  County,  Ind.,  October  20,  1844, 
and  is  one  of  a  family  of  ten  children.  The  fol- 
lowing are  now  living:  John  J.,  of  Havana;  Jared 
R.,  Warren  L.  and  Theodore  E.,  all  of  Jefferson 
County,  Kan.;  L.  D.,  of  Pennsylvania  Township, 
this  county;  Mahersa  A.,  the  wife  of  Samuel  C. 
Hoffman,  of  Nevansville,  Iowa,  and  Mrs.  Hoffman. 

The  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  lias  re- 
sulted in  the  birth  of  eleven  children,  nine  of 
whom  are  now  living,  namely:  Clara  L.,  the  wife 
of  Charles  Tomlin,  of  Tazewell  County;  Ezra  R., 
who  married  Miss  Belle  Marts  and  lives  in  Jefferson 
County,  Kan.,  Lorenzo  C.,  Sarah  A.,  Hiram  O.,  Re- 
becca M.,  Reuben  W.,  Elsie  B.  and  Eunice  B.,  all  of 
whom  are  with  the  parents.  These  children  have 
all  been  given  good  opportunities  for  acquiring  an 
education,  and  also  received  such  home  training  as 
will  make  them  honored  citizens  wherever  their 
lots  may  be  cast. 

At  the  time  of  coming  to  this  state,  it  was  in  the 
primitive  condition  of  nature,  and  our  subject  en- 
dured all  the  hardships  and  privations  incident  to 
pioneer  life.  When  he  and  his  good  wife  com- 
menced housekeeping,  their  residence  was  a  one- 
story  frame  structure,  14x20  feet  in  dimensions, 
and  divided  into  two  rooms.  Now  the  passer-by 
will  notice  an  elegant  two-story  residence,  with 
barns  and  outbuildings  that  compare  favorably 
with  the  best  in  the  township.  The  fields  show 
care  and  good  management  on  the  part  of  a  thor- 
ough and  practical  farmer,  who  keeps  up  with  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


565 


times  in  modern  agriculture  and  farm  machinery. 
In  their  religious  connections  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hoffman  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church  at 
Mason  City.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  but  has 
always  declined  public  office,  preferring  to  give 
his  time  and  attention  to  his  private  affairs.  All 
enterprises  for  the  good  of  the  township  and 
county  receive  his  warm  support,  and  he  is  num- 
bered among  the  substantial  men  of  the  commu- 
nity. The  family  is  held  in  high  esteem  in  social 
circles,  and  among  the  people  of  the  county  none 
are  more  respected  than  they. 


L.  REID.  The  following  is  a  brief 
sketch  of  the  career  of  Mr.  Reid,  who  is  a 
resident  of  Delavan  Township,  Tazewell 
County.  His  present  substantial  position 
has  been  reached  entirely  through  his  own  perse- 
verance, and  his  life  shows  what  can  be  accom- 
plished by  a  person  of  courage  and  enlightened 
views.  Notwithstanding  the  many  discourage- 
ments which  beset  his  path,  he  pushed  forward  and 
the  result  proves  the  wisdom  of  his  course. 

Robert  Reid,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Springfield,  Ohio,  August  11,  1813,  while  his 
father,  who  bore  the  name  of  Hugh  Reid,  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania  and  became  a  very  early  settler 
of  the  Buckeye  State.  He  served  as  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  1812.  His  father,  William  Reid,  was 
born  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  and  though  only 
thirteen  years  of  age  when  he  crossed  the  Atlantic, 
had  followed  the  trade  of  a  weaver  in  the  Emerald 
Isle.  He  is  said  to  have  lived  to  be  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  years  of  age. 

Mrs.  Anne  (Moore)  Reid,  the  mother  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Brown  County,  Ohio,  in  1823, 
and  departed  this  life  in  April,  1889.  In  Decem- 
ber the  previous  year  her  husband,  while  living  in 
Delavan,  had  passed  to  the  land  beyond.  James 
L.  was  the  eldest  of  the  three  children  born  to 
them,  of  whom  his  brother  John  lived  to  mature 
years,  and  died  in  AVhiteside  County,  this  state. 
His  sister,  Mary,  never  married,  and  makes  her 
home  in  Delavan. 

Our  subject  spent   his   early  life  on  the  home 


farm,  and  fitting  himself  to  teach  school,  followed 
that  vocation  for  one  year.  The  greater  part  of 
his  life  has  been  spent  as  a  farmer.  The  lady  to 
whom  he  was  married  in  1870  was  Miss  Marietta 
Jenks,  who  was  born  in  Tremont,  this  count}7,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  George  Jenks,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  this  locality.  Her  mother,  who  prior  to 
her  marriage  was  Miss  Henrietta  Owens,  died 
in  May,  1887.  Her  husband  died  in  1878. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reid  have  become  the  parents  of 
three  children,  of  whom  the  eldest.  Walter,  died 
when  in  his  eighteenth  year.  Olive,  who  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Delavan  High  School,  is  engaged 
in  teaching  in  Ilopedale,  and  Bruce  is  at  home 
with  his  parents.  The  Baptist  Church  finds  in  our 
subject  one  of  its  most  active  members,  and  in 
his  political  relations  he  is  a  Prohibitionist.  He 
lias  been  a  hard  worker,  a  good  financier,  and  is 
now  the  owner  of  a  beautiful  farm  located  near 
the  city.  He  always  gives  his  aid  and  influence 
toward  the  promotion  of  every  enterprise  that 
will  benefit  the  community,  and  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  by  all  who  know  him.  In  1880, 
Mr.  Reid  and  wife  went  to  Osage  County,  Kan., 
where  they  lived  until  1888,  when  they  returned 
to  Tazewell  County. 


WEYHRICH.  A  foremost  place 
among  the  agriculturists  of  Sand  Prairie 
Township  must  be  accorded  to  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  who  owns  and  occupies 
a  fine  farm  on  section  8.  His  landed  estate  amounts 
to  three  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  is  cul- 
tivated in  the  best  possible  manner  and  reflects 
great  credit  upon  its  worthy  owner. 

Our  subject  is  of  German  birth,  having  been 
born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  on  the  31st  of  August, 
1843.  He  continued  to  reside  on  the  farm  where 
he  was  born  until  1857,  in  which  year  he  came  to 
America  with  his  father.  The  latter,  who  bore  the 
name  of  Philip  Weyhrich,  was  born  in  the  Father- 
land in  1812  and  attended  the  model  schools  of 
Germany  until  reaching  his  fourteenth  year.  The 
succeeding  four  years  he  spent  in  working  out  as 


566 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


a  farm  hand,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  learned 
the  cooper's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  two  years 
and  then  turned  his  attention  again  to  farm  pur- 
suits. 

When  attaining  his  majority  the  father  of  our 
subject  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Stoehr,  also  a 
native  of  the  Fatherland,  where  her  birth  occurred 
in  1813.  She  departed  this  life  in  1853,  and  four 
years  later  her  family  emigrated  to  America,  mak- 
ing their  home  in  Tazewell  County,  where  Jacob 
Weyhrich,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  had  lo- 
cated in  1828. 

Nine  children  were  comprised  in  the  family  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Philip  Weyhrich:  Peter,  Elizabeth 
and  Betty  (deceased),  Jacob,  Philip,  George,  Eliza- 
beth, Adam  (our  subject)  and  Peter  W. 

After  locating  in  the  New  World  our  subject 
aided  his  father  in  working  out  on  farms  until 
they  were  enabled  to  purchase  property  of  their 
own.  When  it  came  into  their  possession  it  was 
in  its  wild  state,  and  thus  necessitated  much  hard 
labor  on  their  part  to  place.it  under  good  tillage. 
Adam  continued  to  reside  with  his  parents  until 
1864,  when  he  was  married  to  Miss  Catherine 
Meisinger,  also  a  native  of  Germany,  who  was 
brought  to  America  by  her  parents  when  two 
years  of  age. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weyhrich  soon  after  their  union 
went  to  house-keeping  on  the  farm  where  they 
now  live.  The  former  by  strict  attention  to 
business,  energy,  thrift  and  enterprise  was  enabled 
to  add  to  his  original  purchase  until  he  is  to-day 
one  of  the  wealthy  farmers  of  the  county.  In 
the  family  are  eight  children.  Peter  A.,  born  on 
the  1st  of  January,  1866,  is  married  to  Miss 
Clara  Ripper  and  lives  on  a  farm  near  Fisher,  this 
state;  George  W.,  born  October  16,  1869,  makes 
his  home  with  his  brother  near  Fisher;  Jacob  was 
born  January  20,  1871,  and  resides  at  home,  as  do 
also  the  other  members  of  the  family,  who  are: 
Adam, born  April  22.  1873;  John  J.,May  25,  1875; 
Lizzie,  March  16, 1877;  Fred  J.,  February  20,  1881, 
and  Henry  G.,  February  18,  1883. 

As  before  stated,  our  subject  owns  three  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  fine  land,  two  hundred  acres 
of  which  he  has  cleared  himself.  With  his  wife  he 
is  a  consistent  member  of  the  German  Lutheran 


Church.  Although  not  a  politician,  Mr.  Weyhrich 
is  an  ardent  Democrat  and  always  votes  that  ticket. 
The  parents  of  his  wife,  Balz  and  Anna  C.  (Kumpf) 
Meisinger,  were  natives  of  Germany.  The  father 
of  our  subject  made  his  home  with  him  until  1880, 
the  date  of  his  decease. 


OMER  C.  McHARRY.  Situated  on  section 
36,  Pennsylvania  Township,  lies  one  of  the 
most  attractive  rural  homes  in  Mason 
County.  The  residence  combines  all  the 
advantages  to  be  derived  from  existence  in  the 
country  with  those  usually  supposed  to  be  con- 
fined to  the  city.  It  is  a  three-story  structure, 
elegantly  furnished  and  containing  all  the  modern 
improvements.  Its  beaut}'  is  still  further  en- 
hanced by  the  environments.  In  front,  extending 
for  a  distance  of  one-half  mile,  is  a  row  of  orna- 
mental shade  trees,  while  the  well-kept  hedge 
fences  prove  the  thrift  of  the  owner. 

This  farm  has  been  the  home  of  Mr.  McIIarry 
since  1869.  His  first  purchase  consisted  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres,  to  which  he  has  added  until 
he  now  owns  four  hundred  acres  in  the  home  farm 
and  in  addition  has  a  controlling  interest  in  ten 
hundred  acres  in  his  father's  estate.  The  improve- 
ments now  noticeable  on  his  place  have  been  in- 
troduced by  himself  and  through  his  efforts  the 
raw  prairie  has  been  transformed  into  a  fertile 
tract.  The  residence  and  barn  were  erected  in 
1893.  The  latter  is  about  100x60  feet  in  dimen- 
sions, and  is  two  stories  in  height  with  a  basement 
containing  stabling  room  for  about  forty  head  of 
horses. 

Mr.  McHarry  is  of  direct  Irish  descent,  his 
father,  Hugh,  having  been  born  on  the  Emerald 
Isle  in  1806.  Thence  he  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica in  the  spring  of  1826,  and  after  landing  in 
Quebec  proceeded  to  New  York,  where  he  made  a 
brief  sojourn.  He  left  that  city  with  seventy-five 
cents  for  his  sole  possession,  and  arriving  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  after  having  worked  his  way  there, 
he  was  employed  for  four  years  as  foreman  on 
the  canal  between  Cleveland  and  Portsmouth.  In 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


56< 


the  spring  of  1830  lie  went  to  Louisville,  Ky., 
near  which  point  he  was  for  four  years  engaged 
as  superintendent  of  construction  of  a  canal. 
Later  he  took  charge  of  a  heavy  milling  plant. 

In  1843  Hugh  McIIarry  came  to  Illinois  and 
settled  in  Beardstown,  Cass  County,  where  he 
bought  a  mill  and  embarked  in  business.  The  mill 
was  purchased  very  cheap  at  a  sheriff's  sale,  and 
he  continued  it  successfully  until  the  spring  of 
1845,  when  he  sold  out,  and  coining  to  Mason 
County  bought  a  sawmill  in  Quiver  Township. 
This  business  he  followed,  in  connection  with  the 
management  of  his  flour  mill,  until  1882,  when  he 
retired.  He  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
sagacity  and  was  uniformly  successful  in  his  en- 
terprises. The  wagon  bridge  across  the  Illinois 
River  at  Havana  was  constructed  and  for  some  . 
time  owned  by  him,  but  later  was  deeded  to 
the  city  of  Havana.  His  death  occurred  in  the 
fall  of  1890. 

The  family  of  Hugh  McIIarry  consisted  of  six 
children  now  living,  namely:  John,  who  resides 
on  the  old  homestead  in  Quiver  Township;  Hugh, 
a  resident  of  Mason  City;  Homer  C.;  William; 
Mrs.  Josephine  Dexter,  of  Topeka,  111.;  and  Mrs. 
J.  J.  Donaldson,  of  Havana,  111.  The  subject  of 
this  notice  was  born  in  Corydon,  Ind.,  in  1834, 
and  remained  at  home  assisting  his  father  until 
December,  1864.  He  then  married  Miss  Rebecca 
Fullerton,  of  Youngstown,  Ohio,  and  the  daughter 
of  James  and  Mary  Fullerton,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 

As  above  stated,  Mr.  McIIarry  came  to  his  pres- 
ent farm  in  1869,  and  here  he  engaged  in  raising 
grain  and  stock  until  1891,  when  he  retired  from 
active  business  and  gave  the  management  of  the 
home  place  into  the  hands  of  his  sons,  Frank  W. 
and  Charles.  They  have  at  present  four  hundred 
acres  under  cultivation,  and  devote  considerable 
attention  to  stock-raising,  having  at  this  writing 
(1894)  seventy-five  head  of  cattle,  ninety  head  of 
sheep,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  hogs  and 
twenty  fine  Norman  horses.  There  is  also  an  or- 
chard on  the  place  containing  different  varieties 
of  fruit  trees. 

The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McIIarry,  three  in 
number,  are  Willis,  Charles  and  Le,na,allof  whom 


are  well  educated  and  popular  among  the  young 
people  of  the  vicinity.  Charles  completed  the 
course  in  the  Jacksonville  Business  College  and 
taught  school  for  one  j'ear,  since  which  time  he 
has  engaged  in  farming.  Miss  Lena  is  an  accom- 
plished young  lady,  and  finished  her  education  in 
the  Jacksonville  Female  Seminary.  Politically 
Mr.  McHarry  works  in  the  ranks  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  upon  that  ticket  has  been  elected  to 
various  local  offices.  For  ten  years  he  has  served 
as  Township  Treasurer,  for  three  years  as  Super- 
visor and  has  also  filled  the  positions  of  Highway 
Commissioner  and  School  Director. 


ENRY  ZIEGENBEIN.  Among  the  promi- 
nent business  men  in  the  city  of  Pekin  the 
gentleman  whose  name  appears  above  is 
|jj/  numbered  among  the  most  energetic  and 
ambitious.  He  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
cigars  and  is  at  the  same  time  efficiently  perform- 
ing the  duties  of  City  Treasurer,  to  which  office  he 
was  elected  in  1893. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  this  city  December  1 1, 
1856.  He  was  the  third  child  of  his  parents'  family 
of  seven  children,  only  three  of  whom  are  living. 
lie  received  his  education  up  to  the  age  of  twelve 
years  in  the  German  parish  school  of  this  city,  and 
at  that  tender  age  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the 
trade  of  a  cigar-maker  under  the  instruction  of 
Ed  Gehrig,  with  whom  he  remained  until  1871. 
In  1879,  after  working  with  different  firms  for  a 
number  of  j'ears,  he  started  out  in  business  on 
his'  own  account.  In  1882  he  took  in  as  partner 
A.  Haschcrt,  and  they  continued  to  manufacture 
cigars  at  No.  403.  Court  Street  until  1893.  In 
July  of  that  year  Mr.  Ziegenbein  disposed  of  his 
interest  in  the  factory  and  since  then  has  been 
engaged  in  retailing  cigars,  in  which  business  he 
has  a  fine  trade.. 

Our  subject  has  always  been  greatly  interested 
in  public  affairs,  and  a  worthy  enterprise  is  never 
allowed  to  drag  for  want  of  support  on  his  part. 
In  1887  he  was  elected  City  Treasurer  on  the  Re- 
publican ticket,  holding  that  office  until  1889,  and 


568 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


is  now  serving  his  second  term,  having  been  re- 
elected  in  the  year  1893  for  a  term  of  two  years. 
He  was  elected  to  the  office  by  a  majority  of 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five,  which  was  the 
largest  majority  ever  given  any  Republican  can- 
didate for  city  office. 

In  1882  our  subject  was  married  to  Agnes 
Matthes,  who  was  born  in  Saxony  and  who  came  to 
America  when  fifteen  years  of  age.  The  six  chil- 
dren who  have  come  to  bless  their  union  are, 
Walter,  Albert,  Henry,  Agnes,  Fred  and  Charles. 


VAN  BOENING.  There  is  not  within  the 
limits  of  Pekin  a  man  who  is  held  in  more 
general  respect  than  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  who  is  proprietor  of  a  transfer 
and  storage  business,  agent  for  the  St.  Louis, 
Naples  &  Peoria  Packet  Company,  and  the  repre- 
sentative in  this  city  of  the  Anhauser-Busch 
Brewing  Company  of  St.  Louis.  He  was  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  December  20,  1851,  and  is  the 
son  of  Simon  Van  Boening,  who  was  likewise  born 
in  that  empire,  as  was  also  his  father,  who  bore 
the  name  of  Egbert.  His  mother,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Dieken,  was  a  native  of 
Hanover  and  the  daughter  of  William  Dieken,  a 
nurseryman  in  the  Fatherland.  Simon  Van  Boe- 
ning departed  this  life  in  Germany  in  1856,  but 
his  wife  lived  to  emigrate  to  America,  where  her 
decease  occurred  in  1876. 

Nine  of  the  twelve  children  comprised  in  the 
parental  family  grew  to  mature  years  and  seven 
_are  living  at  the  present  time.  The  subjectof  this 
sketch  was  educated  in  his  native  tongue,  and  in 
1867  left  Bremen  on  the  steamer  "Union,"  land- 
ing in  New  Yoik  eleven  days  later.  He  had 
two  brothers  who  located  in  America  the  previous 
year  and  he  immediately  came  to  Pekiu  to  join 
them,  and  for  two  years  found  work  on  farms  near 
the  city.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  T.  &  H.  Smith  Co.,  working 
in  the  wagon  department.  This  establishment 
burning  in  1875,  he  entered  the  plow  shop  of  that 
company.  Two  years  later  he  purchased  a  horse 


and  dray, and  has  followed  the  draying  business  up 
to  the  present  time,  now  owning  three  teams.  He 
likewise  has  a  large  storage  house  located  at  No. 
102  Court  Street,  and  from  1878  to  1890  was 
agent  for  the  Peoria  and  St.  Louis  Packet  Com- 
pany. April  15  of  the  latter  year  he  left  that 
company  and  engaged  with  the  St.  Louis,  Naples 
&  Peoria  Packet  Company,  now  the  Eagle,  which 
he  represents. 

Mr.  Van  Boening  was  married  in  this  city  in 
1875  to  Miss  Mary  Heyl,  a  native  of  Germany,  who 
came  to  this  country  when  quite  young.  Their 
union  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  five  children,  Os- 
car, Alfred,  Emma  and  Lillie  (twins)  and  one  de- 
ceased, Nellie.  Socially,  our  subject  is  an  Odd  Fel- 
low, a  member  of  the  Knights  and  Ladiesof  Honor, 
a  United  Workman  and  a  member  of  the  Druids  and 
Turner  Society.  In  politics  he  is  a  true-blue  Re- 
publican and  has  been  prominently  connected  with 
many  important  measures  for  the  progress  of  the 
city.  Self  made  in  the  broadest  sense  of  the  term, 
his  career  illustrates  in  an  admirable  manner  what 
may  be  accomplished  by  unflagging  industry,  per- 
severance and  good  management. 


HARLES  W.  WILSON,  one  of  Mason 
County's  most  efficient  and  industrious 
agriculturists,  and  at  present  a  resident  of 
Pennsylvania  Township,  was  born  near  Pekin, 
Tazewell  County,  this  state,  January  13, 1856,  and 
is  the  son  of  Edward  A.  and  Rebecca  Wilson. 
Reference  to  his  parentage  and  ancestry  will  be 
found  on  another  page  of  this  volume.  His  youth 
was  passed  in  a  comparatively  uneventful  manner 
upon  the  home  farm,  alternating  attendance  in  the 
district  schools  with  the  labor  of  tilling  the  soil. 
When  twenty-one  years  of  age  Mr.  Wilson  com- 
menced life  for  himself,  and  for  some  time  operated 
one  of  his  father's  farms  adjoining  the  old  home- 
stead. January  26,  1881,  he  established  domestic 
ties,  being  at  the  time  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Ella,  daughter  of  Hon.  J.  W.  Pugh,  of  Mason 
City,  of  whom  further  mention  is  made  elsewhere 
in  this  work.  Mrs.  Wilson  was  born  in  Mason 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


569 


County,  November  21,  1857,  and  here  spent  her 
entire  life  until  she  was  called  hence  by  death,  May 
9,  1892.  She  was  a  lady  of  many  characteristics, 
one  who  gained  the  esteem  of  all  who  knew  her 
and  was  universally  respected  for  her  amiable  dis- 
position and  kindliness  of  heart.  At  her  death  she 
left  two  children,  Carrie,  who  was  born  July  2, 
1882,  and  Lelia,  November  29,  1886.  These  chil- 
dren are  now  making  their  home  with  their  grand- 
parents, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pugli.  They  are  bright  and 
promising  girls  and  are  students  in  the  public 
schools  of  Mason  City. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Wilson  settled  on  the 
farm  where  he  has  since  continued  to  reside,  and 
where  in  addition  to  general  farming  he  also  makes 
a  specialty  of  stock-raising,  keeping  on  his  place 
the  best  grades.  He  has  several  Clydesdale,  Eng- 
lishsire  and  Norman  horses,  and  in  cattle  be  is  im- 
proving with  the  Polled  Angus  breed.  On  his  farm 
will  also  be  noticed  one  hundred  head  of  Poland 
China  hogs.  The  farm  is  a  part  of  the  undivided 
estate  of  his  father,  and  he  cultivates  two  hundred 
and  thirty  acres.  He  has  the  fields  enclosed  with 
neat  hedge  fences  and  the  entire  tract  is  under 
cultivation.  He  is  well  entitled  to  a  position 
among  the  foremost  farmers  of  the  township  and 
justly  merits  the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  held. 


&HOMAS  A.  HOLE,  a  successful  farmer  of 
Mason  County,  and  the  owner  of  a  valua 
ble  estate  lying  on  section  32  of  Havana 
Township,  is  a  son  of  Stephen  Hole,  to  whom 
further  reference  is  made  in  the  sketch  of  William 
H.  Hole,  elsewhere  presented.  He  was  born  in 
Washington  County,  Ind.,  October  18.  1834,  and 
was  reared  upon  a  farm,  receiving  a  common- 
school  education  in  the  home  neighborhood.  In 
1856  he  accompanied  his  father  to  Mason  County, 
of  which  he  has  since  been  a  resident. 

March  9,  1856,  Mr.  Hole  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Eliza  Snyder,  who  was  born  in  Wash- 
ington County,  lud.,  on  Christmas  Day  of  1834. 


She  is  the  daughter  of  William  and  Matilda 
(Mitchell)  Snyder,  natives  respectively  of  Ken- 
tucky and  Indiana.  Her  father,  who  was  an  early 
settler  of  Indiana,  came  thence  to  Illinois,  and  set- 
tled at  Canton  in  1839.  After  following  the 
trades  of  tanner  and  shoemaker  at  that  place  for  a 
time,  he  removed  thence  to  Pekin.  In  1848  he 
went  to  California  via  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
Oceans,  and  remained  in  the  far  west  for  more  than 
twenty  years,  meantime  traveling  through  Cali- 
fornia, Oregon,  Washington,  and  also  spending 
three  years  in  Old  Mexico,  where  he  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Mexicans.  Upon  his  return  to 
Illinois  he  settled  in  Havana,  where  he  remained 
until  his  death. 

Twice  married,  the  second  union  of  Mr.  Snyder 
was  childless.  By  his  first  marriage  there  were 
born  six  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living, 
viz.:  Mrs.  Hole,  Mrs.  Rosanna  Coats,  Joseph  Sny- 
der and  Mrs.  Louisa  Page.  Mrs.  Hole  received  a 
good  education  in  the  schools  of  Illinois  and  is  a 
refined,  amiable  lady  and  a  sincere  Christian,  hav- 
ing been  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  since 
1854.  Since  her  marriage  she  has  lived  upon  sec- 
tion 32,  the  place  of  her  present  abode,  and  here 
she  has  reared  her  three  children,  Effie,  Grant  S. 
and  William  S.,  twins.  The  only  daughter  is  the 
wife  of  Lawrence  Sarff,  of  Mason  County,  and 
they  have  two  children,  Eva  and  Ray.  Grant  S. 
married  Miss  Lizzie  Meyer,  and  they  reside  in  Ha- 
vana. William  S.  married  Miss  Lucy  Dare,  and 
they  live  upon  the  old  homestead. 

As  a  farmer  Mr.  Hole  has  met  with  more  than 
ordinary  success  and  now  owns  two  hundred  acres 
of  improved  land,  upon  which  he  raises  grain  and 
stock.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Encampment. 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  connected  with 
the  Rebekah  Lodge.  He  is  interested  in  educa- 
tional matters  and  has  been  a  member  of  the 
School  Board  for  twenty  years.  To  his  children 
he  gave  excellent  educational  advantages,  and  the 
daughter  taught  two  terms  of  school  in  this  county. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  frequently 
served  as  a  delegate  to  local  conventions.  In  a 
township  which  usually  gives  a  Democratic  major- 
ity of  one  hundred  and  seventy,  lie  has  been 
elected  Assessor  upon  the  Republican  ticket, and  is 


570 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


now  serving  in    that   capacity.     For    nine    years 
consecutively  he  otliciated  as  Road  Commissioner. 


ON.  JOHN  STOLTZ,  ex-Mayor  of  Pekin,  is 
a  man  of  influence  in  this  com  in  unity,  and 
possesses  sound  judgment  in  public  affairs, 
as  well  as  in  matters  relating  to  his  private 
interests.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest  residents  in  the 
city,  having  located  here  as  early  as  1849,  and  has 
therefore  witnessed  the  wonderful  progress  made 
by  the  city  in  the  past  forty-five  3'ears. 

Like  many  of  the  best  residents  of  Tazewell 
County,  our  subject  is  a  native  of  Germany.  He 
was  born  in  Wurtemberg  March  7,  1825,  and  is  a 
son  of  Fred  Stoltz,  also  a  native  of  the  Father- 
land. When  fourteen  years  of  age  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  learn  the  cabinet-maker's  trade,  at  which 
he  worked  until  reaching  his  majority.  In  1847 
he  left  Hamburg  on  a  vessel  bound  for  Amer- 
ica; landing  in  New  York,  he  came  west  to  Mil- 
waukee, and  two  years  later  we  find  him  a  resident 
of  Pekin,  where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
furniture  up  to  1865.  In  that  year  his  furniture 
factory  burned  down  and  although  sustaining  a 
severe  loss,  he  three  years  later  purchased  the  city 
flouring  mills,  which  he  operated  until  1892.  The 
plant  was  entirely  remodeled  in  1883,  at  which  time 
Mr.  Stoltz  put  in  a  full  roller  system,  which  had  a 
capacity  of  turning  out  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  barrel  of  flour  per  day. 

Our  subject  disposed  of  his  mill  property  in 
1892  in  order  to  give  his  undivided  attention  to 
the  Independent  Biscuit  and  Cracker  Company, 
which  was  organized  the  previous  year,  when  he 
was  elected  its  President.  The  building  which  the 
company  occupies  was  erected  by  our  subject  in 
1860,  and  is  a  large  structure  fitted  out  with  the 
latest  improved  methods  for  the  manufacture  of 
biscuit  and  crackers. 

The  lady  whom  our  subject  first  married  was 
Miss  Amelia  Dalcher.  She  was  born  in  this  state, 
and  became  the  mother  of  a  daughter,  Mary,  now 
Mrs.  F.  Schnellbacher,  of  Pekin.  Mrs.  Stoltz  de- 
parted this  life  in  1871,  and  five  years  later  our 
subject  married,  in  Peoria,  Mrs.  Emma  Gosewitz, 


also  a  native  of  Germany,  but  who  was  reared  to 
mature  3'ears  in  Peoria.  Their  union  has  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  one  child,  Anna. 

Mr.  Stoltz  has  always  been  an  ardent  Democrat 
in  politics,  and  in  1872  was  elected  on  that  ticket 
as  Mayor  of  the  city.  He  discharged  the  duties 
of. that  responsible  position  in  a  most  satisfactory 
manner.  In  all  the  affairs  of  life  he  has  borne 
himself  in  an  upright  manner,  and  is  regarded  as  a 
man  of  true  worth. 


\1l  ^,  ENRY  DIX  is  now  successfully  engaged  in 
*  farming  on  section  26,  Manito  Township, 
Mason  County,  and  is  doing  a  good  busi- 
ness.  He  owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  land,  a  part  of  which  he  now  rents,  while  the 
remainder  he  operates,  engaging  in  general  farm- 
ing. He  is  a  wide-awake  and  enterprising  man 
and  carefully  manages  his  interests. 

Mr.  Dix  was  born  in  Ohio  on  the  12th  of  Au- 
gust, 1849,  and  is  a  son  of  Barney  and  Regena 
(Erfman)  Dix,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Germany.  The  father  died  in  Indiana  in  1870,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-seven  years,  and  the  mother's 
death  occurred  in  1876  at  the  age  of  fifty-six.  Our 
subject  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  farm- 
er's lads,  spending  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  at  work  in  the  fields  or  in  attendance  upon 
the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood  in  which 
he  made  his  home.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1879. 
He  has  since  made  his  home  in  Mason  County  and 
is  one  of  its  well  known  citizens. 

On  the  28th  of  May,  1875,  Mr.  Dix  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Minnie  Wickemeyer,  who  was 
born  in  Germany,  July  25,  1850,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Benedict  Wickemeyer.  Their  marriage  was 
celebrated  in  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  and  they  began 
their  domestic  life  in  this  county.  For  four  years 
Mr.  Dix  rented  land,  and  then  purchased  the  farm 
upon  which  he  now  resides.  He  first  bought  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  and  as  his  finan- 
cial resources  increased,  lie  added  to  this  by  addi- 
tional purchase  until  he  now  has  a  fine  and  valuable 
tract  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  There  are 
good  buildings  and  other  improvements  upon  the 


UBRAKV 

OFTHt 

UNIVERSm  OF  HUMMS 


S.  B.  CROSS. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


573 


place,  including  an  orchard  which  covers  two  acres. 
The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dix  has  been  blessed 
with  the  presence  of  two  children,  both  daughters, 
named  Katie  M.  R.  and  Louisa  E.  The  parents 
are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  take  an 
interest  in  its  growth  and  welfare.  In  his  social 
relations  Mr.  Dix  is  connected  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America  and  in  his  political  affilia- 
tions is  a  Republican.  He  has  served  as  School 
Director  of  his  district  and  has  been  commissioner 
of  drainage,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  public 
otlice,  preferring  to  give  his  entire  time  and  atten- 
tion to  his  business  interests,  in  which  he  has  met 
with  a  well  deserved  success.  He  and  his  estima- 
ble wife  are  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who  know 
them,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  this 
sketch  of  their  lives  to  our  readers. 


TEPHEN  B.  CROSS,  an  early  settler  of 
Mason  County,  was  for  many  years  ac- 
tively engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
in  Mason  County,  and  still  owns  one  of 
its  valuable  and  productive  estates,  which  he  de- 
veloped from  the  wild  prairies  by  well  directed 
toil  and  good  management.  The  farm  is  now 
rented,  while  he  and  his  wife  are  living  in  retire- 
ment in  a  cozy  home  in  Mason  City,  surrounded 
by  all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of 
life. 

The  family  of  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  a  member  originated  in  Ireland,  whence  many 
years  ago  representatives  of  that  name  emigrated 
to  the  New  World,  settling  in  New  Jersey.  There 
Grandfather  William  Cross  was  born  and  there 
also  was  the  birthplace  of  Robert  Cross,  our  sub- 
ject's father.  Stephen  B.  was  born  in  Somerset 
County,  N.  J.,  October  31,  1824,  and  spent  the 
years  of  boyhood  in  the  state  of  his  nativity,  ac- 
quiring a  good  education  in  its  public  schools.  In 
1839  he  accompanied  his  father  to  Illinois  and 
settled  in  Greene  County,  where  he  grew  to  man- 
18 


hood  upon  a  farm.  His  father  died  in  1854, 
while  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Maria 
D.  Brown,  and  who  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  died 
in  Mason  County  in  1870. 

Beginning  his  independent  career  as  a  farmer 
in  early  manhood,  Mr.  Cross  displayed  from  the 
first  keen  judgment  and  sound  common  sense. 
As  a  result,  success  crowned  his  efforts.  Grad- 
ually increasing  his  possessions,  he  is  now  the 
owner  of  seven  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  fertile 
land,  all  of  which  is  under  cultivation  and  well 
improved  and  divided  into  four  farms.  On 
coming  to  Mason  County  he  settled  near  Havana, 
but  afterwards  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  Mason 
City,  and  from  there  came  to  this  place,  where  he 
now  resides.  However,  he  still  looks  after  his 
farming  interests  and  superintends  the  manage- 
ment of  his  property. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Cross  occurring  in 
1852  united  him  with  Miss  Margaret  McReynolds, 
who  died  in  August,  1856,  leaving  two  sons, 
Robert  I.  and  Albert.  The  estimable  lady  who 
since  1857  has  been  the  helpmate  of  Mr.  Cross 
was  formerly  Miss  Sarah  L.  Appleman,  and  was 
bora  in  Somerset  County,  N.  J.  Her  father,  John 
Appleman,  came  to  Illinois  in  1848  and  settled  in 
Mason  County,  where  in  1866  he  was  killed  by  a 
runaway  team.  His  wife,  whose  name  was  Cathe- 
rine Cross,  and  who  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
died  in  Mason  County  in  April,  1872.  The  union 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cross  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of 
three  children,  Luther  W.,  John  A.  and  Charles, 
the  latter  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  family 
is  actively  identified  witli  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
to  the  support  of  which  Mr.  Cross  is  a  generous 
contributor. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Cross  supports  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party  and  uniformly 
casts  his  ballot  for  the  candidates  of  the  party  of  his 
choice.  He  has  attained  to  his  present  position, 
socially  and  financially,  by  his  own  honest  and 
energetic  efforts,  having  started  out  in  life  without 
other  means  than  his  industrious  and  persevering 
disposition  and  integrity,  which  has  gained  for  him 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-men.  He 
has  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  manner  in  which  he 
has  overcome  every  obstacle  to  success  by  his  ex- 


574 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


cellent  business  management  and  the  exercise  of 
rare  judgment.  In  social,  business  and  religious 
circles  his  position  is  among  the  highest. 


eHARLES  PULLING  is  one  of  the  oldest  set- 
tlers in  Mason  County,  to  which  place  he 
came  in  1848.  Long  years  of  merito- 
rious conduct  in  private  and  public  life  have  won 
for  him  a  reputation  which  is  the  choicest  heritage 
that  he  can  leave  to  his  posterity  when  called  from 
time  to  eternity.  Formerly  residing  on  a  fine  farm 
in  Havana  Township,  he  is  now  living  retired  in 
Havana,  to  which  city  he  moved  with  his  family 
in  1891. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Thomas  and 
Sarah  (Haines)  Pulling,  natives  of  Buckingham- 
shire, England,  where  our  subject's  birth  occurred, 
January  31,  1828.  The  father  set  sail  for  Amer- 
ica in  1831,  and  after  landing  here  located  in  Phil- 
adelphia, whence  he  later  removed  to  Jefferson 
County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  classed  among  the 
earliest  settlers.  He  departed  this  life  while  a  res- 
ident of  Mason  County,  this  state,  whither  he  had 
removed  in  1848.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation 
and  in  politics  was  a  strong  Democrat. 

Charles  Pulling  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth 
of  his  parents'  family  of  ten  children,  and  was 
only  three  years  of  age  when  his  parents  emigrated 
to  the  United  States.  He  spent  his  boyhood  in 
Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  given  mea- 
ger advantages  for  obtaining  a  district  school  edu- 
cation, and  when  beginning  in  life  for  himself 
came  to  Mason  County,  where  he  purchased  farm- 
ing land,  which  he  operated  with  great  success  un- 
til 1891.  His  tract  included  two  hundred  and 
eighty  acres,  which  he  worked  hard  to  place  under 
the  best  methods  of  improvement,  and  which  now 
ranks  among  the  best  estates  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Pulling  in  1848  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza, 
daughter  of  Edward  Leaf.  She  was  a  native  of 
this  county,  of  which  section  her  father  was  an  old 
settler,  and  died  February  18,  1850,  leaving  two 
daughters,  Caroline  and  Adaline,  twins.  Caroline 
is  now  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Brandt.  Adaline 


is  deceased.  Our  subject  in  1865  took  to  wife 
Miss  Louisa  Samms,  also  a  native  of  this  county, 
who  departed  this  life  on  July  9,  1890.  She  had 
become  the  mother  of  two  sons  and  one  daughter, 
Jonathan,  Clark  and  Eveline,  the  latter  of  whom 
is  now  the  wife  of  William  Putt,  of  Fulton  County, 
this  state. 

The  lady  to  whom  Mr.  Pulling  was  married  in 
April.  1892,  was  Miss  Ellen  Eel,  likewise  a  native  of 
Fulton  County;  and  one  child  was  born  to  them 
March  30,  1894.  He  has  also  taken  an  active  inter- 
est in  public  life,  and  has  served  as  School  Director 
for  nine  successive  years.  He  is  independent  in 
politics  and  is  generally  popular  among^his  fellow- 
citizens. 


LLEN  ROBINSON.  No  name  is  more  hon- 
ored or  more  worthy  of  reverence  among 
those  of  the  noble  pioneers  of  Mason 
County,  by  whose  labors  it  was  established 
on  a  firm  foundation  of  enduring  prosperity,  than 
that  of  this  gentleman,  who  has  played  an  impor- 
tant part  in  the  agricultural  and  religious  devel- 
opment of  Crane  Creek  Township,  and  so  of  the 
county.  In  his  work  he  was  much  prospered,  ac- 
cumulating a  goodly  amount  of  property,  and  was 
living  retired  in  Havana,  where  he  was  quietly  and 
pleasantly  passing  the  declining  years  of  a  life 
well  spent  in  all  that  goes  to  make  a  true  man 
and  good  citizen.  He  died  December  9,  1893. 

Elijah  and  Nancy  A.  (Budderick)  Robinson,  the 
parents  of  our  subject,  were  natives  of  New  Jer- 
sey, where  the  mother  died  when  our  subject  was 
quite  young.  The  father  later  removed  to  Sanga- 
mon  County,  this  state,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
farming,  and  died  in  1841.  Allen,  of  this  sketch, 
spent  the  first  twenty  years  of  his  life  in  his  native 
place,  where  he  received  a  common  school  educa- 
tion, and  worked  on  his  father's  farm.  He  was 
born  in  Cape  May  County,  September  8,  1821,  and 
came  in  1840  to  this  state,  and  spent  two  years  in 
Sangamon  County.  In  the  spring  of  1842,  he 
made  his  advent  into  this  county,  at  which  time 
he  located  at  Faulkner  Grove,  where  he  entered  a 
tract  of  land  from  the  Government,  and  also  pur- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


575 


chased  property  on  which  he  engaged  in  general 
fanning.  He  performed  much  pioneer  labor,  and 
by  unceasing  industry  finally  established  a  home 
of  his  own  and  became  well-to-do. 

In  March,  1890,  Mr.  Robinson  moved  with  his 
family  into  Havana,  where  he  made  his  homej 
although  he  gave  his  personal  attention  to  the  ope- 
rations of  his  valuable  farm,  comprising  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  in  Crane  Creek  Township. 
He  enjoyed  a  high  personal  standing  throughout 
the  county,  where  the  most  busy  years  of  his  life 
were  passed,  and  was  held  in  high  esteem  wherever 
known.  He  was  always  very  prominent  in  public 
affairs,  and  was  especially  interested  in  schools, 
having  served  as  a  member  of  the  Board  for  forty 
years. 

In  1847  Allen  Robinson  was  married  to  Miss 
Matilda,  daughter  of  James  Veach,  a  pioneer  of 
this  county.  The  lady  was  born  in  Delaware,  and 
by  her  union  with  our  subject  has  become  the 
mother  of  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  namely: 
Charles  C.,  who  is  living  in  Louisville,  Ky.;  Eliza 
M.,  the  wife  of  Frank  Schultz,  lives  in  Walker 
Grove,  this  county;  William,  who  makes  his  home 
in  Nebraska;  Matilda,  now  deceased;  Malinda,  who 
is  the  wife  of  Charles  Gilmore,  is  living  in  Crane 
Creek;  Pernal  and  George  on  the-  farm;  Rose  15. 
and  Rhodie  D.  (twins),  and  Delia  are  all  at  home. 
Mrs.  Robinson  is  a  devoted  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  and  is  well  thought  of  by 
all  about  her.  Politically  our  subject  was  identi- 
fied with  the  Democratic  party,  and  no  one  was 
more  willing  than  he  to  help  in  forwarding  the  best 
interests  of  this  community. 


)ENJAMIN  F.  WILSON,  one  of  the  pro- 
gressive and  successful  fanners  of  Tazewell 
County,  resides  on  section  36,  Tremont 
Township,  where  his  entire  life  lias  been 
passed.  He  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  on 
the  12th  of  January,  1855,  and  is  therefore  one  of 
Illinois'  native  sons.  His  father,  Edward  Wilson, 
was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1824,  and  when  about 
four  years  of  age  came  with  his  parents  to  this 
state,  the  family  locating  in  Sangamoij  County. 


After  a  short  time,  however,  they  came  to  Taze- 
well County,  settling  in  Little  Mackinaw  Town- 
ship, where  they  remained  two  years.  In  1831, 
they  again  moved,  locating  in  Hopedale  Town- 
ship, near  the  Tremont  line. 

When  twenty-one  years  of  age  Edward  Wilson 
started  out  in  life  for  himself.  He  came  to  Tre- 
mont Township  about  the  year  1845  and  embarked 
in  fanning  and  stock-raising,  which  occupation  he 
followed  throughout  his  business  life.  He  was  pos- 
sessed of  excellent  business  and  executive  ability, 
was  sagacious  and  far-sighted,  and  during  his  suc- 
cessful career  acquired  a  property  which  made 
him  one  of  the  noted  men  of  this  region.  He  at 
one  time  owned  over  twenty-one  hundred  acres 
of  land,  all  of  which  was  acquired  through  his  own 
efforts.  He  married  Mary  E.  Alii ngsworth,  and  to 
them  were  born  five  sons  and  a  daughter,  namely: 
Edward,  who  is  living  in  Kansas;  Susan,  wife  of 
Richard  Sparks,  of  Mackinaw;  William  and  Jesse 
S.,  both  of  whom  are  located  in  Tremont  Town- 
ship; and  John  S.,  of  Mackjnaw  Township,  Taze- 
well County.  The  father  was  called  to  his  final 
rest  on  the  18th  of  February,  1888,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-four  years.  He  was  a  valued  citizen  of  the 
community,  and  his  loss  was  widely  and  deeply 
mourned.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  is 
now  living  with  her  son,  Benjamin  F.,  on  the  old 
homestead. 

Mr.  Wilson,  whose  name  heads  this  record,  has 
always  resided  upon  the  farm,  to  the  cultivation 
and  improvement  of  which  he  now  devotes  his 
energies.  His  childhood  days  were  passed  amidst 
play  and  work,  and  in  the  common  schools  he  ac- 
quired his  education.  He  has  been  familiar  with 
the  labors  of  the  fields  since  an  early  age.  On  at- 
taining his  majority  he  started  out  in  life  for  him- 
self as  a  farmer  and  has  since  arduously  and  suc- 
cessfully followed  that  occupation. 

In  1882  Mr.  Wilson  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Ophelia  Wilson,  a  native  of  McLean 
County,  111.,  and  one  of  six  children  born  unto 
Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (McClure)  Wilson,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Indiana.  Four  children 
graced  the  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife:  Ada 
Elizabeth,  Mary  Etta,  Myra  Melvina  and  Jennie, 
and  the  family  circle  remains  unbroken.  In  poll- 


576 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ties  Mr.  Wilson  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity  of  Mackinaw.  In  1892  he 
was  elected  Supervisor  of  Tremont  Township  and 
is  now  acceptably  filling  that  position.  He  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  representative  young  farmers 
of  the  county,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  pre- 
sent to  our  readers  this  record  of  his  life. 


UF.  HOWARD.  Among  the  representative 
and  esteemed  citizens  of  Tazewell  County 
W^l  there  is  probably  no  one  more  deserving 
of  mention  than  Mr.  Howard,  who  is  one  of  the 
oldest  railroad  engineers  in  this  section,  covering 
a  period  of  thirty-two  years.  Formerly  in  the 
employ  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  <fe  Quincy 
Road,  he  now  has  a  position  with  the  Santa  Fc, 
running  between  Pekin  and  Streator. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Wyoming  County, 
N.  Y.,  January  8,  1839,  and  is  the  son  of  Walter 
Howard,  a  native  of  Connecticut.  The  latter  on 
removing  to  New  York  was  first  engaged  as  a  dis- 
tiller, and  later  became  a  prominent  merchant. 
The  lady  whom  he  married  was  likewise  a  na- 
tive of  the  Nutmeg  State  and  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Ruth  Kenney.  She  is  still  living,  at  the 
remarkable  age  of  ninety-three  years,  and  makes 
her  home  in  New  York. 

W.  F.  Howard  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  bii'th 
of  the  seven  children  born  to  his  parents,  and 
after  completing  his  education  in  his  native  state 
became  an  engineer  in  the  employ  of  the  Erie 
Railroad  Company.  In  1857  he  came  as  far  west 
as  Galesburg,  and  spending  two  years  there  as 
brakeman  returned  to  New  York,  where  he  was 
fireman  in  the  employ  of  the  Erie  Railroad  Com- 
pany. Later  he  was  promoted  to  be  engineer  on 
that  road  and  continued  to  hold  that  position  un- 
til 1864,  when  he  came  again  to  this  state  and 
began  working  for  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Road,  running  between  Quincy  and  Gales- 
burg.  He  remained  with  that  company  until 
February,  1887,  when  he  was  compelled  to  strike 
with  the  other  employes,  and  leaving  their  employ, 
four  roontUs  later  accepted  the  position  of  engin- 


eer on  the  Santa  Fe  Road,  running  between  Chi- 
cago &  Ft.  Madison.  In  August,  1891,  he  came 
to  Pekin,  where  he  is  now  living,  and  is  engineer 
of  locomotive  No.  193.  During  all  the  years  in 
which  he  has  been  on  the  road  he  has  never  met 
with  but  one  accident,  and  is  thus  looked  upon  as 
a  very  lucky  man  among  his  brethren  in  the  pro- 
fession. 

December  28,  1869,  W.  F.  Howard  and  Miss 
Lottie  E.  Cuyler  were  united  in  marriage.  The 
lady  was  born  in  Vermont  and  has  become  the 
mother  of  four  children:  James,  a  printer  residing 
in  Galesburg;  Charles,  Nellie  and  Carrie.  Miss  Nel- 
lie is  the  popular  teacher  of  a  kindergarten  in  the 
city,  which  was  the  first  started  here,  and  of  which 
she  was  the  originator.  In  social  affairs  our  sub- 
ject is  a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Brotherhood 
of  Locomotive  Engineers.  He  cast  his  first  vote 
for  Abraham  Lincoln  and  has  never  ceased  to  vote 
for  Republican  candidates.  He  is  a  man  well 
known  throughout  this  portion  of  the  state  and 
deserves  the  high  place  which  he  occupies  among 
railroad  men. 


<fl  fifclLLIAM  M.  GANSON.  This  prominent 
vv\A/*7  gentleman,  who  is  Supervisor  of  Manito 
^7^  Township,  Mason  County,  devotes  his 
time  and  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  and 
makes  his  home  on  section  2.  His  father  was  Will- 
iam II.  Ganson,  a  native  of  Lancaster  County,  Pa., 
where  his  birth  occurred  in  1802.  lie  was  a 
wagon-maker  by  trade,  to  which  in  later  life  he 
added  the  vocation  of  a  farmer.  His  wife,  Mrs. 
Anulette  (Toxey)  Ganson,  was  also  born  in  the 
above  county  in  1817. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  in  the 
Keystone  State,  and  in  1834  removed  to  Ohio, 
making  their  home  at  Urbana  until  their  death, 
the  mother  passing  away  in  1847,  and  the  father 
surviving  until  1887.  They  reared  a  family  of 
five  children,  of  whom  William  M.  was  the  eldest 
but  one.  Charles  Henry  married  Jane  Rawalt 
and  makes  his  home  in  Urbana,  Ohio;  Benjamin 
Franklin  married  Mamie  Ambrose  and  also  lives 
in  that  city,  as  do  the  two  other  daughters:  Anna 


LIBRARY 

OFTHt 
UNIVERSm  OF  ItUNUfc 


A.  M.  BIRD,  M.  D. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


579 


Eliza,  the  widow  of  Horace  Happcrsett;  and 
Emma  Josephine,  the  widow  of  Mathew  Weaver. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Ganson  were  consistent  mem- 
bers of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  and  the 
latter  since  the  war  voted  the  Republican  ticket. 
He  was  scrupulously  honest  in  all  business  trans- 
actions, public-spirited  and  enterprising,  and  was 
one  of  the  county's  much  esteemed  citizens. 

Our  subject  was  born  October  22,  1838,  in  Ur- 
bana,  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated. 
He  came  west  in  1858,  and  the  next  year  located 
in  this  township,  where  he  has  made  his  perma- 
nent home.  The  lady  to  whom  he  was  married 
October  2,  1859,  was  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Maj. 
Jonas  Rawalt,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  came 
to  Illinois  in  1832.  He  located  in  Fulton  County 
in  that  year,  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  Illi- 
nois Legislature  with  Lincoln  and  Douglas.  Dur- 
ing the  late  war  he  was  Major  of  the  Seventh 
Illinois  Cavalry,  and  during  his  two  years  of  en- 
listment rendered  his  country  valuable  service. 
He  was  a  man  of  wide  knowledge,  and  was  one 
of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Fulton  County 

Mrs.  Ganson  was  born  in  the  above  place  in  Jan- 
uary, 1837,  and  by  her  union  with  our  subject  has 
become  the  mother  of  seven  children,  viz.:  Benja- 
min F.,  Charles,  William,  Edward,  Jennie,  Lizzie 
and  Harmon.  She  is  a  devoted  member  of  the 
Swedenborgian  Church,  and  is  active  in  all  good 
works  in  her  community.  Our  subject  is  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics,  and  for  eight  years  was  Justice  of 
the  Peace.  He  served  seven  years  as  Supervisor, 
and  is  the  present  Chairman  of  the  County  Board. 
In  1873  he  was  elected  County  Clerk,  which  re- 
sponsible office  he  held  until  1890. 

Charles  H.  Ganson,  a  brother  of  our  subject, 
was -also  born  in  Urbana,  October  19,  1836,  and 
like  him  was  reared  and  educated  there.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  his  native  state  until  coming 
to  Illinois  in  1867,  at  which  time  he  located  upon 
raw  land  in  this  township,  upon  which  he  resided 
for  ten  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he 
returned  to  his  native  state,  and  is  now  engaged 
in  the  livery  business  at  Urbana.  He  was  married, 
in  1857,  to  a  sister  of  our  subject's  wife,  Miss  Jane 
Rawalt,  who  was  born  in  Fulton  County  in  June, 
1834.  Their  family  comprises  two  children, Emma, 


the  wife  of  Theo  W.  Cook,  of  Cleveland;  and 
Jonas  R.,  who  is  married  and  also  makes  his  home 
in  the  Forest  City.  Another  brother  of  our  sub- 
ject, Benjamin  F.  Ganson,  served  four  years  in 
the  Civil  War  as  Captain  of  Company  B,  Sixty- 
sixth  Ohio  Infantry.  He  was  wounded  and  cap- 
tured, and  as  a  prisoner  was  placed  first  in  Libby, 
and  latter  in  Salisbury  Prison. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Ganson  are  members  of 
the  Swedenborgian  Church,  and  the  former  is 
Trustee  of  Urbana  University,  of  which  their  son 
is  a  graduate.  The  daughter,  however,  completed 
her  studies  in  the  Cleveland  Female  Seminary. 
He  is  a  Mason,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  Legion  of  Honor  and  Knights  of  Pythias. 
He  is  a  true-blue  Republican  in  politics,  and  was 
elected  on  that  ticket  as  Mayor  of  Urbana  for 
fourteen  years.  lie  has  held  numerous  other  of- 
fices of  great  trust,  and  at  present  is  serving  as 
Director  of  the  infirmary. 


JOHN  BERRY.  Whatever  the  natural  re- 
sources of  a  country  or  its  business  facili- 
•  ties,  still  history  must  depend  chiefly  upon 
'  the  men  who  have  resided  there,  and  who 
by  their  energy  and  ability  have  added  to  the 
natural  attractions  and  wealth.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  figures  prominently  among  such  men, 
the  seat  of  his  labors  being  the  city  of  Delavan, 
where  he  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  saloon  busi- 
ness. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Ireland,  March  14,  1883, 
and  is  the  son  of  Joseph  Berry,  who  was  a  small 
farmer  in  the  Emerald  Isle,  and  emigrated  to 
America  in  1840.  The  latter  located  in  Chicago, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business  until 
1849,  when  he  came  to  this  county  and  made  his 
home  in  Pekin.  He  was  very  successful  in  all  his 
ventures  in  the  New  World,  and  made  a  handsome 
sum  of  money  boating  on  the  Illinois  River.  He 
reared  a  family  of  ten  children,  and  departed  this 
life  in  1852. 

Our  subject  and  his  sister  Mary,  now  Mrs.  M.  E. 
McCormick,  are  the  only  members  of  the  family 


580 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


who  are  now  living.  Mrs.  McCormick  is  at  the 
head  of  the  millinery  department  of  the  retail  es- 
tablishment of  Marshall  Field  &  Co.,  of  Chicago, 
in  whose  interest  she  makes  two  trips  to  Europe 
each  year  to  purchase  stock. 

John  Berry,  of  this  sketch,  prior  to  locating  in 
this  city  in  1871,  was  engaged  in  business  first  in 
Pekin,  and  later  in  Chicago.  While  in  the  former 
place  he  was  Chief  of  the  fire  department  many 
years,  and  is  now  one  of  the  most  popular  and 
prominent  business  men  of  Delavan.  He  may  be 
truly  called  a  self-made  man,  for  he  started  out  in 
life  empty  handed,  and  by  his  own  industrious 
and  enterprising  efforts  has  steadily  worked  his 
way  upward  to  a  position  among  the  substantial 
citizens  of  the  community. 

The  lady  to  whom  our  subject  was  married  in 
1861  was  Miss  Jane  A.  Bishop,  a  native  of  Oswego 
County,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Berry  is  an  influential  Odd 
Fellow,  and  politically  votes  to  sustain  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Democratic  party. 


DONAVAN,  an  old  settler  and  one 
the  wealthiest  citizens  of  Mason  County, 
makes  his  chief  occupation  that  of  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising.  The  wide-awake  manner  in 
which  he  has  taken  advantage  of  every  method 
and  idea  tending  toward  enhancing  the  value  of 
his  property  has  had  considerable  to  do  with  his 
success  in  life.  '  In  addition  to  being  a  successful 
agriculturist  whose  opinions  on  all  matters  per- 
taining to  that  industry  carry  with  them  much 
weight  in  the  county,  Mr.  Donavan  is  a  man  of 
broad  intelligence,  and  has  given  much  attention 
to  questions  of  public  import.  He  is  now  the  pro- 
prietor of  eleven  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land 
in  this  state,  nine  hundred  of  which  lie  in  Mason 
City  Township. 

Originally  from  the  Buckeye  State,  our  subject 
was  born  in  Champaign  County,  May  1,  1833,  and 
is  sixth  in  order  of  birth  of  the  eight  children  in- 
cluded in  the  family  of  Robert  and  Rachel  (Cox) 
Donavan.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  county,  and  remained  in 


Ohio  engaged  in  general  farming  until  1861,  the 
date  of  his  advent  in  this  county.  His  stay  here, 
however,  was  a  short  one,  and  two  years  later  he 
returned  to  Champaign  County  and  resided  there 
until  1871,  when  he  made  a  permanent  location  iu 
this  county,  purchasing  at  that  time  the  farm  on 
which  he  is  now  residing,  and  a  portion  of  which 
is  located  on  section  36. 

Frank  Donavan  was  married  in  1880  to  Miss 
Mary  Paul,  a  native  of  Winchester,  Ohio.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  Eben  and  Ann  (Elrod)  Paul,  who 
removed  from  Ohio  to  this  state  when  she  was 
only  two  years  of  age.  The  five  children  born  to 
our  subject  and  his  wife  are  Frank,  Marion  Ar- 
thur, Joseph  S.,  Paul  and  Ada  ].  Our  subject  has 
followed  farm  pursuits  all  his  life,  and  has  worked 
very  hard,  increasing  his  acreage  as  opportunity  af- 
forded until  now  he  is  the  happy  possessor  of  nine 
hundred  acres  in  Mason  City  Township,  and  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Mcnard  County,  join- 
ing his  other  estate.  He  has  accumulated  a  hand- 
some competence  and  has  made  for  himself  and 
family  such  a  pleasant  home  that  he  can  now  rest 
from  his  hard  manual  labors  and  enjoy  with  ease 
the  many  comforts  which  surround  him. 

In  his  political  views  our  subject  is  a  strong 
Democrat  and  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of  the 
School  Board.  He  is  a  self-made  man  in  the  true- 
est  sense  of  the  word,  as  he  came  to  this  county  a 
poor  man,  and  by  good  management  and  foresight 
lias  worked  his  way  up  to  the  top  round  of  the 
ladder  of  fortune.  He  is  intelligent  and  well  in- 
formed and  his  splendid  character  has  placed  him 
in  the  high  regard  of  his  fellow-men. 


pILKE  TAMMEUS.     Among  those  of   our 
citizens  who  have  developed  a  high  order 

Mi  f 

of  ability  in  connection  with  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  whose  rare  personal  and  social  quali- 
ties have  given  them  :i  deserved  and  added  promi- 
nence, Mr.  Tammeus  is  conspicuous.  Like  many 
of  the  representative  men  of  this  county,  he  was 
born  in  the  kingdom  of  Hanover,  Prussia,  Novem- 
ber 15,  1839.  He  needs  no  introduction  to  the 
people  of  Tazewell  County,  however,  for  a  long 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


581 


residence  here,  and  above  all  a  career  of  usefulness 
and  prominence,  have  given  him  an  extensive  ac- 
quaintance. 

Our  subject  is  a  son  of  Martin  Tammeus,  also  a 
native  of  the  Fatherland,  who  thought  to  try  his 
fortunes  in  the  New  World,  and  came  hither  in 
1866,  three  years  after  our  subject  became  a  resi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  He  located  in  Logan 
County,  and  was  there  engaged  in  farm  pursuits. 
A  short  time  before  his  death,  he  located  in  Iro- 
quois  County,  his  decease  occurring  in  the  year 
1888.  Wilke,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  only  son  of 
his  parents,  and  like  all  German  youths,  attended 
school  in  his  native  land  until  fourteen  years  of 
age.  A  year  later  lie  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the 
blacksmith's  trade,  at  which  he  was  engaged  until 
coming  to  America  in  1863. 

After  landing  on  American  soil,  our  subject 
made  his  way  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  found  work 
at  his  trade,  and  the  following  year  was  united  in 
marriage  in  Freeport,  this  state,  with  Miss  Kate 
Van  Gerpen.  The  young  couple  then  located  in 
Pekin,  where  Mr.  Tammeus  worked  at  his  trade 
about  two  years,  and  then  removed  to  Mason 
County,  where  he  lived  for  the  same  length  of 
time,  still  working  as  a  blacksmith.  He  then 
thought  to  better  his  financial  condition  by  en- 
gaging in  farm  pursuits,  and  renting  property  in 
Tazewell  County,  was  engaged  in  its  cultivation 
for  twelve  years.  He  was  very  successful  in  this 
calling,  and  made  his  first  purchase  of  a  quarter- 
section  of  land  from  J.  C.  Duncan.  To  this  he  soon 
added  another  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
which  was  formerly  the  property  of  J.  W.  Crabb, 
and  now  Mr.  Tammeus  has  one  of  the  finest  and 
best  equipped  farms  in  Delavan  Township. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  has  been  born  a 
family  of  eight  children,  of  whom  Lottie  is  the 
wife  of  Jacob  Albers,  a  farmer  of  this  county; 
Hank  married  Miss  Kattie  Albers,  and  aids  his  fa- 
ther in  the  cultivation  of  his  estate;  Kate  is  now 
Mrs.  Fred  Ross,  whose  husband  is  also  a  farmer  in 
this  township;  and  the  other  members  of  the  fam- 
ily, Martin,  John,  Wilke,  Jr.,  Gertie  and  Minnie, 
are  at  home.  The  parents  are  members  in  good 
standing  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
are  numbered  among  the  substantial  members  of 


the  community.  In  politics  the  former  is  a  true- 
blue  Republican.  By  careful  attention  to  details, 
and  by  good  management  he  has  worked  his  way 
steadily  upward  until  he  is  now  one  of  the  well- 
to-do  farmers  of  this  section. 


ISAAC  BELLAS  is  one  of  those  worthy  citizens 
who  have  won  a  comfortable  fortune  by  the 
exercise  of  unflagging  industry,  wise  economy 
and  good  judgment  in  the  conduct  of  the  business 
to  which  they  have  devoted  themselves.  His 
home  is  located  on  section  10,  Salt  Creek  Town- 
ship, Mason  County,  and  includes  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres.  Everywhere  upon  his  property 
one  sees  evidence  of  the  qualities  which  have  won 
for  its  owner  his  good  standing  in  the  community. 
He  is  an  old  settler  in  this  county,  and  was  born  in 
Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  March  2,  1820. 

Anthony  Bellas,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
also  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  where  he  car- 
ried on  farm  pursuits,  and  died  when  in  his  forty- 
fifth  year.  "He  was  of  German  descent,  his  mother 
having  been  brought  when  a  babe  of  six  months 
from  Germany.  The  lady  whom  Antony  Bellas 
married  was  Miss  Susannah  Benscoter,  born  in 
Pennsylvania  of  German  parents.  She  lived  to  be 
seventy-two  years  of  age  and  reared  a  family  of 
nine  children,  of  whom  our  subject  is  the  eldest. 
Of  these,  Eveline,  Lydia,  William  W.,  Lucy  A., 
Washington  and  Wesley  are  deceased.  Jacob  is 
living  on  the  old  homestead  in  Pennsylvania,  in 
which  state  Shadrach  also  makes  his  home. 

Isaac  Bellas  was  reared  to  manhood  on  his  father's 
farm  and  remained  in  his  native  state  till  1854,when 
he  came  west  to  try  his  fortunes  in  this  state.  Lo- 
cating in  Mason  County  he  soon  settled  upon  the 
farm  where  he  is  now  living,  and  where  he  has 
led  a  very  active  career.  He  was  not  afraid  of 
personal  hardships,  but  overcame  the  trials  and 
laid  by  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  to  enable  him  to 
pass  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  comfort. 

The  lady  to  whom  our  subject  was  married  in 
Pennsylvania  in  1846  was  Miss  Dorcas  Benscoter, 
also  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  having  been 


582 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


born  in  Luzerne  County,  March  17,  1827.  Their 
union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  eight  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  are  living,  namely:  Susannah 
E.,  now  Mrs.  Irvin  Nay  lor,  of  Mason  City;  Ross 
and  Rosa  A.,  who  are  at  home  with  their  parents. 
The  deceased  members  of  the  family  are  James> 
Monemia  C.,  Dyson  B.,  Sarah  A.  and  Mary  J. 

As  before  stated  Mr.  Bellas  has  a  well  improved 
estate  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  the  man- 
agement of  which  is  in  the  hands  of  his  sons.  He 
is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  has  served  as  Asses- 
sor of  his  township  for  four  years,  Collector  six 
years  and  lias  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board 
for  the  past  fifteen  years.  lie  and  his  wife  are 
highly  regarded  by  the  members  of  the  community 
among  whom  they  have  spent  so  many  years. 


kOUIS  T.  SMITH,  assistant  bookkeeper  for 
I  Teis  Smith  &  Co.,  bankers  of  Pekin,  was 
,  born  in  this  city,  August  13,  1871.  He 
is  the  son  of  Frederick  C.,  a  native  of  Emden,  Ost- 
fricsland,  Germany,  and  the  latter  was  in  turn  the 
son  of  Conrad  Smith,  of  whom  mention  is  made  in 
the  sketches  of  Teis  and  Henry  T.  Smith.  In  his 
native  land  Frederick  C.  was  reared  to  manhood, 
learning  meanwhile  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith. 
Emigrating  to  the  United  States  with  his  familj'  in 
1849,  he  was  for  a  time  thereafter  occupied  at  his 
chosen  trade.  He  was  one  of  the  original  mem- 
bers of  the  T.  &  H.  Smith  Wagon  Manufacturing 
Company,  with  which  he  was  connected  until  his 
demise. 

In  addition  to  other  important  interests,  Fred- 
erick C.  Smith  was  with  the  Pekin  Plow  Com- 
pany, the  banking  house  of  Teis  Smith  &  Co.  and 
the  Smith-Hippin  Company,  grain  dealers.  As 
early  as  1857  he  began  traveling  in  the  interests 
of  the  wagon  factory  and  represented  that  firm  on 
the  road  until  his  death,  being  widely  known  as 
one  of  the  oldest  traveling  salesmen  in  the  state. 
On  the  3d  of  December,  1890,  about  7:00  p.  M.,  he 
was  taken  to  the  Jacksonville  South-eastern  depot 
by  his  son,  Louis  T.,  whose  custom  it  was  to  ac- 
company him  to  the  train  when  leaving.  Previous 


to  this  he  had  called  all  the  members  of  the  family 
together  and  bade  them  good-b3^e,  and  it  was 
noticed  that  he  seemed  in  lower  spirits  than  usual. 
At  the, depot  he  took  a  sleeping  car  for  St.  Louis. 
About  1:00  A.  M.,  at  the  Jacksonville  crossing,  the 
Wabash  train  ran  into  the  sleeper,  and  later  de- 
velopments showed  that  Mr.  Smith  was  killed  in- 
stantly. The  remains  were  brought  home  for 
interment. 

Among  his  former  fellow-citizens  Mr.  Smith  is 
still  remembered  as  a  man  of  noble  character,  de- 
voted to  the  welfare  of  Pekin  and  enthusiastic  in 
the  support  of  its  public-spirited  enterprises.  Suc- 
cessful in  business,  he  left  his  family  amply  pro- 
vided for,  and  his  widow  still  occupies  the  beautiful 
home  which  he  had  erected  on  one  of  the  most  de- 
sirable residence  streets  of  the  city.  A  man  of 
deep  religious  nature,  he  was  a  charter  member  of 
the  German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Pekin 
and  was  one  of  its  officials  for  many  years.  In 
politics  he  gave  his  support  to  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party. 

May  6,  1855,  at  Pekin,  Frederick  C.  Smith 
married  Miss  Louisa  Grundenberg,  who  was  born 
in  1836,  at  Heodecke,  on  the  Rhine,  in  Prussia.  Her 
father,  Fred  Grundenberg,  was  a  manufacturer  of 
woolen  goods  and  resided  in  Heodecke  until  his 
death.  Her  mother,  a  native  of  Prussia  and  known 
in  maidenhood  as  Charlotte  Ilalfman,  brought  the 
family  to  America  in  1858,  after  her  husband's  de- 
mise, and  for  one  year  sojourned  at  Highland,  111., 
but  thence  came  to  Pekin  in  1851.  Here  she  died 
in  1885,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-seven  3'ears. 

In  the  parental  family  there  were  nine  children, 
of  whom  we  note  the  following :  Fred  F.  is  a 
plumber  in  the  state  of  Washington;  Conrad  F., 
also  a  resident  of  Washington,  is  a  bookkeeper; 
Lincoln  lives  in  the  state  of  Washington;  George 
and  Louis  T.  reside  in  Pekin;  Teis  H.  is  assistant 
miller  in  the  Pekin  Milling  Company;  Charlotte, 
Marguerite  and  Charles  are  at  home.  Louis  T. 
was  reared  in  Pekin,  where  in  boyhood  he  attended 
the  common  and  high  schools,  graduating  from  the 
latter  in  1889.  Later  he  entered  the  Wesleyan 
University  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa,  where  he  prose- 
cuted his  studies  for  one  year. 

Returning    home    in    the    spring   of    1890,   Mr. 


LIBRARY 

Of  IHf 

UNIVERSITY  Of  ILLINOIS 


JOHN   Y.  SWAAR. 


PORTRAIT    AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


f>sr, 


Smith  accepted  a  position  in  the  Teis  Smith  <fc 
Co.'s  Bank,  with  winch  his  father  was  inter- 
ested. He  began  as  messenger  and  collector  and  is 
now  assistant  bookkeeper.  At  Pekin,  November 
9,  1892,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Mamie,  daughter  of  Dr.  A.  R.  Warren.  Mrs. 
Smith  was  born  in  this  city  and  is  an  accomplished 
and  popular  young  lady.  The  family  residence, 
erected  by  Mr.  Smith,  is  a  pleasant  abode  and  is 
situated  at  No.  715  Park  Avenue.  In  religious 
belief  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Politically 
he  gives  his  support  to  the  principles  of  the  Re- 
publican Party. 


ENRY  M.  SWAAR.  A  prominent  place 
V  among  the  agriculturists  of  Mason  County 
is  the  just  meed  of  the  efforts  of  the  gen- 
tlemen  above  named,  who  is  located  on 
section  23,  Salt  Creek  Township.  His  farm,  which 
he  owns  in  partnership  with  his  two  youngest 
brothers,  consists  of  one  thousand  acres  of  land, 
which  is  a  highly  productive  tract  and  is  kept 
above  par  by  a  wise  rotation  of  crops  and  the  use 
of  the  best  fertilizing  agents.  A  first-class  set  of 
buildings  has  been  erected  upon  it  and  other  im- 
provements have  been  made  which  stamp  it  as  the 
home  of  one  who  believes  in  progress  and  enter- 
prise. Mr.  Swaar  is  also  an  extensive  stock-raiser 
and  keeps  constantly  on  his  place  from  seventy- 
five  to  one  hundred  of  the  best  breeds  of  cattle. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Menard  County,  this 
state,  August  9,  1841,  and  is  the  son  of  John  Y. 
Swaar,  who  was  born  March  17,  1816,  in  Sciota 
Count}',  Ohio.  He  resided  in  his  native  place 
until  1829,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  engaged 
in  boating  on  the  Mississippi  and  Ohio  Rivers  for 
eight  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he 
made  a  permanent  location  in  this  state  and  died  in 
January,  1892.  He  was  a  leading  man  in  his  com- 
munity, and  the  interest  which  he  displayed  in  the 
good  of  those  about  him  was  recognized  by  his 
neighbors,  who  often  called  upon  him  to  hold 
public  oflice.  His  father,  Jacob  Swaar,  was  born  in 


Germany,  and  after  coming  to  America  served  for 
seven  years  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

Mrs.  Sarah  R.  (Powell)  Swaar,  the  mother  of  our 
subject,  was  born  June  4,  1822,  in  Ross  County, 
Ohio,  and  departed  this  life  December  15,  1893. 
She  was  of  Irish  and  German  descent  and  by  her 
union  with  John  Swaar  became  the  mother  of 
twelve  children,  ten  of  whom  grew  to  manhood 
and  womanhood  and  are  still  living.  Henry  M., 
of  this  sketch,  was  the  eldest  of  the  family;  Har- 
riet E.  married  E.  S.  Hibbard  and  lives  in  Kansas; 
William  M.  is  a  resident  of  this  county;  George 
H.  is  an  agriculturist  of  Salt  Creek  Township; 
Catherine,  now  Mrs.  W.  P.  Mark  well,  is  also  living 
in  Kansas;  Elsie  J.,  Mrs.  John  T.  Bradley,  makes 
her  home  in  Salt  Creek  Township,  as  does  also 
Isabel  A.,  now  Mrs.  W.  A.  Davis;  Letitia  A.  and 
Oratio  N.,  twins,  and  Abigail  are  at  home  with 
their  brothers. 

Our  subject  was  reared  on  the  farm  upon 
which  he  now  lives  and  since  the  age  of  seven 
years  has  been  dealing  in  stock.  He  has  been 
very  successful  in  this  branch  of  agriculture, 
and  in  company  with  his  two  youngest  brothers, 
owns  many  fine  animals  and  one  thousand  acres 
of  land.  Mr.  Swaar  has  never  been  out  of  this 
state,  and  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  farm  pursuits. 
He  began  plowing  corn  before  he  was  old  enough 
to  harness  a  horse,  and  drove  four  yoke  of  oxen  in 
breaking  prairie  when  a  lad  of  ten  years.  He  has 
always  stood  stanchly  by  the  Republican  party  in 
politics.  He  has  been  a  hard  worker,  always  at- 
tending strictly  to  his  own  affairs,  and  begrudges 
happiness  to  no  one;  he  is  no  man's  enemy,  and 
has  no  enemies  of  his  own,  but  on  the  contrary 
many  friends.  Mr.  Swaar  has  passed  his  entire  life 
in  this  county  and  has  never  had  a  law  suit. 


OHN  D.  MOUNT  is  a  prominent  resident  of 
Delavan.  It  is  said  that  the  history  of  a 
place  is  best  told  in  the  lives  of  its  people, 
and  in  giving  the  sketch  of  Mr.  Mount 
mention  will  be  made  of  several  of  the  leading  in- 
dustries of  Delavan  with  which  he  has  been  con- 
nected. He  is  now  owner  of  the  electric  plant 


586 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


and  is  serving  as  City  Marshal.  He  was  born  on 
a  farm  in  Dillon  Township,  six  miles  from  this 
place,  March  6,  1860,  and  is  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  honored  pioneer  families  of  Tazewell 
County. 

His  father,  Mathias  Mount,  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky in  1810,  and  in  1831  became  a  resident  of 
Jacksonville,  where  he  worked  for  an  uncle.  lie 
served  in  the  Black  Hawk  War  with  the  rank  of 
First  Lieutenant,  after  which  he  went  to  Indiana, 
whither  his  family  removed  during  his  childhood. 
Soon  afterward  he  came  to  Tazewell  County,  set- 
tling on  a  farm  in  Dillon  Township.  He  served  as 
Supervisor  of  this  township  for  eighteen  consecu- 
tive years,  and  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  and 
influential  citizens  of  the  community.  In  his 
business  dealings  he  won  success,  becoming  quite 
well-to-do.  He  was  three  times  married  and  died 
in  1888,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  His 
father,  Mathias  Mount,  Sr.,  was  a  son  of  Thomas 
Mount,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  was  born 
March  11,  1767.  Thomas  Mount  was  a  native  of 
Holland  and  with  three  brothers  came  to  America. 
He  settled  in  Maryland,  his  brother  Mathias  in 
Pennsylvania,  while  Ezekiel  made  his  home  in 
Ohio,  and  Elijah  went  to  Louisiana.  During  the 
struggle  for  Independence  Thomas  Mount  carried 
an  old  flintlock  musket,  which  is  now  in  possession 
of  our  subject.  Clayton  Mount,  an  uncle  of  our 
subject,  is  a  prominent  Methodist  preacher,  and  it 
will  thus  be  seen  that  he  comes  of  a  respectable 
and  honorable  family. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Eliza  J.  Bennett,  and  was  born  in  Taze- 
well County,  where  her  people  settled  at  a  very 
early  day.  She  is  now  living  on  the  farm  left 
her  by  her  husband.  She  was  his  third  wife,  and 
by  their  marriage  were  born  three  sons  and  two 
daughters.  William  M.,  a  farmer  of  Dillon  Town- 
ship, for  a  number  of  years  has  been  a  member 
of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors  and  served 
as  its  Chairman  one  term;  Mary  E.,  a  twin  ,sister 
of  John  D.,  died  several  years  ago;  Nathan  G. 
operates  his  mother's  farm;  and  Ida  is  the  wife 
of  William  Evans,  an  extensive  farmer  and  stock 
dealer  living  near  Lincoln,  111. 

Mr.  Mount  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 


reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads.  His 
early  education, acquired  in  the  public  schools,  was 
supplemented  by  study  in  the  Commercial  College 
of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1886.  He  then  embarked  in  the  hard  ware  business 
in  Delavan,  but  after  two  years  retired  from  that 
enterprise  and  served  on  the  City  Council.  In 
1888  he  was  appointed  City  Marshal  of  Delavan, 
a  position  which  he  has  filled  with  marked  ability. 
He  is  one  of  the  most  popular  officers  that  ever 
held  the  position,  and  his  efficient  service  has  won 
him  universal  commendation. 

Mr.  Mount  was  married  in  December,  1885,  to 
Miss  Eliza  A.  Crawford,  daughter  of  James  Craw- 
ford, one  of  the  wealthiest  farmers  of  Boynton, 
and  a  pioneer  of  Tazewell  County.  Three  chil- 
dren graced  their  union,  Alice  A.,  James  Mathias 
and  Bessie.  The  family  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
in  the  communitj'  and  its  members  rank  high  in 
social  circles. 

In  addition  to  his  official  duties,  Mr.  Mount  is 
half  owner  of  the  Delavan  Electric  Light  and 
Power  plant,  one  of  the  best  in  the  state,  and  has 
other  possessions,  having  had  a  considerable  com- 
petence left  him  by  his  father.  At  this  writing 
he  is  the  Democratic  candidate  for  the  nomination 
for  Sheriff  with  good  prospects  of  success.  He  is 
a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow,  and 
both  fraternities  recognize  in  him  a  prominent 
member.  He  has  a  wide  acquaintance  throughout 
his  native  county  and  all  who  know  him  hold 
him  in  high  esteem. 


CASPER  HI  LST,  a  successful  farmer  of  Ma- 
lone  Township,  Tazewell  County,  was  born 
in  the  kingdom  of  Hanover,  Germany,  July 
8,  1834.  His  father,  likewise  a  native  of 
Hanover,  was  born  Decembers,  1796,  and  in  youth 
was  employed  on  the  large  farm  owned  by  his 
father.  He  had  but  little  schooling,  and  when  sev- 
enteen went  into  the  German  army,  serving  three 
years  for  himself  and  nine  years  as  a  substitute  for 
a  rich  man  who  paid  him  $1,500  for  his  time. 
During  that  period  he  was  in  active  service  for 
three  years. 

After  retiring  from  the  army  Rolf  A.  Ililst  mar- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


587 


ried,  in  May  of  1823,  Miss  Geeske  Otten,  a  native 
of  Hanover,  and  they  lived  upon  his  father's  farm 
until  Easter,  1855,  when  with  their  children,  John, 
Jasper,  George,  Elizabeth  and  Charles,  they  took 
passage  from  the  port  of  Bremerhaven  on  the  sail- 
ing vessel  ''  Roland."  After  a  voyage  of  forty- 
five  daj'S  they  reached  New  York  City,  from 
which  place  they  came  to  Peoria,  111.,  and  from 
there  to  Pekin,  reaching  this  city  at  seven  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  Hiring  a  livery  team  they  drove 
into  Manito  Township,  Mason  County,  where  they 
bought  a  farm,  with  all  its  appurtenances,  includ- 
ing crop  and  stock.  The  same  day  the  other  fam- 
ily moved  out,  and  on  the  following  day  they 
settled  on  the  place,  which  consisted  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres.  Three  of  the  sons,  Albert, 
Otto  and  Ralph,  did  not  accompany  the  family  to 
America,  but  remained  in  the  Old  Country. 

As  long  as  his  health  permitted,  the  father  con- 
tinued to  cultivate  the  farm,  and  after  retiring 
from  active  work  he  continued  there  to  make  his 
home  until,  after  a  short  illness,  he  passed  away, 
June  27,  1875.  Afterward  his  widow  remained  on 
the  home  place,  her  daughter  Elizabeth  keeping 
house  for  her  until  her  death,  which  occurred 
April  20,  1880.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  Albert  R.  Hilst,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Au- 
gust 28,  1764,  and  in  June,  1784,  married  Eliza- 
beth Stoehr.  June  18,  1818,  he  was  killed  by  a 
stroke  of  lightning  while  driving  a  yoke  of  oxen. 
After  his  death,  his  widow,  Elizabeth,  moved  to 
Rio  Janeiro,  Brazil,  accompanied  by  her  two 
daughters,  and  there  resided  until  her  death  in 
1826.  She  was  a  lady  of  great  wealth.  The  ma- 
ternal grandparents  of  our  subject  were  Otto  and 
Catherine  Otten,  natives  of  Hanover. 

In  Germany,  Jasper  Hilst  received  a  good  edu- 
cation in  his  native  language,  and  on  coming  to 
America  he  was  well  prepared,  both  by  natural 
ability  and  training,  to  take  the  lead  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  farm.  July  8,  1857,  he  married 
Miss  Anna  Catharine  Rocker,  and  they  commenced 
housekeeping  on  a  rented  farm.  Buying  teams 
and  machinery,  Mr.  Hilst  raised  a  large  crop  of  the 
various  cereals,  but  as  prices  were  low  he  held  it 
until  the  following  season,  when  he  had  another 
large  crop.  However,  as  the  prices  were  then  still 


lower,  he  held  both  crops  until  the  next  year, 
when  he  sold  for  a  good  price.  On  settling  up  he 
found  he  had  $1,200  to  his  credit  after  paying  all 
the  expenses  for  the  two  years. 

After  another  season  spent  on  a  rented  farm, 
Mr.  Hilst  purchased  land  on  section  6,  Malone 
Township,  where  he  has  acquired  a  tract  of  three 
hundred  and  thirty  acres.  He  was  bereaved  Janu- 
ary 3,  1886,  by  the  death  of  his  wife,  who  passed 
away  after  a  brief  illness.  She  was  a  consistent 

Christian  and  a  devoted  member  of   the   German 

t 

Lutheran  Church,  to  which  our  subject  belongs, 
Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  held  various 
township  offices,  in  which  he  has  served  with  effi- 
ciency. 

Six  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hilst. 
The  eldest,  Anna,  who  was  born  June  15,  1858, 
was  married  to  William  Kramer  in  1874,  their 
union  resulting  in  the  birth  of  four  children;  they 
lived  upon  a  farm  until  the  deatli  of  Mr.  Kramer, 
January  9,  1885.  In  1889  Mrs.  Kramer  married 
Charles  Black,  a  native  of  Tazewell  County,  and 
they  now  reside  on  a  farm  in  Sand  Prairie  Town- 
ship. Rudolph,  who  was  born  April  16,  1859, 
married  Miss  Mary  Schmidt,  February  14,  1885, 
and  they  live  in  Sand  Prairie  Township;  their 
children  are  named,  John,  Martha,  Jessie,  Henry 
and  William.  Carolina,  who  was  born  September 
4,  1861,  was  married  in  1883  to  Peter  Iinig,  of 
Boynton  Township,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
six  children,  Jasper,  Jacob,  August,  Ferdinand, 
Rosa  and  Ida.  John,  who  was  born  June  15,  1865, 
is  now  a  resident  of  Manito  Township,  Mason 
County;  he  married  a  cousin,  Kate  Hilst,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Jasper  and  Mary.  Katie,  whose 
birth  occurred  September  13,  1868,  married  John 
Limback,  and  they  with  their  two  children,  Jasper 
M.  and  Minnie  E.,  live  upon  the  farm  occupied 
by  our  subject. 

•>>»<* 

ff  AMES  N.  HALL,  Cashier  of  the  Tazewell 
County  National  Bank,  of  Delavan,and  son 
I'  of  Hon.  Ira  B.  Hall,  Vice-President  of  the 
same  bank,  was  born  September  17,  1856, 
in  the  city  where  he  now  resides.  In  boyhood  he 
was  the  recipient  of  excellent  educational  advan- 


588 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tages  in  the  Delavan  High  School,  from  which  he 
was  graduated.  Entering  the  Bryant  &  Stratton 
Commercial  College  of  Davenport,  Iowa,  in  1875, 
he  remained  a  student  in  that  institution  until 
graduating  in  the  spring  of  1877. 

Upon  the  completion  t>f  his  studies,  Mr.  Hall 
spent  one  year  in  agricultural  pursuits,  but  not 
desiring  to  make  this  his  permanent  occupation, 
he  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  Tazewell 
County  National  Bank,  entering  upon  the  duties 
thereof  March  1,  1878.  Here  he  has  since  re- 
mained, at  various  times  receiving  promotions.  In 
1882  he  became  head  bookkeeper  and  four  years 
later  was  appointed  Assistant  Cashier.  Upon  the 
organization  of  the  bank  as  a  national  institution 
in  1887,  he  still  retained  the  position  of  Assistant 
Cashier,  but  one  year  later  he  was  promoted  Cash- 
ier, a  position  he  has  since  filled  with  marked  abil- 
ity. It  is  said  of  him,  and  with  truth,  that  he  is 
one  of  the  most  popular  as  well  as  efficient  bank 
officials  of  central  Illinois,  and  his  efforts  have 
aided  largely  in  securing  for  the  bank  an  enviable 
reputation  as  a  solid  and  substantial  concern. 
During  the  panic  of  1893,  when  throughout  every 
portion  of  the  United  States  there  was  a  stringency 
in  the  money  market,  and  banks  previously  sup- 
posed to  be  as  impregnable  as  the  Rock  of  Gibral- 
tar, succumbed  to  the  pressure  and  closed  their 
doors,  the  Tazewell  County  National  Bank  hon- 
ored all  its  drafts  and  retained  the  confidence  of 
its  depositors. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hall  took  place  November 
2,  1882,  and  united  him  with  Miss  Gertrude, 
daughter  of  Lewis  W.  Shelton,  formerly  a  farmer 
of  Delavan  Township,  but  who  died  when  she  was 
quite  young.  They  have  had  a  family  of  three 
children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  surviv- 
ors are  Marie  and  Mildred.  Socially,  Mr.  Hall  is 
one  of  the  leaders  in  the  order  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  serving  now  as  Past  Chancellor,  and  he  is 
also  connected  with  the  Grand  Lodge.  Though  not 
identified  with  any  denomination,  he  attends  the 
Christian  Church,  of  which  his  wife  is  a  member, 
and  in  which  she  is  also  a  very  successful  Sunday- 
school  worker.  While  he  has  never  aspired  to 
political  honors,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  en- 
ergies upon  his  business,  he  nevertheless  never  fails 


to  cast  a  ballot  at  every  election  for  the  support  of 
Democratic  principles  and  candidates,  and  is  loyal 
in  his  adherence  to  his  chosen  party. 


AMES  R.  CAMPBELL,  who  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing and  enterprising  farmers  of  Hopcdale 
Township,  Tazewell  Count}',  and  whose  life 
has  been  spent  in  or  near  his  present  place, 
was  born  in  Logan  County  near  the  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty line,  March  15,  1829.  His  father,  John  Campbell, 
was  born  hi  New  York,  and  is  the  son  of  a  native- 
born  Scotchman,  who  during  the  boyhood  days  of 
his  son,  settled  in  Ohio,  and  later  came  to  Logan 
County,  this  state,  where  he  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers,  locating  as  early  as  1827.  Three  years  later 
he  went  to  Woodford  County,  and  afterward  went 
to  the  far  west,  but  the  family  not  hearing  from 
him  again,  it  is  thought  lie  was  killed  by  the  In- 
dians, as  it  was  during  the  troublous  times. 

The  good  mother  of  our  subject  was  Priscilla 
Moore  in  her  maiden  days,  and  was  the  daughter 
of  Charles  Moore,  a  native  of  one  of  theCarolinas, 
and  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  who  died  in  Wood- 
ford  County,  this  state.  Our  subject  is  one  of 
four  children  born  to  his  parents.  His  two  broth- 
ers, Alexander  and  John,  went  to  California  dur- 
ing the  gold  fever,  and  both  died  there.  His  sis- 
ter, Emily,  married  Jesse  Fisher,  and  is  now  living 
at  Table  Rock,  Neb. 

Since  the  early  age  of  twelve  years,  our  subject 
has  had  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  and 
consequently  could  obtain  but  little  schooling.  lie 
is,  however,  of  a  studious  turn  of  mind,  and  through 
his  desire  for  learning  and  eagerness  to  seize  upon 
everything  liable  to  increase  his  store  of  knowl- 
edge, has  acquired  a  good  idea  of  business.  In 
1853,  Mr.  Campbell  was  married  to  Miss  Charlotte 
Iliner,  who  was  born  in  this  county,  and  who  is 
the  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Phebe  Hiner,  na- 
tives of  Ohio  and  early  pioneers  of  this  county 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  have  become  the  parents 
of  three  children.  Willard  was  in  Colorado  when 
last  heard  from;  Levi  is  at  home;  and  Florence  E. 
is  the  wife  of  Lewis  Snyder,  of  Calhoun  County, 
Iowa. 

Our  subject  is    located  on  a    fine  farm   of  one 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


589 


hundred  and  ninety  acres,  all  of  which  is  under 
an  excellent  state  of  cultivation.  The  improve- 
ments to  be  found  on  the  place  are  first  class  and 
his  knowledge  of  agriculture  is  deep  and  broad. 
Besides  tilling  the  soil,  Mr.  Campbell  raises  some 
of  the  finest  stock  to  be  found  in  the  county, 
of  which  he  justly  feels  proud.  He  has  served  his 
fellow-citizens  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Super- 
visor for  many  years,  and  for  the  past  twenty 
years  has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board.  In 
his  political  afliliations  Mr.  Campbell  is  a  true-blue 
Republican,  and  with  his  wife  is  a  devout  member 
of  the  Christian  Church  at  Autioch,  in  which  de- 
nomination he  is  serving  as  Elder,  and  to  the  sup- 
port of  which  he  liberally  contributes  of  his  means. 


-/,,,.:  LFRED    G.   CHAMPION.     The   name  of 

HLJl  this  much  respected  citizen  is  well  known 
throughout  Tazewell  County,  for  he  has 
been  successfully  engaged  in  the  arduous 
duties  of  the  farm  in  this  locality  for  many  years, 
and  now  owns  one  of  the  most  productive  and  best 
cultivated  tracts  of  land  in  Sand  Prairie  Town- 
ship. He  was  born  in  Huntingdon  County,  Pa., 
January  3,  1837,  and  there  his  youthful  days  were 
passed. 

Abraham  Champion,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  likewise  a  native  of  the  above  county  in  Penn- 
sylvania, where  his  birth  occurred  July  26,  1813. 
He  was  a  carpenter  and  millwright  by  trade  and 
followed  these  combined  occupations  until  his  re- 
moval to  this  state  in  July,  1837,  and  from  that 
time  until  his  death,  in  1862,  was  a  well-to-do 
farmer  in  Tazewell  County.  He  purchased  a  large 
tract  of  land  in  Sand  Prairie  Township,  which  he 
placed  in  admirable  tillage. 

The  lady  to  whom  Abraham  Champion  was  mar- 
ried in  1834  was  Miss  Sarah  Barto.  After  her 
decease,  which  occurred  November  22,  1856,  the 
father  was  married  to  Miss  Catherine  Hawkins,  and 
resided  on  the  farm  above  mentioned  until  his  de- 
cease. Of  his  first  union  there  were  born  eleven 
children,  of  whom  Alfred  G.  was  the  eldest.  Those 
younger  were  William,  Thomas,  Henry  and  Mary 


Ellen.  William  is  a  carpenter  by  trade,  is  married 
and  makes  his  home  in  Chicago  ;  Thomas  is  also 
married  and  lives  on  a  farm  in  Dillon  Township, 
this  county;  Henry,  who  is  single,  is  operating  a 
farm  in  Sand  Prairie  Township,  and  Mary  Ellen 
lives  with  her  husband,  W.  W.  Porter,  on  a  farm 
in  the  vicinity  of  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  Six  are 
deceased. 

The  original  of  this  sketch  was  given  the  ad- 
vantages of  a  common  school  education,  and  by 
aiding  his  father  in  the  care  of  the  farm  gained  a 
thoroughly  practical  knowledge  of  the  pursuit  of 
agriculture,  so  that  on  the  death  of  the  former  he 
was  well  fitted  to  operate  the  estate.  He  was  mar- 
ried March  6,  1862,  to  MissEmeline  Kibby,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  two  children,  Charles,  whose 
birth  occurred  June  29,  1863,  and  Mary  Ellen, 
born  October  15,  1867.  Charles  was  married  in 
1885  to  Miss  Laura  Hootman,  a  native  of  Ohio. 
They  make  their  home  with  our  subject,  and  have 
a  family  of  three  children,  Alfred  II.,  Mary  Eme- 
line  and  Ethel.  Mary  Ellen  Champion  married 
John  Henry  Larimore,  and  they  reside  in  Green 
Valley,  111.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  children, 
Eugene  and  Emeline. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  devoted  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Green  Val- 
ley. In  politics  the  former  is  a  strong  Republi- 
can. Personally  he  is  an  unassuming  and  modest 
man,  yet  commands  the  esteem  and  respect  of  his 
neighbors. 


'REDERICK  BECKER,  who  resides  in  Tre. 
mont  and  follows  farming,  operating  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  which  adjoins  the 
village,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  January  18, 
1849.  He  is  one  of  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are 
yet  living,  namely:  Margaret,  wife  of  August  Car- 
son, who  is  living  near  Pekiu ;  Richard  II.,  of  Elm 
Grove  Township;  Charles,  of  San  Francisco,  Cal.; 
Sophia,  wife  of  Philip  Herget,  of  Pekin;  Henry,  of 
Pekin,  and  Annie.  The  parents  of  this  family,  Car- 
son and  Mary  (Garlish)  Becker,  were  both  natives 
of  Germany, and  in  1853  left  that  land  for  the  New 
World.  On  reaching  America  they  started  west- 
ward, and  made  location  in  Lawrenceburg,  Ind., 


590 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


where  Mr.  Becker  engaged  in  farming  until  the 
spring  of  1873.  He  then  came  with  his  family  to 
Illinois,  settling  near  Pekin,  Tazewell  County, 
where  he  purchased  a  farm  and  reared  his  chil- 
dren. He  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  through- 
out his  remaining  days,  and  was  successful  in  his 
undertakings.  His  death  occurred  in  1878,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-eight  years.  His  widow,  who  still 
survives  him,  now  resides  with  her  daughter  in 
Pekiu. 

Fred  Becker  attended  the  schools  of  Indiana 
during  his  boyhood,  and  thus  acquired  a  practical 
English  education.  As  he  grew  older  he  aided  in 
the  support  of  the  family,  and  gave  his  father  the 
benefit  of  his  services  until  twenty-three  years  of 
age,  when  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself.  He 
has  always  followed  farming.  He  carried  on  that 
pursuit  in  Logan  County  for  a  year,  and  on  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  sold  out  and  returned 
to  Tazewell  County,  renting  a  farm  in  Elm  Grove 
Township,  to  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of 
which  he  devoted  his  energies  for  seven  years.  In 
the  spring  of  1889  he  came  to  Tremont  Township 
and  settled  upon  his  present  farm,  which  lies 
partly  within  the  village  limits.  That  now  within 
the  corporation  limits  is  divided  into  town  lots. 
In  addition  to  this  he  has  one  hundred  acres, 
which  are  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
yield  to  the  owner  a  golden  tribute. 

In  1876  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Becker  and  Ann  Clouson,  a  native  of  Hanover, 
Germany,  who  died  in  September,  1891,  leaving 
three  children.  August  G.  and  Josiah  P.  are  still 
at  home,  but  Walter  II.  died  in  June,  1892.  Mr. 
Becker  was  again  married,  January  26,  1893,  his 
second  union  being  with  Matilda  Hellemann, 
daughter  of  Christian  and  Dorothy  (Stamme) 
Hellemann,  of  Elm  Grove  Township,  whose  sketch 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Becker  is  a  Democrat, 
but  at  local  elections  supports  the  men  whom  he 
thinks  best  qualified  for  the  office,  regardless  of 
party  atliliations.  In  the  spring  of  1890  he  was 
nominated  and  elected  as  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Village  Trustees,  and  served  four  years,  and  by 
the  prompt  and  faithful  discharge  of  his  public 
duties  lie  has  won  high  commendation.  He  is  an 


the 


honored  and  active  member  of  Pleasant  Grove 
Camp  No.  998,  M.  W.  A.,  of  Tremont.  In  his  bus- 
iness dealings  he  has  been  very  successful,  and  by 
his  well  directed  efforts  and  good  management  he 
has  acquired  a  comfortable  competence,  which 
numbers  him  among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
community. 


OIIN  DICKS  owns  and  operates  a  produc- 
tive farm,  consisting  of  eighty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 36,  Sand  Prairie  Township,  Tazewell 
County.  His  home  is  one  of  comfort,  set  in 
midst  of  the  ordinary  surroundings  of  the 
prosperous  farmer.  He  was  born  in  Hampshire 
County,  W.  Va.,  January  19,  1844,  and  is  the  son 
of  Jackson  Dicks,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Ohio  in 
1825. 

The  paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject,  James 
and  Susan  (Short)  Dicks,  were  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  the  grandmother  was  the  daughter 
of  Michael  and  Catherine  (McBride)  Short,  resi- 
dents of  West  Virginia.  Jackson  Dicks  was  a 
blacksmith  by  trade,  which  occupation  he  followed 
in  his  native  state  for  many  years,  and  also  after 
his  removal  to  Coles  County,  this  state.  He  was 
deprived  by  death  of  his  wife  while  living  in  that 
place,  and  soon  thereafter  came  to  Taztwell  Coun- 
ty, making  his  home  in  Dillon,  where  he  prose- 
cuted his  trade  until  his  decease,  which  occurred 
in  1890. 

John,  of  this  sketch,  was  one  of  a  family  of 
nine  children  born  to  his  parents.  Arthur  D.  is  our 
subject's  only  brother;  Margaret  Jane,  the  wife  of 
Albert  Sisson,  makes  her  home  in  South  Dakota; 
Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Gondcre  and  re- 
sides in  Chicago;  Lucy  married  II.  Blevins  and 
lives  in  Keokuk,  Iowa.  Susan  is  now  Mrs.  Edward 
Montgomery  and  is  living  in  Peoria;  Nancy  be- 
came the  wife  of  Daniel  Pugh  and  also  makes  her 
home  in  that  city;  Emma,  Mrs.  Andrew  Rush,  is  a 
resident  of  Delavan,  this  state;  and  Alice  is  sin- 
gle and  lives  in  Peoria. 

Our  subject  made  his  home  in  his  native  state 
until  the  removal  of  his  parents  to  Coles  County, 
where  he  attended  the  common  school  and  during 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


591 


the  summer  season  aided  in  the  farm  work. 
April  5,  1870,  when  attaining  his  twenty-fifth  year, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Catherine  E.  Hafliger,  and 
soon  after  that  event  came  to  Sand  Prairie  Town- 
ship, where  he  engaged  in  farm  pursuits  on  his 
own  account  and  has  since  made  that  branch  of 
work  his  life  occupation.  His  good  wife  departed 
this  life  in  1890,  after  having  become  the  mother 
of  four  children,  viz.:  Lottie  A.,  born  Februarys, 
1871;  William  IT.,  November  17,  1873;  Lewis  E., 
March  25,  1875;  and  Catherine  L.,  February  9, 
1885.  They  are  all  living  at  home  with  their 
father,  and  the  elder  members  of  the  family  have 
been  well  educated.  Mr.  Dicks  is  an  ardent  Dem- 
ocrat in  politics.  He  is  known  and  respected  for 
the  honesty  and  sincerity  of  his  character,  and 
has  the  friendship  of  the  best  men  in  the  commu- 
nity. 


EN  T.  RAILSBACK,  a  prominent  grain 
merchant  and  stock-dealer  of  Hopedale, 
f3M))ll)  was  born  in  Little  Mackinaw  Township, 
Tazewell  County,  April  23,  1843.  He  is  a 
representative  of  a  family  that  has  long  been 
identified  with  the  history  of  our  country.  The 
following  is  a  brief  history  of  that  branch  of  the 
Railsback  family  to  which  lie  belongs:  His  great- 
grandfather, Henry  Railsback,  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  three  children — Henry,  Edward  and  Eliz- 
abeth— left  Hamburg,  Germany,  in  May,  1765, 
for  the  American  colonies. 

Landing  in  Virginia,  on  the  Chesapeake  Bay, 
Henry  Railsback  stopped  for  a  time  in  Loudoun 
County,  where  his  brother  John  (the  grandfather 
of  William  and  Jacob  Railsback,  late  of  Indian- 
apolis) had  settled  five  years  before.  They  then 
moved  to  the  Yadkin  River,  Rowan  Count}',  N.  C., 
where  his  family  circle  was  increased  by  the 
birth  of  six  children:  David,  Mary,  Daniel,  Rosa, 
Lydia  and  Anna.  Here  also  the  wife  and  mother 
died  at  the  age  of  eighty-five.  Henry  Railsback 
passed  away  when  eighty-eight  years  of  age. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Daniel  Rails- 
back,  was  born  about  1771,  married  and  removed 
to  Frederick  County,  Va.  Of  that  marriage  was 


born  Frederick  Railsback,  late  of  Linn  County, 
Iowa.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  in  1794, 
he  married  Miss  Rachel  Klugh,  who  was  born 
April  9,  1773.  That  union  resulted  in  the  birth 
of  one  son,  Thomas  F.,  December  14,  1795.  Dan- 
iel Railsback  died  in  September,  1797,  and  was 
buried  in  Frederick  County,  Va. 

Thomas  F.  Railsback  resided  with  his  mother  in 
Frederick  County,  Va.,  until  he  entered  the  army 
as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  After  the  close 
of  that  conflict,  he  removed  with  his  mother  and 
step-father,  Daniel  Carter,  to  Todd  County,  Tenn. 
Having  received  a  fair  education,  he  there  engageil 
in  teaching  school.  On  the  14th  of  May,  1818, 
in  Christian  County,  Ky.,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Louisa  V.  Allensworth,  who  was 
a  native  of  Culpeper,  Va.,  born  December  20, 
1801,  of  Scotch-Welsh  parentage.  To  them  were 
born  four  sons  and  six  daughters,  two  of  the  lat- 
ter dying  in  infancy. 

In  1830  the  family  came  to  Illinois,  and  set- 
tled upon  the  farm  where  our  subject  was  born, 
about  thirteen  years  later.  The  father  was  one  of 
the  first  Commissioners  of  Tazewell  County,  and 
also  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  died  in  1864  and  was  survived  many 
years  by  his  wife,  who  passed  away  in  1882,  aged 
eighty-one  years.  Of  their  children  we  note  the 
following:  Daniel  G.  A.  engaged  in  farming  until 
his  death  in  1891;  Philip  G.  H.  is  a  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  of  this  county;  James  E.  is  in  the 
grain  and  banking  business  at  Minier,  this  county; 
Eliza  Jane  and  Mary  E.  were  twins,  the  former 
dying  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  and  the  latter 
becoming  the  wife  of  R.  J.  Mitchell,  a  banker  and 
grain  and  lumber  merchant  of  Minier;  Amanda 
V.,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  J.  S.  Briggs;  Harriet 
E.  and  Sarah  E.  (twins)  died  in  infancy;  Sarah  E. 
(the  second  bearing  that  name)  became  the  wife  of 
Theophilus  Ireland. 

Reared  to  manhood  on  the  old  homestead,  our 
subject  received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools.  On  the  22d  of  August,  1862,  his  name 
was  enrolled  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Ninety- 
fourth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  for  two  years  he  was 
a  brave  soldier  in  the  Union  army.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  Missouri  and  Arkansas  campaigns,  the 


592 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  the  battle  at  Mobile.  By 
special  order  he  was  honorably  discharged  at  New 
Orleans  on  account  of  sickness  and  returned  to  the 
home  farm. 

In  1877  Mr.  Railsback  moved  into  Hopedale 
and  engaged  in  the  grain  business.  He  owns  a  part 
of  the  site  of  Hopedale  and  a  farm  in  the  vicinity 
on  which  he  raises  fine  grades  of  stock.  In  this 
enterprise  he  has  been  quite  successful.  He  is  a 
man  of  untiring  energy,  progressive  in  his  ideas, 
and  in  the  community  where  he  has  so  long  made 
his  home,  he  is  well  and  favorably  known. 

In  1875  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Maggie  Flenniken.  Mrs.  Railsbsck  is  a  native 
of  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  came  to  this  state  about 
1853.  She  has  become  the  mother  of  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  Ro\r  J.,  now  attending  school  at 
Normal,  111.;  Lee  W.,  Howard  and  Fred,  students 
in  the  school  at  Hopedale.  Our  subject  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  has 
been  Commander  of  the  post  at  Hopedale.  Po- 
litically he  is  a  stalwart  and  true  Republican,  and 
is  ever  foremost  in  good  works  and  benevolent 
enterprises. 


GE  W.  BENSCOTER.  Since  coming 
to  Mason  County  this  gentleman  lias  suc- 
ceeded  in  bringing  to  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation his  property  on  section  22,  Pennsylvania 
Township.  At  the  time  of  purchase,  the  tract 
was  wholly  unimproved,  and  with  an  ox-team  he 
broke  the  sod  preparatory  to  planting  grain  and 
raising  the  first  crop  on  the  place.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  he  is  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  and  has  recently  sold  an  eighty-acre 
tract  to  one  of  his  sons.  The  farm  presents  an  at- 
tractive appearance,  with  its  commodious  residence, 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,000,  its  barns  and  gran- 
aries built  at  a  cost  of  $1,200,  and  its  forty-acre 
fields  separated  from  each  other  by  fences  of  hedge 
and  wire.  The  entire  farm  is  enclosed  by  a  neat 
hedge  fence. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Isaac  Benscoter,  was 
born  in  Muhlenburg,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  and 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  In  Union  Town- 


ship, Luzerne  County,  in  1815,  he  married  Chris- 
tina, daughter  of  William  Bellas,  who  was  born 
in  that  county  about  1780,  and  was  for  a  number 
of  years  engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  Remov- 
ing later  to  Columbia  County,  Pa.,  he  made  a  brief 
sojourn  there,  and  then  settled  on  a  farm,  where 
he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death, 
at  the  age  of  eighty  or  more  years. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  continued  to  reside 
in  Luzerne  County  until  their  death.  Their  fam- 
ily numbered  eleven  children,  four  of  whom  are 
living:  George  W.;  Joseph,  a  resident  of  Union 
Township,  Luzerne  County,  who  married  Miss 
Susan  Moore,  becoming  by  that  union  the  father 
of  five  children;  Alexander,  of  Mason  City,  111., 
whose  union  with  Catherine  Hontz  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  six  children;  and  Stewart,  a  farmer  of 
Ross  Township,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  who  married 
Esther  Rood,  and  has  one  child. 

Born  in  Union  Township,  Luzerne  County,  Pa., 
January  21,  1819,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  lie  was  sixteen, 
when  he  began  to  work  in  a  sawmill.  There  for 
two  years  he  filled  the  position  of  a  foreman. 
The  mill  conducted  an  extensive  business,  and 
among  its  other  contracts  supplied  the  Hazleton 
&  Lehigh  Railroad  with  timber  for  its  construc- 
tion. At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  went  to  Wilkes 
Bar  re,  Pa.,  and  became  an  employe  of  the  Wilkes 
Barre  &  White  Haven  Railroad  Company,  but 
after  a  short  time  thus  spent  he  returned  home 
and  resumed  farming. 

Mr.  Benscoter  married  Miss  Hulda  Wandel  Oc- 
tober 28,  1841;  she  was  born  in  Luzerne  County, 
December  6,  1822,  being  a  daughter  of  George 
and  Margaret  (Moss)  Wandel.  Her  father,  who 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  died  in  Mason  Coun- 
ty, 111.,  in  185C.  Her  paternal  grandfather  was 
a  Revolutionary  soldier.  After  his  marriage  Mr. 
Benscoter  purchased  one  hundred  acres  in  Penn- 
sylvania, upon  which  he  built  a  house  at  a  cost  of 
$200,  the  timber  and  lumber  for  which  were  pre- 
pared in  a  mill  on  his  father's  farm.  For  twelve 
years  he  remained  upon  that  place,  after  which,  in 
1853,  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  rented  a  farm  near 
Lease's  Grove,  in  Mason  County.  One  year  later 
he  came  to  his  present  property,  purchasing  one 


UBRARt 
OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  Of  lUJNOS 


JOHN   H.   BALE. 


PORTRAIT  ANT)  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


595 


hundred  and  sixty  acres,  to  which  he  has  since 
added  by  purchase.  In  connection  with  the  rais- 
ing of  cereals,  he  makes  a  specialty  of  stock-rais- 
ing, and  has  ten  brood  sows  of  the  Poland-China 
breed,  forty-nine  young  pigs  and  seventeen  ready 
for  the  market. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bcuscoter  are  the  parents  of  twelve 
children,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living:  Jasper, 
of  Mason  City;  Headley  Laudinier,  a  resident  of 
Coffeeville,  Kan.;  Minor,  who  lives  in  Allen's 
Grove  Township,  this  county;  A.  Byron,  who  as- 
sists his  father  in  the  management  of  the  home 
farm;  Harrison  Rush,  whose  home  is  in  Hoss 
Township,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.;  Frances,  who 
married  John  Earhart,  has  five  children  and  lives 
in  Allen's  Grove  Township;  Mary  F.,  who  re- 
sides with  her  parents;  and  Amy  J.,  the  wife  of 
W.  A.  Melmn,  of  Mason  City,  and  the  mother  of 
one  child.  The  children  received  excellent  edu- 
cational advantages,  and  Mary  F.,  after  complet- 
ing the  course  in  the  district  school,  attended 
the  high  school  in  Mason  City.  Afterward  she 
taught  school  for  eighteen  years,  and  during  six- 
teen years  of  that  time  had  charge  of  schools  so 
near  home  that  she  was  able  to  drive  back  and 
forth  eacli  day. 

In  his  political  preferences  Mr.  Benscoter  is  a 
loyal  Democrat,  and  always  supports  the  princi- 
ples of  that  party.  For  four  years  he  served  as 
Assessor,  and  for  two  years  filled  the  position  of 
Collector,  lie  has  for  years  been  interested  in 
educational  matters,  and  has  served  as  School 
Treasurer  for  fifteen  years,  also  as  Director  for  ten 
years. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  1841,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Benscoter  celebrated  their  golden  wedding  day, 
upon  which  eventful  occasion  a  host  of  warm  per- 
sonal friends  assembled  to  offer  their  congratula- 
tions to  the  estimable  couple  standing  on  the 
"golden"  landing  in  life's  rugged  stairway.  A 
large  pavilion  was  constructed  to  accommodate 
the  guests  at  supper,  and  nearly  three  hundred 
partook  of  the  bounteous  feast.  After  supper 
the  gray  beards  recounted  with  much  fervor  rem- 
iniscences of  fifty  years  ago,  while  the  young, 
though  in  a  manner  somewhat  different,  found 
equal  enjoyment  in  the  fast-fleeting  hours,  Nu- 
19 


merous  souvenirs  were  left  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Benscoter  as  tokens  of  remembrance  and  love. 
With  truth  it  may  be  said  that  no  residents  of 
Mason  County  are  better  or  more  favorably  known 
/than  they.  They  were  married  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  moved  to  this  community  nearly  fifty  years 
ago.  As  pioneers,  they  did  much  to  reclaim  the 
broad  prairies  from  the  wilderness,  and  as  sub- 
stantial citizens  they  have  added  much  to  the  gen- 
eral welfare  of  the  county.  Throughout  their  long 
lives  they  have  had  the  same  experiences  that  are 
common  to  all,  and  have  gathered  about  them,  as 
they  stand  facing  the  setting  sun,  a  host  of  per- 
sonal friends  who  wish  them  many  years  of  con- 
tinued activity. 


~>  OHN  II.  BALE.  This  honored  citizen  and 
prominent  agriculturist  of  Mason  County 
was  borne  to  his  long  home  December  5, 
1891.  Few  of  the  old  residents  of  this  sec- 
tion have  been  more  thoroughly  identified  with 
its  various  interests  than  he,  or  would  be  mourned 
with  greater  sincerity  when  called  hence.  In  the 
bereavement  which  befell  them,  the  family  have 
the  general  and  hearty  sympathy  of  the  commu- 
nity, whose  members  met  in  large  numbers  to  pay 
the  last  sad  tribute  to  the  deceased.  Mr.  Bale  was 
formerly  one  of  the  well-to-do  agriculturists  of 
Crane  Creek  Township  and  at  his  death  left  an  es- 
tate of  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  located  on 
section  11. 

Our  subject  was  a  native  of  this  county  and  was 
born  January  10,  1842.  His  father,  Solomon 
Bale,  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  emigrated  to  this 
state  many  years  ago.  At  that  time  he  located  in 
Crane  Creek  Township,  where  he  made  his  home 
until  going  to  Missouri,  where  his  death  took 
place.  His  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  was 
Mrs.  Nancy  (Edwards)  Bale.  She,  too,  was  born 
in  the  Blue  Grass  State,  and,  like  her  husband, 
died  in  Crane  Creek  Township,  Mason  County. 

John  H.  was  one  in  the  parental  family  of  ten 
children  and  was  reared  to  farm  pursuits  and  car- 
ried on  his  studies  in  Crane  Creek  Township.  He 
became  thoroughly  acquainted  with  agricultural 


596 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


pursuits,  so  that  after  his  marriage,  which  occurred 
April  15,  1871,  he  was  thoroughly  competent  to 
manage  an  estate  of  his  own.  The  lady  who  be- 
came his  wife  was  Miss  Josephine  Ashmore,  who 
was  born  August  20,  1853,  in  Tazewell  County, 
this  state.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Joseph  Ash- 
more,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Illinois,  as  was  her 
mother,  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Ashmore. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bale  have  been  born  five  sons 
and  one  daughter,  namely:  Emery,  Eliza,  Roy, 
Earl,  Lora  and  Raymond.  Our  subject  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat in  politics  and  a  man  of  intelligence,  relia- 
ble in  his  citizenship,  honorable  in  his  dealings 
with  his  fellow-men  and  kindly  in  his  social  and 
domestic  life.  The  estate  which  he  left  is  now 
managed  by  his  widow  and  sons  and  is  one  of 
the  most  highly  cultivated  tracts  of  land  in  Ma- 
son County. 


1 OIIN  KROELL,  SK.  In  no  portion  of  the 
world  is  the  result  of  patent  industry  illus. 
trated  more  forcibly  than  in  the  great  west. 
Could  the  young  man  of  forty  years  ago 
have  had  the  power  to  look  into  the  future  and 
discover  not  only  what  he  himself  would  accom- 
plish, but  what  would  be  done  by  his  fellow-citi- 
zens, he  would  have  labored  with  even  greater 
courage  than  he  has  done.  Among  those  whose 
energy,  tireless  perseverance  and  judicious  man- 
agement have  contributed  to  the  progress  and  ma- 
terial interests  of  Mason  County,  is  the  gentleman 
above  named,  who  owns  a  farm  located  on  section 
19,  Quiver  Township. 

A  native  of  Germany,  our  subject  was  born  in 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  November  20,  1822,  and  is  the 
son  of  Jost  Kroell,  who  lived  and  died  in  the  Old 
Country.  Of  the  parental  family  of  four  children 
only  two  are  now  living:  John,  of  this  sketch, 
and  Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  Gerhard t,  who  makes  her 
home  in  Iowa.  He  of  whom  we  write  was  reared 
a  farmer  bo}',  and  emigrated  to  America  October 
6,  1851,  landing  some  days  later  in  New  York 
City.  He  came  directly  to  Illinois,  and  for  a  time 
worked  out  on  a  farm  near  Havana,  until  he  was 


enabled  to  purchase  property  of  his  own,  his  first 
estate  comprising  eight3'  acres  of  improved  land 
on  section  7  of  this  township. 

Mr.  Kroell  was  married  in  November,  1851,  to 
Miss  Mary  Katz,  also  a  native  of  Hesse-Darmstadt, 
and  after  making  his  first  purchase  of  property,  the 
couple  resided  on  the  farm  until  1867,  when  Mr. 
Kroell  moved  upon  his  present  place.  His  wife 
departed  this  life  December  5,  1885,  aged  sixty- 
three  years.  Of  the  family  of  five  children  of 
which  she  became  the  mother,  four  are  living. 
John  married  Julia  Reddinger  and  makes  his 
home  on  a  farm  in  Quiver  Township;  Lizzie,  the 
second  in  order  of  birth,  is  in  Clinton;  Conrad 
took  to  wife  Miss  Mary  Heimel  and  is  also  a 
farmer  of  this  township;  Mary,  Mrs.  Fred  Zelle, 
is  living  in  Kansas.  Hartman  died  when  a  young 
man  of  twenty-one  years. 

May  11,  1886,  our  subject  was  married  to  Eliz- 
abeth Crawford,  the  widow  of  Dr.  Hen^-  Craw- 
ford, and  the  daughter  of  Peter  and  Elizabeth 
(Riddle)  Ringhouse.  Her  father  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, and  removed  to  Mason  County  in  1833, 
where  he  died  in  November,  1859.  His  good  wife, 
who  isalso  deceased,  departed  thislife  in  1883.  Mrs. 
Kroell  was  born  February  20,  1824,  in  Hesse- Darm- 
stadt, Germany,  and  was  reared  to  womanhood  in 
this  country.  Her  first  marriage,  which  took  place 
in  1840,  was  with  William  Atwater,  by  whom  she 
became  the  mother  of  twelve  children,  five  of 
whom  are  living.  Edwin  W.,  who  married  Ellen 
White,  lives  in  Nebraska;  Louis  is  now  of  Mason 
County;  John  married  Josephine  Dare  and  lives 
in  Havana;  Sheldon,  who  is  a  farmer  of  Quiver 
Township,  married  Iris  Jones;  Emma,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Woodford  Roundtree,  also  lives  in  this 
township.  The  others  are  deceased. 

Mr.  Kroell  has  resided  on  his  present  farm  since 
1867,  and  it  comprises  two  hundred  and  fifteen 
acres  of  very  valuable  land.  He  is  also  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  quarter-section  in  Hardin  County, 
Iowa,  which  finely  improved  estate  he  rents  to 
good  advantage.  In  1876  he  built  his  present  res- 
idence at  a  cost  of  $2,350,  and  also  erected  a  barn 
at  the  same  time  which  cost  $600.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kroell  are  church  members,  the  former  belonging 
to  the  Evangelical  and  the  latter  to  the  Christian 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


597 


Church.  He  has  served  as  a  School  Director  of 
his  district,  and  in  politics  never  fails  to  cast  a 
vote  for  Republican  candidates.  Mrs.  Kroell  is 
also  a  warm  advocate  of  Republican  principles, 
and  is  actively  interested  iu  advancing  the  cause 
of  temperance  in  this  township.  They  are  botli 
old  settlers  here,  our  subject  having  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Mason  County  for  forty-three  years,  and 
his  good  wife  for  sixty-one  years.  They  attended 
the  old  settlers'  meeting  held  at  Manito'  several 
years  ago,  on  which  occasion  Mrs.  Kroell  was  given 
a  chair  in  honor  of  her  being  the  oldest  settler  in 
Quiver  Township.  Our  subject  is  charitable  and 
benevolent,  and  the  poor  and  needy  find  in  him  a 
friend.  In  his  business  career  he  has  met  with  sig- 
nal success,  and  his  diligence  and  good  manage- 
ment have  made  him  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm 
and  the  possessor  of  a  competence.  He  loves  his 
adopted  country,  and  the  community  recognize 
in  him  a  valued  citizen. 


ARL  ROBERT  SCHURMAN,  member  of  the 
firm  of  Conklin,  Schurman  A  Hippeu,  con- 
tractors and  builders  at  Pekin,  and  also 
owners  of  a  large  planing  mill  at  this  place,  is 
numbered  among  the  eflicient  and  successful  busi- 
ness men  of  Tazewell  County.  A  native  of  Ger- 
many, he  was  born  in  Hanover,  April  4,  1850.  He 
is  the  son  of  Conrad  II.  and  Amelia  (Voiglit) 
Schurman,  the  former  of  whom  followed  the  trade 
of  a  cigar  manufacturer  until  his  death  in  Ger- 
man y.  Afterwards  the  mother  accompanied  her 
children  to  the  United  States,  and  resided  in  Pekin 
until  her  demise  in  1890. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  is  the  youngest 
of  four  brothers,  was  educated  in  a  gymnasium  in 
Germany,  and  afterwards  became  bookkeeper  for 
a  wholesale  house  in  Norden.  In  1868  he  came 
witli  his  mother  to  America  and  settled  in  Pekin, 
to  which  point  his  oldest  brother  had  come  four 
years  previously.  After  spending  three  months  in 
the  public  schools  here  he  became  a  clerk  in  the 
dry-goods  establishment  of  Bouk  &  Co.,  and  later 
accepted  the  position  of  bookkeeper  with  that 


firm.  In  1872  he  entered  the  office  of  the  T.  & 
H.  Smith  Co.  as  assistant  bookkeeper.  This  firm 
had  a  branch  bank  at  Delavau,  the  title  of  which 
was  Smith  Bros.  Bank,  and  to  that  city  he  was  sent 
in  1875  as  bookkeeper  for  the  concern. 

Returning  to  Pekin  after  one  year  in  Delavan, 
Mr.  Schurman  made  application  for  and  secured 
the  position  of  bookkeeper  in  the  Farmers'  Na- 
tional Bank.  Later  he  resigned  that  position  in 
order  to  enter  the  firm  of  Weiss  &  Co.,  contractors 
and  builders  and  lumber  dealers,  with  whom  his 
brother  Ernest  had  formerly  been  connected.  Some 
time  afterward  Mr.  Weiss  disposed  of  his  interest 
to  Mr.  Hippen,and  the  firm  then  became  Conklin, 
Schurman  &  Hippen.  In  their  planing  mill  they 
employ  forty  or  fifty  men.  The  warerooms  cover 
about  one  block,  and  the  mill  is  one  of  the  finest 
in  this  section  of  Illinois,  the  sash,  doors  and 
blinds  manufactured  being  as  good  as  the  products 
of  any  first-class  mill  in  the  state. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Schurman  occurred  in 
Windsor,  Ontario,,  September  13,  1876,  and  united 
him  with  Miss  Clara  Ackerman,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
and  the  daughter  of  C.  W.  Ackerman,  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Pekin.  Five  children  have  blessed  this 
union,  Edwin,  Richard,  Robert,  Elsie  and  Clar- 
ence. The  family  residence  is  pleasantly  located 
at  No.  710  Hillyer  Street  and  is  the  abode  of  hos- 
pitality. In  politics  a  Republican,  Mr.  Schurman 
has  served  as  Supervisor  of  Pekin  Township  for 
two  years,  and  has  occupied  other  local  positions 
of  trust.  Socially  he  is  identified  with  the  Royal 
Arch  Masons  and  belongs  to  Empire  Lodge  No. 
126,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.  He  is  also  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Mutual  Aid  and  the  Turners'  Socie- 
ties. As  a  business  man,  lie  is  honorable,  energetic 
and  capable,  and  the  success  to  which  the  firm  has 
attained  is  due  in  no  small  measure  to  his  ability. 


?ILLIAM  MIARS,  one  of  the  representative 
farmers  of  Elm  Grove  Township,  Taze- 
well County,  residing  on  section  28,  is  a 
self-made  man,  who  by  his  own  efforts  has  worked 
his  way  up  from  an  humble  position  to  one  of 
affluence.  He  was  born  in  this  township  May  14, 


598 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1843,  and  was  one  of  fourteen  children,  but  only 
four  of  the  number  are  now  living.  His  father, 
Martin  Miars,  was  born  in  Hampshire  County, 
Va.,  in  1801,  and  when  nine  years  of  age  went 
with  his  parents  to  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  where 
he  lived  until  1826,  when  he  was  married  to  Ann 
Hodgson  and  removed  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Elm 
Grove  Township.  In  1826  he  took  up  a  quarter 
section  of  land  from  the  Government  and  began 
the  development  of  a  farm.  His  remaining  days 
were  devoted  to  its  further  cultivation  and  im- 
provement and  he  made  of  it  a  valuable  property. 
He  owned  four  hundred  acres  ere  his  death,  and 
was  considered  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of 
the  community,  to  the  best  interests  of  which  he 
was  ever  devoted.  His  death  here  occurred  at  the 
age  of  eighty-four. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a 
native  of  Germany,  and  on  crossing  the  Atlantic 
located  in  Virginia.  He  was  a  blacksmith  and  also 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  His  last  days 
were  spent  in  Ohio,  where  he  died  at  an  advanced 
age.  The  members  of  the  Miars  family  now  living 
are:  Mary,  widow  of  Frank  Robison,of  Elm  Grove 
Township;  Sarah,  wife  of  John  Boyle,  of  Tremont 
Township;  and  Isaac,  a  resident  of  Adair  County, 
Iowa. 

Mr.  Miars  of  this  record  has  always  lived  in  his 
native  town.  He  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner 
of  farmer  lads,  and  on  attaining  his  majority 
started  out  in  life  for  himself.  For  about  ten 
years  he  operated  the  home  farm  on  shares,  and 
then  afterward  removed  to  a  farm  of  his  own.  His 
home,  which  he  erected  in  1868,  stands  upon  a  por- 
tion of  the  land  which  his  father  entered  in  1830, 
more  than  sixty-four  years  ago,  and  the  patent  of 
which,  signed  by  Andrew  Jackson,  is  now  in  his 
possession.  His  farm  work  has  proved  profitable 
and  has  yielded  him  a  good  income. 

On  the  21st  of  May,  1864,  Mr.  Miars  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Ann,  daughter  of  Amos 
and  Elizabeth  (Allison)  Hodgson.  Their  union 
has  been  blessed  with  five  children,  who  are  yet 
living:  Edwin,  now  of  McLean  County;  Frank, 
Martin,  Elmer  and  Etta  Luella,  who  are  still  under 
the  parental  roof.  The  family  is  one  of  promi- 
nence in  the  community,  the  home  is  the  abode  of 


hospitality  and  good  cheer,  and  the  members  of  the 
household  rank  high  in  the  social  circles  in  which 
they  live.  In  politics  Mr.  Miars  warmly  advocates 
the  principles  of  the  Republican  party  and  has  the 
courage  of  his  convictions,  but  is  in  no  sense  a 
politician,  having  neither  sought  nor  desired  pub- 
lic office.  A  well  spent  life  has  gained  for  him 
the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been 
brought  in  contact. 

-•—*=«*-*-« 


^ICIIARD    H.    BECKER    is   a    well  known 

ZK  farmer  of  Tazewell  County  who  owns  and 
!iii\\\  operates  a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
\^)sixty-four  acres  on  section  13,  Elm  Grove 
Township.  The  farm  is  pleasantly  located  a  mile 
to  the  northwest  of  Tremont.  He  also  has  sixty- 
three  acres  just  across  the  road  from  his  home. 
Well  cultivated  fields  and  the  improvements  that 
are  found  upon  a  model  farm  indicate  that  the 
owner  is  a  man  of  thrift  and  enterprise,  who  thor- 
oughly understands  his  business  and  gives  it  his 
careful  supervision. 

Mr.  Becker  was  born  in  Germany,  July  23, 1846, 
and  is  one  of  a  family  of  seven  children,  the  oth- 
ers being  Maggie,  wife  of  August  Carson,  of  Cin- 
cinnati Township;  Frederick,  of  Tremont;  Charles» 
of  San  Francisco;  Sophia,  wife  of  Philip  Herget, 
of  Pekin,  111.;  Henry,  also  of  Pekin,  and  Annie. 
The  parents  of  this  family  were  Carson  and  Mary 
(Garlisch)  Becker.  Accompanied  by  his  family, 
the  father  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1853, 
and  took  up  their  residence  in  Dearborn  County, 
Ind.,  where  he  engaged  in  fanning.  In  February, 
1873,  he  came  to  Tazewell  County,  111.,  and  settled 
in  Fjlm  Grove  Township,  where  lie  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  lie 
was  a  successful  farmer, and  by  well  directed  efforts 
won  a  comfortable  competence.  His  death  occurred 
in  the  spring  of  1878.  His  widow,  who  still  sur- 
vives him,  is  now  a  resident  of  Pekin. 

Richard  Becker,  of  this  sketch,  was  a  lad  of  only 
seven  summers  when  he  crossed  the  briny  deep 
with  his  parents.  In  his  boyhood  he  attended  the 
public  schools  of  Indiana,  and  assisted  his  father 
upon  the  farm,  remaining  under  the  parental  roof 


UBRAW 
OF  THE 
Of 


DANIEL  W.  HOVEY. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


601 


until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-one  he  started  out  in  life.  He  began  work- 
ing as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month,  and  was  thus 
employed  for  about  seven  years,  when  he  resolved 
that  his  labors  should  hereafter  benefit  himself.  He 
then  rented  land  and  began  farming  in  his  own 
interest.  In  1886  he  purchased  the  farm  on  which 
he  now  resides  and  has  since  made  his  home. 

In  January,  1873,  Mr.  Becker  was  joined  in  wed- 
lock with  Addic  Papenhausen,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, and  a  daughter  of  John  Papenhausen,  who 
came  with  his  family  to  this  country  when  Mrs. 
Becker  was  a  small  child,  and  settled  in  Ripley 
County,  Ind.  There  he  still  resides,  but  his  wife 
departed  this  life  some  years  since.  Unto  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife  were  born  six  children:  Mary, 
John  II.,  Frank  August,  Lewis  Fred,  Fred  H.  and 
Arthur  II.  The  family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken, 
and  the  children  are  still  at  home. 

Socially,  Mr.  Becker  is  connected  with  Pleasant 
Grove  Camp  No.  998,  M.  W.  A.,  of  Tremont,  and  in 
politics  has  always  been  a  Democrat.  In  1893  he 
was  elected  Road  Commissioner  of  Elm  Grove 
Towrship  for  a  term  of  three  years,  and  is  now 
creditably  and  acceptably  filling  that  office.  He  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  enterprising  and  substan- 
tial citizens  of  the  community,  is  a  man  of  sterling 
worth,  and  well  deserves  representation  in  this 
volume. 


DANIEL  WEBSTER  HOVEY,  a  farmer 
residing  on  section  30,  Forest  City  Town- 
ship, Mason  County,  is  the  son  of  Peres 
Gilbert  and  Hannah  Jackson  (Packard) 
Hovey.  The  father,  who  was  born  in  Oxford, 
Worcester  County,  Mass.,  in  1796,  was  a  scythe- 
maker  and  followed  that  trade  until  1838,  after 
which  he  engaged  in  farming.  In  the  fall  of  1839 
he  came  to  Illinois,  and  after  a  sojourn  of  two 
years  in  Troy,  Madison  Count}',  removed  to 
Bunker  Hill,  Macoupin  County. 

In  Worcester  County,  Mass.,  Peres  G.  Hovey 
married  Miss  Hannah  Jackson  Packard,  who  was 
born  in  South  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  in  1803,  being  a 
daughter  of  Mayo  Packard,  a  nail-maker  by  trade. 
Mr.  Ilovey  passed  away  July  6,  1851,  but  his  wife 


long  survived  him,  her  death  occurring  in  July  of 
1892.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children 
who  attained  mature  years,  and  of  these  eight  are 
now  living,  viz.:  Daniel  W.,  Mrs.  Mary  G.  Lan- 
caster, Mrs.  Clarissa  H.  Barnes,  Gideon,  James 
Henry,  Mrs.  Eliza  Jane  Ness,  Mrs.  Olive  J.  Wilson 
and  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Manley.  The  father  was  a 
minute  man  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  one  son, 
James  Henry,  served  for  four  years  as  a  soldier  in 
the  Civil  War,  marching  with  Sherman  to  the  sea. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  October  22, 
1829,  in  Charlton,  Worcester  Count}',  Mass.,  and 
was  a  lad  of  ten  years  when  he  came  with  his 
father  to  Illinois.  The  journey  hither  was  made 
in  two  one-horse  wagons,  and  required  six  weeks 
and  one  day  before  the  destination  was  reached. 
He  was  a  student  in  subscription  schools  in  boy- 
hood, but  his  information  has  been  mainly  self 
acquired.  January  25,  1855,  he  married  Miss 
Rebecca  Ann  Barnes,  who  was  born  in  Greenfield, 
N.  H.,  February  28,  1836,  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  Green  Mountain  State. 

Mrs.  Ilovey  is  the  daughter  of  Nathan  and 
Sarah  E.  (Evans)  Barnes,  the  former  born  in 
Greenfield,  Hillsboro  County,  N.H..  June  13,  1801, 
and  the  latter  born  in  Peterboro,  Hillsboro  County, 
N.  H.,  June  4,1806.  The  paternal  grandfather 
was  William  Barnes,  a  huckster  by  trade,  and  the 
maternal  grandfather  was  Asaph  Evans,  a  farmer 
by  occupation.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnes  were  married 
in  New  Hampshire,  and  in  1851  came  to  Illinois, 
settling  in  Bunker  Hill,  Macoupin  County,  where 
he  died  in  1871.  Mrs.  Barnes  is  still  living.  Of 
their  ten  children,  seven  now  survive,  namely: 
George  E.,  Rebecca  A.,  Ruben  K.,  Asaph  H., 
Almon  II.,  Joseph  H.  and  John  B.  Three  of  the 
sons  were  soldiers  in  the  late  war.  The  parents 
were  members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  in  which  for 
many  years  the  father  served  as  Deacon.  In  poli- 
tics he  was  a  Republican. 

After  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hovey  resided  in 
Macoupin  County,  111.,  until  1857,  when  they 
came  to  Mason  County.  At  that  time  there  was 
no  house  to  the  south  for  a  distance  of  eight 
miles;  all  was  prairie,  which  was  often  covered 
with  water.  Mr.  Hovey  built  a  frame  house,  in 
which  the  family  lived  until  1872,  when  the  present 


602 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


substantial  residence  was  built.  In  1859  he  bought 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  to  which  he  has  since 
added  until  he  has  now  four  hundred  and  sixty- 
seven  acres.  Here  he  engages  in  the  raising  of 
stock  and  grain. 

Six  children  comprise  the  family  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ilovey,  viz.:  Daniel  Gilbert,  who  married 
Hannah  Hepler  and  lives  in  Pennsylvania  Town- 
ship, where  he  owns  a  farm;  Charles  Nelson,, Tohn 
Nathan,  deceased;  William,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Francis  Peter,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years, 
and  Joseph  Henry,  who  married  Miss  Emma 
Johanna  Knuppcl,  and  lives  in  Pennsylvania 
Township,  where  he  owns  a  farm.  In  religious 
belief  Mrs.  Hovey  lias  been  identified  with  the 
Baptist  Church  for  forty  years,  and  is  especially 
interested  in  Sunday-school  work.  Politically  Mr. 
Hovey  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party  and 
takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  public  affairs.  For 
seven  years  he  was  Director  of  Schools  and  aided 
in  the  organization  of  School  District  No.  2,  and 
was  Trustee  for  three  years. 


,  AVID  POWELL.  For  many  years  a  prom- 
inent and  successful  merchant  of  Mason 
City,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  now  lives 
in  his  pleasant  home  retired  from  active 
business  cares.  It  is  with  pleasure  that  his  biogra- 
phy is  incorporated  in  this  volume,  for  it  affords 
an  example  well  worthy  the  emulation  of  the 
young,  and  furnishes  an  illustration  of  what  may 
be  accomplished  by  good  management  coupled 
with  sound  common  sense  and  indefatigable  en- 
ergy. 

Born  near  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio,  in  1830,  Mr.  Pow- 
ell is  a  representative  of  an  English  family  that 
settled  in  America  prior  to  the  Revolutionary 
War.  His  father,  Thomas  Powell,  was  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  became  an  early  settler  of  Fulton  Coun- 
ty, 111.,  where  he  died  in  the  fall  of  1842.  He 
was  a  man  of  pronounced  views,  and  in  politics 
was  a  Whig.  Ills  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 


Margaret  Engle,  died  in  1858.  At  the  age  of  four 
years  David  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Illinois, 
where  he  attended  the  pioneer  schools,  and  shortly 
after  attaining  the  age  of  fourteen  commenced  to 
learn  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith. 

During  the  gold  excitement  in  California  Mr. 
Powell  crossed  the  plains,  in  1852,  spending  three 
months  en  route  and  making  the  journey  with  ox 
teams.  Upon  his  arrival  in  that  state,  he  com- 
menced gold  mining,  and  was  thus  engaged  for 
four  years,  when  he  returned  to  Mason  County 
and  resumed  farming.  On  the  20th  of  October, 
1864,  he  formed  a  partnership  witli  A.  A.  Cargill, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Powell  &  Cargill.  and  em- 
barked in  the  general  mercantile  business.  Seven 
years  later  lie  left  that  concern  and  formed  a  con- 
nection with  E.  M.  Sharp,  the  firm  title  being 
Powell  &  Sharp.  He  was  thus  engaged  for  three 
years.  In  the  fall  of  1874,  in  company  with  F. 
N.  Smith,  he  organized  the  banking  house  of  F.  N. 
Smith  <fe  Co.,  retaining  his  connection  with  that 
institution  for  five  years.  In  1883  he  opened  a 
shoe  store,  which  he  carried  on  successfully  for 
eight  years,  when  he  sold  the  establishment  and 
retired  from  business. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Powell  occurred  July 
18,  1860,  at  which  time  he  was  united  with  Miss 
Mary  A.  Cox,  a  native  of  Indiana.  This  lady  died 
March  16,  1877,  leaving  three  daughters  and  one 
son,  viz.:  Clara,  wife  of  J.  H.  White,  a  resident  of 
Mason  Count}-;  Arthur  S.,  who  lives  in  this  county; 
Laura,  who  is  the  wife  of  Lafe  Stene,  of  Mason 
City;  and  Flora,  who  was  graduated  from  Morgan 
Park  College  in  1892,  and  at  present  teaches  in  the 
public  schools  of  Mason  City.  The  present  estim- 
able wife  of  Mr.  Powell,  with  whom  he  was  united 
in  marriage  August  6,  1884,  was  formerly  Miss 
Parmelia  M.  Samuels,  and  was  born  in  Illinois. 

Mr.  Powell  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth,  whose 
word  is  believed  to  "  nail  the  subject  to  the  wall." 
Though  his  early  education  was  necessarily  lim- 
ited, he  is  a  man  of  broad  information  upon  all 
topics  of  general  interest,  and  having  given  to 
the  political  issues  of  the  age  his  careful  study, 
favors  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party. 
Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Mason  City  Lodge 
No.  403,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  has  watched  with  inter- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


603 


est  the  gradual  growth  of  the  county,  and  can 
point  with  pride  to  his  share  in  the  good  results 
obtained. 


1  OHN  E.  TRIMBLE.  This  gentleman  is  the 
owner  and  occupant  of  a  productive  tract 
of  land  on  section  2,  Hopedale  Township, 
Tazewell  County.  It  consists  of  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  bears  the  usual  improvements, 
and  is  so  managed  as  to  bring  forth  abundant 
crops  of  good  quality. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  the  state  of  New  York, 
June  3,  1849,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  Trimble,  a 
native  of  Ireland.  His  parents  dying  when  he  was 
young,  he  came  to  America  a  poor  boy,  and  worked 
his  way  up  in  the  world  until  he  occupied  an  hon- 
orable and  influential  position  among  the  farmers 
of  the  Empire  State.  He  was  married  there  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  McCoy,  a  lady  of  Scotch  ancestry. 
The  young  couple  came  in  1851  to  this  state,  when 
our  subject  was  two  years  of  age,  and  making  their 
home  in  'Fremont  Township,  remained  there  until 
1858,  when  the  father  purchased  land  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Mackinaw  River,  where  he  is  at  present 
living  in  Hopedale. 

John,  of  this  sketch,  aided  his  father  in  the  farm 
work  as  soon  as  old  enough,  and  during  the  dull 
seasons  at  home  attended  the  little  log  cabin, 
where  he  received  his  primary  education.  He  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof  until  a  short  time 
after  reaching  his  majority,  and  March  12,  1873, 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Emily  J.  Pro- 
basco,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  this  county. 
Her  father,  Samuel  Probasco,  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  Tazewell  County,  and  died  in  April,  1894, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  Her  mother,  in 
her  maidenhood  known  as  Miss  Eunice  Bennett,  is 
still  living  and  makes  her  home  with  our  subject. 
The  parental  family  of  John  Trimble  included 
nine  children,  of  whom  George  is  at  home  with 
his  father  and  mother;  Jane  married  James  Ben- 
nett, who  makes  his  home  in  Missouri;  Emma  is  the 
wife  of  Eli  Tollinger,  and  resides  on  a  farm  north 
of  Delavan;  Ella,  the  twin  of  Emma,  married  Dan- 
iel Gilmartin,  and  is  at  present  residing  in  McLean 
County,  this  state;  Lucy  is  the  wife  of  Casper 


Tollinger,  a  farmer  owning  property  just  north  of 
Delavan;  Ann  became  Mrs.  William  Fleming,  and 
is  living  in  Boynton  Township,  this  county;  Laura 
married  William  Smith,  the  son  of  A.  M.  Smith, 
and  is  now  deceased;  Etta  became  the  wife  of  Oli- 
ver Smith,  a  brother  of  William  Smith,  and  lives 
on  a  farm  near  our  subject. 

Soon  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trimble 
moved  upon  the  farm  where  they  are  at  present 
residing,  and  which  is  one  of  the  finest  on  the 
banks  of  the  Mackinaw  River.  In  politics  Mr. 
Trimble  has  always  voted  the  Democratic  ticket, 
and  for  the  past  eighteen  years  has  served  as  a 
member  of  the  School  Board.  lie  has  likewise 
been  a  Road  Commissioner,  and  in  various  ways 
has  been  instrumental  in  advancing  the  interests 
of  his  township.  He  is  a  devoted  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  at  the  present 
time  is  holding  the  ollice  of  President  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees.  Six  children  have  been  born  to  our 
subject  and  his  wife,  namely:  Alvin,  Albert,  Eva, 
Ada,  Cora  and  Elsie. 


g 

has 


OIIN  G.  RE1CHEL  is  well  known  through- 
out this  section,  as  he  has  been  a  resident 
of  Mason  County  since  1863,  and  has  thus 
witnessed  the  greater  part  of  its  growth  and 
assisted  its  development  in  various  ways. 
For  many  years  he  was  one  of  the  prominent  con- 
tractors and  builders  of  Havana,  in  which  city  he 
is  now  living  retired,  occupying  with  his  family  a 
beautiful  residence. 

Born  in  Saxony,  Germany,  in  1826,  our  subject 
is  a  son  of  John  G.  Reichel,  also  a  native  of  the 
Fatherland,  where  he  lived  and  died.  His  mother, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Johanna  Sophia  Zoen- 
chen,  also  spent  her  entire  life  in  that  country. 
John  G.  was  given  the  advantages  for  obtaining  a 
good  education,  and  when  old  enough  served  a 
three  years'  apprenticeship  at  the  brick  mason's 
trade. 

Mr.  Reichel  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1857,  and 
after  landing  in  New  York  City,  made  his  way  west 
to  this  state,  where  he  was  employed  working  at 
his  trade  in  various  places  until  1863,  when  he 


604 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


came  to  Havana,  and  he  soon  ranked  among  the 
best  contractors  and  builders  of  the  city.  He  has 
erected  many  of  the  finest  business  blocks  and  res- 
idences here,  and  although  commencing  his  busi- 
ness career  empty  handed,  he  has  accumulated  a 
considerable  fortune,  and  is  now  living  retired  in 
his  beautiful  residence,  which  was  completed  in 
1891.  It  contains  eight  rooms,  and  is  built  after 
the  latest  style  in  architecture,  and  is  one  of  the 
finest  dwellings  in  the  city. 

In  1863,  our  subject  was  married  to  Miss  Anna 
Frederich,  also  a  native  of  Germany,  and  the 
daughter  of  George  Frederich.  Their  family  now 
comprises  seven  children,  four  sons  and  three 
daughters,  namely:  August,  George,  Dora,  Johnny, 
Dealia,  Charlie  and  Amelia.  The  sympathies  of 
Mr.  Reichel  are  with  the  Democratic  party  and  lie 
is  always  a  strong  advocate  of  those  political  meas- 
ures that  promise  to  benefit  his  county  and  state. 
He  is  a  public  spirited  man  and  one  who  has  met 
with  success  in  his  journey  through  life.  In  relig- 
ion, he  is,  with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  with  which  denomination  they  have  been 
identified  for  many  years. 

ILLIAM  II.  WEIRICK,  M.  D.,  one  of  the 
/*  most  successful  physicians  of  Tazewell 
County,  was  born  in  Union  County,  Pa., 
September  14,  1841.  He  is  a  descendantof  worthy 
German  ancestors,  and  the  family  has  long  been 
one  of  prominence  in  the  United  States.  The  pa- 
ternal grandfather,  George  Weirick,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  served  as  an  officer  in  the  War  of 
1812,  and  later  became  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture of  his  state. 

In  Union  County,  Pa.,  about  1806,  occurred  the 
birth  of  Dr.  Thomas  Weirick,  who  was  one  of  a 
large  family.  His  brother  Samuel  was  an  attorney 
of  note,  a  prominent  citizen  of  his  locality,  and  a 
member  of  the  Pennsylvania  Legislature  for  some 
years.  Another  brother,  Franklin,  was  a  newspaper 
man.  Receiving  excellent  educational  advantages 
in  youth,  Thomas  Weirick  became  a  man  of  broad 
information  upon  general  subjects,  and  was  espec- 


ially well  read  in  medical  literature.  He  followed 
his  chosen  profession  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  the  Keystone  State. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Margaret  Roush,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1807,  and  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  a  prominent  business  man,  the  owner  of  a 
mill,  distiller}-  and  hotel.  At  the  age  of  seventy- 
six  years  she  died,  in  1883.  In  her  family  were 
two  sons  and  two  daughters.  One  of  the  former 
died  at  the  age  of  nine  years,  and  one  daughter 
passed  away  when  twenty-one.  The  other  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Mary  A.  Lodge,  lives  in  Union  County, 
Pa.  Our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  the  county 
of  his  birth,  and  received  a  good  education  in 
Dickinson  Seminary,  Williamsport,  Pa.  While  con- 
ducting his  studies  in  that  institution,  the  Civil 
War  broke  out,  and  he  left  college  in  1862  to  en- 
list under  the  Old  Flag,  becoming  a  private  in  the 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-first  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry. 

Retiring  from  the  army  in  1863,  our  subject  be- 
gan the  study  of  medicine,  and  early  in  1865  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  Assistant  Surgeon  of 
the  Two  Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  in  which  he  served  until  the  fall  of  the 
same  year.  On  his  return  to  the  Keystone  State 
he  was  graduated  from  the  medical  department  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  the  Class  of  '66. 
At  once  after  completing  his  studies,  he  came  west 
to  Missouri,  and  engaged  in  practice  in  Henry 
County,  where  he  remained  six  or  seven  years. 
From  there  he  came  to  Washington,  and  in  this 
city  has  engaged  in  active  practice  ever  since. 
While  a  resident  of  Missouri  he  served  on  the 
Pension  Examining  Board. 

In  1869  the  Doctor  married  Miss  Harriet  N. 
Wilson,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Union  County, 
Pa.,  being  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Her  father  was 
a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  her  brother, 
David  B.  Wilson,  a  young  attorney  at  the  time  of 
the  opening  of  the  Rebellion,  went  to  the  front  as 
Lieutenant  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-first 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war 
joined  the  regular  army.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Weirick 
have  three  daughters  and  one  son.  Agnes  B.  is  a 
student  in  Elmira  College,  Elmira,  N.  Y.;  Margaret 
was  educated  in  a  female  seminary;  Ralph  W.  and 


r 


LIBRARY 

Of  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


D.  W.   HILYARD. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


607 


Elizabeth  are  students  in  the  Washington  schools. 
Among  the  physicians  of  Tazewcll  County,  Dr. 
Weirick  has  for  years  held  a  position  of  influence. 
His  skill  in  the  diagnosis  of  difficult  cases  is  con- 
ceded by  all,  while  his  success  in  their  treatment 
has  brought  to  him  the  confidence  of  the  public. 
Socially,  he  is  a  Mason,  and  is  Past  Master  of  his 
lodge.  In  the  circles  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  lie  has  gained  considerable  prominence. 
In  politics  he  has  always  upheld  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party  since  he  cast  his  first  ballot 
for  Abraham  Lincoln.  In  religious  connections 
he  and  his  wife  are  identified  with  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  in  which  he  is  au  Elder. 


QUIRE  DAVID  W.  HILYARD  is  a  repre- 
sentative and  highly  respected  farmer  of 
Salt  Creek  Township,  Mason  County,  re- 
siding on  section  5.  As  he  has  a  wide 
acquaintance  in  this  community  we  feel  assured 
that  this  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to 
many  of  our  readers.  Born  April  1,  1827,  he  is  a 
native  of  Cumberland  County,  N.  J.,  and  a  son  of 
Henry  Hilyard,  who  was  also  born  in  that  state. 
The  latter  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  de- 
parted this  life  in  New  Jersey  at  the  advanced 
age  of  seventy-six  years.  His  father,  Christian 
Hilyard,  was  a  native  of  Germany  and  came  to 
this  country  in  an  early  day,  making  a  location  in 
the  above  state. 

Our  subject's  mother,  who  also  hailed  from  New 
Jersey,  was  Rachel  Sneathen  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage. She  was  reared  in  that  state  and  there 
spent  her  entire  life,  dying  when  fifty-seven  years 
of  age.  By  her  union  witli  Henry  Hilyard  she  be- 
came the  mother  of  six  children,  of  whom  one  son 
died  in  infancy.  The  others  grew  to  manhood 
and  womanhood,  but  the  only  ones  who  are  now 
living  are  our  subject  and  Elizabeth,  the  latter 
of  whom  is  the  widow  of  James  Evans,  of  Salem 
County,  N.  J. 

David  W.  was  the  youngest  member  of  the  fam- 
ily and  spent  the  years  of  his  life  up  to  twenty- 
four  in  his  native  place.  His  education  was  ob- 


tained in  the  district  school,  and  when  ready  to 
start  out  in  life  for  himself  he  was  married,  in 
1851,  to  Miss  Catherine  F.  Tomlin,  who  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  same  state  as  himself.  Four  years  after 
their  union  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hilyard  came  to  Illinois 
and  made  location  on  section  5,  which  is  his  present 
estate  but  which  at  that  time  bore  little  resem- 
blance to  the  highly  improved  and  valuable  place 
of  to-day.  He  owns  one  hundred  and  eight3'-five 
acres  of  land,  which  comprises  his  home  farm  and 
fifty  acres  located  in  Crane  Creek  Township.  He 
has  always  given  his  attention  to  farm  pursuits,  and 
in  addition  to  cultivating  the  soil  engages  to  some 
extent  in  stock-raising.  He  possesses  good  busi- 
ness ability  and  his  well  directed  efforts  have 
brought  him  in  a  good  competence. 

Eight  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
I).  W.  Hilyard,  three  daughters  and  five  sons. 
Mary  E.,  the  wife  of  Lorenzo  Chester,  lives  in  Cass 
County,  Iowa.  Hannah  is  Mrs.  Amos  Jacoby,  and 
is  living  in  Lawrence  County,  Mo.  Preston  J.  P. 
makes  his  home  in  Cass  County,  Iowa,  where  also 
Lincoln  II.  and  Edward  F.  are  living.  Robert  F. 
and  Charles  B.  are  at  home.  Emma  E.  is  the  wife 
of  W.  W.  Baker  and  lives  in  Tallula,  Menard 
County,  this  state. 

In  political  sentiment  our  subject  is  a  stanch 
Republican  and  may  be  counted  upon  to  bear  a 
part  in  every  worthy  enterprise,  which  fact  has 
been  recognized  by  his  fellow-citizens,  who  have 
bestowed  upon  him  the  offices  of  School  Director, 
Trustee  and  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Socially  he  is  a 
prominent  Odd  Fellow,  in  which  order  he  takes 
great  interest. 


•3PE 


LAUDE  L.  STONE,  a  practical  agriculturist, 
who  has  successfully  won  his  way  to  a  posi- 
tion  of  honored  usefulness,  has  for  over 
twenty  years  been  prominently  associated  with 
the  rapid  growth  and  development  of  Mason  City 
Township.  His  fine  farm  of  three  hundred  and 
sixteen  acres  is  located  on  section  22,  and  his 
home  is  well  known  to  a  wide  circle  of  acquaint- 
ances as  the  abode  of  hospitality. 

A  native  of  this  state,  our  subject    was   born  in 
Menard  County,  September  20,  1845,  and   is  the 


608 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


son  of  W.  A.  Stone,  whose  native  state  was  Vir- 
ginia. He  passed  his  boyhood  days,  however,  in 
Kentucky,  and  came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents  in 
1830,  locating  in  Menard  County,  where  he  is  now 
living  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years. 
He  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  as  was  also  the  mother 
of  our  subject,  whose  maiden  name  was  Martha 
Patterson.  She  was  born  in  the  Blue  Grass  State, 
and  came  to  Illinois  the  same  year  as  did  her 
husband.  She  is  now  deceased,  having  departed 
this  life  when  in  her  sixtieth  year. 

Claude  L.  Stone,  who  was'  the  fifth  in  order 
of  birth,  was  the  fourth  son  of  the  family  born  to 
bis  parents  and  was  reared  to  manhood  in  Menard 
County.  His  first  schooling  was  obtained  in  a  log 
schoolhouse,  and  later  his  studies  were  carried  on 
in  the  north  Bryant  &  Stratton  College  of  Chicago. 
One  year  after  attaining  his  majority  he  engaged 
in  the  hardware  and  furniture  business  in  Mason 
City,  which  he  carried  on  with  fair  success  for  five 
years.  In  1872  he  traded  his  business  for  the  farm 
upon  which  he  is  now  residing,  and  has  since  that 
time  given  his  entire  attention  to  farm  pursuits. 
He  is  well  known  throughout  Mason  County,  and 
the  incorruptible  integrit3'  of  his  character  and 
his  many  fine  qualities  of  head  and  heart  have 
placed  him  high  in  the  regard  of  his  fellow-citi- 
zens. 

In  1871,  while  engaged  in  business  in  Mason 
City,  Mr.  Stone  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Marot, 
a  native  of  Ohio,  and  the  daughter  of  Quaker  pa- 
rents. Their  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth 
of  four  sons,  namely:  William  E.,  Supervisor  of  the 
Incurable  department  of  the  State  Feeble  Minded 
Institution;  Arthur  L.,  attending  school  in  Zanes- 
ville,  Wis.;  Clyde  E.,  and  Hal  M.,  who  was  grad- 
uated May  10  of  this  year  (1894)  from  the  Mason 
City  High  School. 

Mr.  Stone  is  greatly  interested  in  educational 
affairs,  and  has  been  Trustee  and  Director  of  his 
township  for  seventeen  years.  He  also  filled  the 
oflice  of  Road  Commissioner  for  three  years,  and  is 
a  candidate  at  the  present  time  for  the  oHice  of 
County  Treasurer  on  the  Republican  ticket.  So- 
cially he  is  a  prominent  Mason,  belonging  to  Lodge 
No.  403,  in  Mason  City,  and  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Grange.  In  religious  affairs  he  is  actively  con- 


nected with  the  Presb3'terian  Church.  He  is  a 
talented  business  man,  rapid  in  all  his  transactions, 
yet  carefully  weighs  and  considers  every  move- 
ment; but  having  decided  upon  any  work  or  en- 
terprise, he  throws  the  entire  force  of  his  energy 
toward  its  success. 


ACOB  ROAT,  one  of  the  large  land  owners 
of  Mason  County,  who  now  resides  on  sec- 
tion 16,  Havana  Township,  is  the  son  of 
John  and  Sophia  (Scliuyler)  Roat.  natives 
of  New  Jersey.  The  family  removed  to  Ohio  in 
an  early  day,  and  settled  in  Warren  County,  where 
the  father  operated  a  rented  farm.  In  1851  he 
moved  further  westward,  and  with  his  family  came 
to  Mason  County,  where  he  settled  on  section  16 
of  Havana  Township.  Later  he  purchased  an 
eighty-acre  tract  on  the  same  section.  At  the 
time  of  purchase  the  place  contained  few  improve- 
ments, and  the  house  was  built  of  cotton  wood  logs. 
In  the  improvement  and  cultivation  of  the  farm 
the  father  was  engaged  until  his  death,  in  1889. 
His  wife  had  passed  away  some  time  prior  to  his 
demise. 

Of  the  family  of  eight  children,  four  are  now 
living,  Jacob,  Mrs.  Margaret  Athy,  John  and 
George,  the  first-named  l>eing  the  only  one  of  the 
number  who  lives  in  Mason  County.  He  was  born 
in  Warren  Count}',  Ohio,  August  16,  1832,  and 
was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  the  Buckeye  State,  re- 
maining with  his  father  until  he  was  twentj'-two. 
Upon  starting  out  for  himself  he  worked  by  the 
month  for  a  short  time,  and  later  was  employed 
by  the  day,  receiving  fifty  cents  per  day.  In  com- 
pany with  his  brother-in-law  he  rented  a  farm, 
and  soon  afterward  bought  a  second-hand  thresh- 
ing machine,  which  he  operated  with  success.  As 
soon  as  able,  he  purchased  a  new  machine,  and  at 
the  present  time  (1894)  owns  three  Altons  and 
two  Sweepstakes. 

The  first  purchase  of  land  made  by  Mr.  Roat 
consisted  of  forty  acres  on  section  16,  which  had  on 
it  an  old  log  house,  but  few  other  improvements. 
After  cultivating  the  soil  for  a  short  time,  he  sold 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


609 


the  place  to  his  father,  and  bought  his  present 
farm.  He  now  owns  six  hundred  acres,  the  greater 
part  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  Of  this  prop- 
erty he  cultivates  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  and 
rents  the  remainder.  He  is  numbered  among  the 
prosperous  farmers  of  Havana  Township,  and  his 
success  is  well  deserved,  for  he  started  out  in  life 
without  capital,  and  all  that  he  has  he  gained 
through  his  intelligent  management  of  affairs. 

At  the  age  of  forty-one  years,  Mr.  Roat  married 
Miss  Christina  Peterson,  a  native  of  Sweden.  They 
have  had  nine  children,  of  whom  the  following 
now  survive:  John,  Annie,  Addie,  David,  Henry. 
Ella  and  Benjamin.  The  children  have  received 
excellent  advantages,  and  are  well  informed  and 
popular  young  people.  Mrs.  Roat  belongs  to  the 
Baptist  Church,  which  the  family  attends.  The 
political  views  of  Mr.  Roat  are  in  harmony  with 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  which  he 
uniformly  supports.  He  has  not  been  an  aspirant 
for  official  positions,  and  has  held  none  with  the 
exception  of  School  Director.  A  few  years  ago  he 
placed  several  full-blooded  Jersey  cows  upon  his 
place,  and  now  has  a  fine  and  valuable  herd. 
He  also  owns  several  German  coach  horses,  as  well 
as  a  very  fine  French  coach  horse.  In  the  raising 
of  blooded  stock  he  has  met  with  considerable  suc- 
cess, and  finds  that  branch  of  agriculture  congenial 
and  profitable. 


BRADKIELD,a  druggist  residing  in  Green 
Valley,  was  born  in  Page  town,  Morrow 
County,  Ohio,  July  7,  1846.  His  father, 
Isaac  Bradfield,  was  born  in  Columbiana 
County,  Ohio,  in  1805,  and  was  a  weaver  by  trade, 
although  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  en- 
gaged in  farming.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
Thomas  Bradfield,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
of  English  ancestry,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, being  a  man  of  influence  in  his  community. 
The  mother  of  our  subject,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Mary  Kannal,  was  born  in  Columbiana  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  of  German  parentage.  Her  father,  who 
was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  conducted  farm- 


ing pursuits  throughout  his  entire  active  life,  and 
at  his  death,  when  eighty-four  years  old,  left  con- 
siderable property.  Isaac  Bradfield  is  now  deceased 
and  his  widow  makes  her  home  in  Morrow  County, 
Ohio.  Our  subject  is  the  fifth  in  a  family  of  nine 
children,  of  whom  four  are  sons.  Thomas,  a  resi- 
dent of  Clinton,  111.,  is  a  traveling  salesman  and 
also  owns  a  fine  farm  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
state;  Hannah,  who  now  resides  with  her  mother, 
is  a  well  educated  lady,  and  has  been  a  successful 
teacher;  Joseph  Kannal,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Civil  War,  is  now  engaged  in  the  real-estate  busi- 
ness in  Columbus,  Ohio;  James  lives  in  Delaware 
County,  Ohio,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  insur- 
ance business;  Mary  and  Martha  were  twins,  the 
former  residing  with  her  mother  in  Ohio,  and  the 
latter  deceased;  Alice  is  the  wife  of  E.  D.  Van 
Sickle,  who  is  the  owner  of  six  hundred  acres  in 
Delaware  County,  Ohio. 

Reared  to  manhood  upon  the  home  farm,  our 
subject  had  but  limited  educational  advantages.  In 
1867  he  came  to  DeWitt  County,  111.,  having  in 
his  possession  only  sufficient  money  with  which  to 
buy  a  corn-cutter,  and  thus  equipped  he  began  to 
work.  Farm  life,  however,  had  no  charms  for  him, 
and  during  his  leisure  hours  he  was  employed  in 
the  study  of  the  best  works,  in  which  way  he 
gained  a  good  education.  Securing  a  second  grade 
certificate,  he  began  to  teach  a  country  school,  but 
after  one  term  he  had  made  such  advancement 
that  he  was  granted  a  first  grade  certificate,  and  in 
a  short  time  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  best  edu- 
cators in  central  Illinois. 

Upon  coming  to  Green  Valley,  Mr.  Bradfield 
accepted  the  position  of  Principal  of  the  village 
school,  which  he  taught  for  ten  terms.  Meantime 
he  took  up  and  mastered  the  study  of  medicine, 
not  with  the  intention  of  practicing,  but  in  order 
to  gain  a  knowledge  of  the  science.  In  1876  he 
retired  from  the  school  room  and  embarked  in  the 
drug  business,  in  which  he  has  since  continued. 
He  has  also  been  engaged  in  the  insurance  busi- 
ness, and  for  years  has  done  the  banking  for  the 
village.  He  started  out  in  life  with  certain  fixed 
purposes  in  his  mind;  one  was  that  he  would  ac- 
complish whatever  he  set  out  to  do,  and  another 
was  that  lie  would  secure  an  education.  It  is  said 


610 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


that  lie  never  spent  but  five  months  in  school  when 
he  was  not  teaching.  Another  purpose  was  to  save 
$200  ever}'  year  of  his  life.  All  of  these  things 
he  has  accomplished,  and  every  year  since  the  age 
of  twenty-one  he  has  saved  at  least  '1200,  though 
in  later  years  he  has  added  much  more  rapidly 
than  this  to  his  fortune. 

After  he  left  the  school  room  Mr.  Bradfleld  had 
considerable  spare  time,  and  began  to  learn  the 
game  of  checkers,  in  which  he  determined  to  be  a 
leader.  To-day  he  is  known  as  the  champion 
checker  player  of  the  United  States,  his  ability  in 
that  direction  being  widely  recognized.  He  is  also 
an  accomplished  musician,  and  has  taught  both  in- 
strumental and  vocal  music,  although  he  never 
took  a  lesson  in  his  life,  having  gained  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  science  by  the  development  of  his 
natural  ability  in  that  line.  In  1877  he  married 
Miss  Laura  I.,  only  daughter  of  the  late  Justin 
Trowbridge,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Tazewell 
County. 


^ILLIAM  WAGGONER.  Mason  County  is 
the  home  of  a  large  number  of  enterpris- 
ing and  progressive  farmers,  whose  estates 
add  attractiveness  to  the  landscape,  being  marked 
by  first-class  improvements,  and  the  air  of  thrift 
that  gives  one  unacquainted  with  rural  life  a  good 
idea  of  the  value  of  farm  property.  Manito  Town- 
ship has  her  share  of  these  well  regulated  farms, 
and  one  of  them  is  located  on  section  35,  where 
Mr.  Waggoner  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land.  In  addition  to  this  property  he  is  also 
the  proprietor  of  fourteen  acres  of  valuable  land 
located  in  the  city  of  Pekin. 

In  this  sketch  it  is  but  a  fitting  tribute  to  a  noble 
man,  that  mention  should  be  made  of  the  father  of 
our  subject,  Henry  Waggoner,  who  was  born  in 
Germany,  and  on  coming  to  America  located  in 
New  Jersey.  Thence  in  1837  he  came  to  Tazewell 
County,  where  his  decease  occurred  in  the  fall  of 
1838.  His  trade  was  that  of  a  carpenter,  and  he 
took  an  active  interest  in  all  public  enterprises. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Monmouth  County,  N. 
J.,  August  28,  1813,  and  there  spent  the  years  of 


boyhood  and  youth.  Two  years  previous  to  his 
father's  death  he  married  Miss  Deborah,  daughter 
of  Benjamin  and  Palina  (Anderson)  Chambers. 
Mrs.  Waggoner  was  born  in  New  Jersey  in  1827, 
and  in  June  of  the  year  following  her  marriage, 
came  with  her  husband  to  Illinois.  They  made 
their  home  in  Pekin,  where  our  subject  followed 
the  carpenter's  trade  until  1860,  when  he  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business.  This  he  carried  on  for 
three  years,  and  then  resumed  his  trade,  at  which 
he  worked  until  1880,  the  date  of  his  advent  into 
Manito  Township.  During  that  year  he  located 
on  the  farm  where  he  is  at  present  residing.  When 
the  property  came  into  his  possession  it  was  noth- 
ing more  than  raw  prairie.  He  immediately  set 
about  clearing  and  improving  the  land,  and  now 
has  a  comfortable  and  pleasant  home. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Waggoner  were  born  eight 
children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely: 
Martha,  Lydia,  Emma  and  Benjamin.  His  first 
wife  died  in  1852,  and  he  was  again  married  in 
1867,  choosing  as  his  wife  Mrs.  Jane  Eagle,  a  most 
worthy  lady,  who  died  in  1869,  mourned  by  man y 
friends.  Although  our  subject  can  scarcely  be 
called  a  politician  he  is  an  ardent  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  is  a  law-abiding  citizen. 
Personally  he  possesses  the  qualities  whicli  have 
surrounded  him  with  many  warm  friends,  and  his 
honorable  life  is  well  worthy  of  emulation. 


NDREAS  FURRER  is  a  well  known  resi- 
dent of  Easton,  and  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  prominent  families  of  Mason 
County.  His  parents,  John  and  Sarah 
(Schlager)  Furrer,  were  both  natives  of  Baden, 
Germany,  and  in  that  country  were  married.  The 
mother's  death  occurred  there,  and  the  father  was 
a  second  time  married.  By  the  first  union  were 
born  four  sons,  who  are  yet  living,  namely:  John, 
Andreas,  Dee  and  George.  The  children  of  the 
second  union  are,  Mrs.  Barbara  Ellerbusch,  Mrs. 
Mary  Dorrell,  Mrs.  Louisa  Day  and  Mrs.  Sarah 
Morgan. 

In  the  spring  of  1853,  John   Furrer  bade  adieu 
to  friends  and  Fatherland,  and  with   his  family 


UBMft 

Of  THE 

Of  ILLINOIS 


\VM.  YOULE,  SR. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


613 


sailed  for  America,  landing  at  New  Orleans  after  a 
voyage  of  forty-eight  days.  lie  then  spent  sixteen 
days  in  coming  up  the  river  to  Havana.  For  two 
years  he  resided  in  Quiver  Township,  Mason 
County,  and  then  removed  to  Sherman  Township, 
purchasing  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  25, 
where  he  improved  a  good  farm.  This  he  after- 
wards sold,  and  removed  to  a  farm  on  section  19, 
Pennsylvania  Township,  where  he  spent  his  re- 
maining days,  his  death  occurring  in  1864.  His 
wife  still  survives  him  and  is  yet  living  on  the  old 
homestead.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Furrer  were  members  of 
the  Lutheran  Church,  and  in  the  community  where 
they  resided  had  the  respect  of  all  who  knew 
them. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
spent  the  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life  in  his 
native  land,  and  then  came  with  his  parents  to 
America.  He  had  acquired  a  good  German  educa- 
tion, but  never  attericled  the  English  schools,  and 
in  the  language  of  this  country  is  self-educated. 
He  earned  his  livelihood  by  working  as  a  farm 
hand  until  the  fall  of  1860,  when  he  was  joined  in 
wedlock  with  Miss  Mary  Ann  Dorrell,  a  daughter 
of  Francis  and  Hulda  (Denman)  Dorrell,  early 
residents  of  Pennsylvania  Township,  Mason 
County.  The  parents  are  now  both  deceased,  and 
only  two  of  their  children  are  living,  Mrs.  Sarah 
H.  Sanders  and  Mrs.  Furrer.  The  latter  was  born 
in  Sangamon  County  August  26,  1837. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  a  farm  belonging  to  her  father,  where 
they  lived  three  years.  On  the  expiration  of  tint 
period,  Mr.  Furrer  purchased  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  on  section  19,  Pennsylvania 
Township,  a  partially  improved  tract,  to  the  fur- 
ther cultivation  of  which  he  at  once  turned  his 
attention.  He  made  of  it  a  valuable  and  desirable 
place,  and  continued  his  residence  thereon  until 
1892,  when  he  came  toEaston,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  He  now  owns  six  hundred  acres 
of  fine  land  in  Pennsylvania  Township, .all  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  improved  with  two 
sets  of  fine  farm  buildings,  which  were  erected  by 
him.  On  the  home  farm  the  buildings  are  valued 
at  $3,000,  and  on  the  farm  on  section  18  they  were 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $2,200. 


To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Furrer  were  born  six  children. 
Hulda  D.,  born  December  11,  1861,  is  the  wife  of 
Frank  G.  Hauk,  of  Peoria  County,  111.,  and  they 
have  five  children;  John  D.,  who  was  born  March 
13,  1865,  and  lives  in  Pennsylvania  Township, 
married  Nora  Tomlin  and  has  one  child;  Nathaniel 
D.,  born  June  10,  1867,  married  Jennie  Ingersoll, 
and  with  their  two  children  they  reside  in  Penn- 
sylvania Township;  Sarah  K.,  born  December  5, 
1869,  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Severance,  of  Kansas, 
and  they  have  two  children;  Susanna  C.,  born 
June  22,  1872,  and  Francis  D.,  born  February  7, 
1875,  complete  the  family. 

In  1890  Mr.  Furrer  entered  into  partnership 
with  J.  L.  Ingersoll  in  the  implement  business,  but 
sold  out  in  1892,  and  has  since  given  his  time  and 
attention  to  his  farming  interests.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Mutual  Aid  Society  of  Mason  County. 
He  has  served  as  School  Director  for  some  years, 
has  done  effective  service  for  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion, and  has  provided  his  children  with  good 
advantages  along  that  line.  For  twelve  years  he 
filled  the  office  of  Road  Commissioner,  and  for  one 
year  was  Town  Supervisor.  In  these  various  posi- 
tions he  has  ever  discharged  his  duties  with 
promptness  and  fidelity,  and  his  faithful  service 
has  won  him  high  commendation.  He  exercises 
his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Democracy. 
Mr.  Furrer  may  truly  be  called  a  self-made  man, 
for  he  started  out  in  life  empty  handed  and  has 
steadily  worked  his  way  upward,  winning  a  hand- 
some competence. 


jlLLIAM  YOULE,  SB.,  formerly  a  promi- 
nent agriculturist  of  Tazewell  County,  but 
now  deceased,  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  En- 
gland, January  4,  1822.  The  count}-  where  he 
was  born,  reared  and  educated  has  been  connected 
with  some  of  the  most  noted  events  in  the  hi.storj' 
of  the  world,  dating  back  hundreds  of  years.  It 
was  but  a  short  distance  from  his  birthplace  that 
the  Romans,  led  by  Agricola,  subdued  the  Britons 
A.  D.  71.  In  the  same  vicinity  Harold,  the  last 
of  the  Anglo-Saxon  kings,  defeated  the  last  of  the 
Danish  and  Norwegian  foes  only  a  few  weeks  prior 


614 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


to  his  fall  before  the  Normans  on  the  fatal  Held  of 
Hastings,  which  took  place  October  14,  1066.  On 
this  same  ground  the  great  battle  of  Wakefield  was 
fought  in  the  year  1460,  when  the  Duke  of  York 
was  defeated  by  Queen  Margaret.  In  the  follow- 
ing year  occurred  the  sanguinary  conflict  in  which 
was  dealt  the  final  blow  to  the  tottering  throne  of 
Charles  II. 

Man}"  other  historical  facts  might  be  related  con- 
cerning the  birthplace  of  the  good  man  whose  name 
we  place  at  the  head  of  this  sketch.  In  his  native 
place,  May  5,  1845,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Askren, 
who  was  born  in  Yorkshire.  Soon  afterward  they 
came  to  America  and  settled  in  Sandusky,  Ohio. 
In  1851  they  came  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Sand 
Prairie  Township,  not  far  from  the  city  of  Dela- 
van.  In  1866  he  located  on  a  farm  east  of  Dela- 
van,  and  there  he  continued  to  reside  until  his  de- 
mise. On  coming  to  this  state,  his  means  were 
very  limited,  but  by  honesty  and  diligent  effort 
he  accumulated  a  fortune.  His  death,  August  4, 
1878,  was  widely  mourned  as  a  public  loss. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Youle 
came  to  Delavan,  where  she  now  makes  her  home. 
She  still  owns  a  large  tract  of  valuable  land  which 
comprised  a  part  of  the  estate,  the  other  property 
having  been  divided  among  the  children.  The 
family  consisted  of  four  sons  and  five  daughters, 
but  only  four  are  now  living.  Anna,  who  is  un- 
married, lives  with  her  mother,  for  whom  she  tend- 
erly cares  in  her  declining  years;  William  is  rep- 
resented elsewhere  in  this  volume;  Elizabeth  is  the 
wife  of  John  T.  Gibson,  of  Denver,  Colo.;  Ada 
M.,  who  married  Harry  Cheney,  has  one  child, 
Gretchen,  and  lives  in  Delavau;  Emma,  who  mar- 
ried John  Cummings,  and  lived  in  Pontiac,  111., 
died  April  17,  1893,  leaving  two  children,  Iva  and 
Charles;  and  George  S.,  who  lived  on  the  old  home- 
stead, was  the  most  prominent  member  of  the  fam- 
ily, and  for  years  engaged  in  the  stock  business  at 
Delavan.  and  by  his  industry  added  to  the  fortune 
left  him  by  his  father.  His  first  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Jessie  Tear,  died  leaving  two 
children,  Wilber  Tear  and  Clifford  Tear.  He  mar- 
ried a  second  time  and  was  afterward  induced  to 
move  to  Sherman,  Tex.,  where  he  purchased  a 
large  farm.  About  a  month  after  going  there,  he 


died  very  suddenly,  October  4,  1893.  His  two 
children  reside  with  their  grandmother  Youle  in 
Delavan.  Mrs.  Youle  is  a  devoted  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  with  which  her  husband  was 
identified  for  many  years  before  his  death. 


TARK  II.  BEATTY,  editor  and  proprietor 
of  the  Times-Press,  of  Delavan,  was  born 
in  this  city,  April  11,  1872,  and  is  the 
second  son  of  Capt.  R.  II.  Beatty,  of  whom 
further  mention  is  made  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
His  unique  Christian  name  was  given  him  after  the 
eminent  Dr.  Starr  King,  of  whom  his  fattier  was  an 
ardent  admirer.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Dela- 
van High  School  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and 
immediately  afterward  entered  the  office  of  the 
Delavan  Times,  then  owned"  by  his  older  brother, 
Guy.  There  he  mastered  the  mysteries  of  the  "art 
preservative"  in  all  its  branches,  and  after  a  time 
became  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  paper. 

Later  the  Press  was  purchased  and  the  paper 
was  called  the  Times-Press.  In  June  of  1893  Mr. 
Beatty  bought  out  his  brother's  interest,  anil  since 
that  time  has  been  the  sole  proprietor  of  the  paper. 
The  Times-Press  has  the  largest  circulation  of  any 
paper  in  Tazewell  County  and  is  one  of  the  spici- 
est and  newsiest  journals  of  central  Illinois.  It  is 
also  most  ably  edited,  Mr.  Beatty  being  a  thorough 
newspaper  man,  and  familiar  with  every  depart- 
ment of  the  business.  His  office  is  situated  in  the 
Times'  Building,  a  fine  two-story  brick  structure 
erected  by  his  brother  Guy  in  1890.  In  this  build- 
ing is  located  the  postorfice,  the  remainder  of  the 
space  being  devoted  to  the  editorial  and  job  rooms 
of  the  Times-Press. 

In  politics  the  paper  is  uncompromisingly  Re- 
publican, and  as  the  organ  of  that  party  wields  a 
great  influence  in  the  county.  The  editorials  at- 
tract no  little  attention,  and  the  journal  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  progressive  and  representative 
papers  of  this  section.  It  is  a  zealous  advocate  of 
local  interests,  and  supports  all  public-spirited 
measures.  The  advertising  columns  arc  well  filled, 
which  proves  that  the  business  men  of  Delavan 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


615 


appreciate  it  as   a  medium  of  communication  with 
the  people. 

September  1,  1892,  Mr.  Beatty  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  M.  Fllla,  daughter  of  the  late 
R.  P.  Jennings.  One  child  has  blessed  their  union, 
a  daughter  Luclla,  who  was  born  December  1, 
1893.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the 
city,  and  is  highly  regarded  in  social  circles.  Mr. 
Beatty  is  one  of  the  prominent  members  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  has  been  a  prominent 
factor  in  building  up  the  order  in  Delavan. 


G.  ONSTOT.  Few  of  the  resi- 
dents of  Forest  City  are  more  widely  and 
none  more  favorably  known  than  the  sub. 
ject  of  this  notice,  who,  through  his  able  contri- 
butions to  various  newspapers,  has  gained  an  envi- 
able reputation  throughout  this  community.  He 
is  at  present  a  regular  contributor  to  the  Havana 
Republican,  and  through  his  weekly  articles  in  that 
paper  has  formed  a  large  circle  of  friends  in  this 
county.  His  recollections  of  Abraham  Lincoln  and 
Peter  Cartwright  have  been  published  and  widely 
read,  as  well  as  other  productions  of  his  pen. 

Referring  to  the  personal  history  of  Mr.  Onstot, 
we  find  that  he  is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Susannah 
(Schmick)  Onstot,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Lin- 
coln Count}',  Ky.,  in  1804.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, Gottlieb  Onstot,  migrated  from  Pennsyl- 
vania to  Kentucky  at  a  very  early  day,  while  the 
maternal  grandfather,  Casper  Schmick,  moved  from 
Maryland  to  the  Blue  Grass  State.  The  parents 
were  married  in  Kentucky  and  came  to  Menard 
County,  111.,  settling  in  Sugar  Grove  in  1824,  when 
the  Indians  were  still  plentiful  in  that  locality. 
They  settled  near  Greenview  on  a  tract  of  wild 
land  at  the  edge  of  the  timber,  where  the  Marbold 
place  now  is  situated. 

In  1830  the  father  moved  to  Salem,  Menard 
County,  where  he  became  the  proprietor  of  a  log 
tavern,  and  among  his  guests  was  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, who  remained  with  him  for  two  years.  To 
Henry  Onstot,  as  much  perhaps  as  to  any  other 
man,  was  due  the  decision  of  the  afterward  famous 


statesman  to  enter  the  legal  profession.  In  1840 
Mr.  Onstot  removed  to  Petersburg,  moving  his 
log  house  down  to  that  place,  where  it  is  still 
standing.  About  1846  he  came  to  Havana,  where 
he  remained  until  1865.  The  last  ten  years  of  his 
life  were  passed  in  the  home  of  our  subject,  where 
he  died  in  1876.  His  wife  had  passed  away  ten 
years  before  that  time. 

Six  children  comprised  the  parental  family,  only 
two  of  whom  are  now  living,  T.  G.  and  R.  ,1.,  the 
latter  a  resident  of  Mason  City,  this  county.  The 
parents  were  members  of  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church  for  more  than  forty  years,  and  the 
father  was  an  influential  officer  in  that  denomina- 
tion, in  which  he  served  as  an  Elder.  As  a  citizen, 
he  was  loyal  to  the  Whig  party  so  long  as  it  ex- 
isted, and  after  its  disintegration  he  joined  the 
Republican  party,  to  which  he  afterward  gave  his 
support.  His  youngest  son,  William  Henry,  en- 
listed in  the  Union  army  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years,  becoming  a  member  of  Company  E,  Twenty- 
seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  and  served  as  Orderly- 
Sergeant  of  his  company.  He  died  in  1864,  while 
in  service,  and  the  body  was  brought  to  Havana, 
where  it  was  interred  in  the  old  cemetery. 

In  Menard  County,  111.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born,  July  20,  1829,  and  in  Petersburg 
he  was  a  student  in  the  common  schools.  His  edu- 
cation, however,  has  been  acquired  largely  by  self- 
culture,  and  he  is  a  man  of  broad  information 
upon  subjects  of  local  or  historical  importance. 
In  1852  he  married  Miss  Sarah  L.  Ellsworth,  a  sis- 
ter of  Joseph  C.  Ellsworth,  of  whom  a  sketch  is 
elsewhere  presented.  Mrs.  Onstot  was  born  in 
Shelby  County,  Ohio,  in  1828,  and  died  in  Forest 
City,  January  19,  1887.  They  were  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living. 
Ellen,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  was  a 
graduate  of  the  Jacksonville  Female  Seminary,  and 
was  one  of  the  most  intellectual  young  ladies  in 
the  county;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Harmon  G.  Bren- 
ning,  of  Havana;  Sue  E.  makes  her  home  with  her 
father;  Lulu  is  the  wife  of  B.  F.  Jackson.  The 
other  three  children  died  in  infancy. 

In  1852  Mr.  Onstot  settled  upon  the  farm  in 
Forest  City  Township  now  owned  by  Fred  Meyers. 
At  that  time  the  land  was  wholly  unimproved, 


616 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  he  frequently  saw  large  herds  of  deer  and 
wolves  roaming  within  sight  of  the  house.  For 
fifteen  years  he  resided  upon  the  place,  improving 
it  and  placing  the  soil  under  good  cultivation, 
after  which  he  came  to  Forest  City,  and  here  he 
has  since  resided.  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  he  was  actively  identified  with  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  Forest  City,  but  recently  he  re- 
tired, transferring  his  mercantile  interests  to  his 
son-in-law,  B.  F.  Jackson,  and  his  daughter  Sue. 

A  man  of  firm  religious  belief,  Mr.  Onstot  has 
long  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  in  which  he  has  served  as  Trustee,  Stew- 
ard and  Sunday-school  Superintendent  for  many 
years.  Politically,  he  was  early  trained  into  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party,  under  the 
teaching  of  no  less  a  man  than  Abraham  Lincoln, 
and  he  has  since  remained  firm  in  his  allegiance  to 
that  party.  He  is  a  strong  advocate  of  temperance, 
both  by  example  and  precept.  For  several  years 
he  has  served  as  Township  Collector,  and  at  vari- 
ous times  has  filled  other  positions  of  trust  and 
honor.  He  is  ft  genial,  good-natured  gentleman, 
full  of  life,  humor  and  anecdote.  Though  the 
frosts  of  sixty-four  winters  have  silvered  his  head, 
he  is  still  hale  and  vigorous,  bidding  fair  to  retain 
a  young  heart  to  a  ripe  old  age. 


most 


I  LPIIEUS  P.  ROLL  has  for  many  years  rep- 
resented the  agricultural  interests  of  Ma- 
son County  as  one  of  its  prominent  and 
successful  farmers.  He  owns  one  of  the 
valuable  farms  in  Salt  Creek  Township, 
whose  rich  harvest  fields  are  the  source  of  a  desir- 
able income.  Some  j-ears  since,  however,  he  re- 
tired from  the  active  pursuits  of  agricultural  ope- 
rations, and  now  makes  his  home  on  Kiefer  Street, 
Mason  City,  where  he  and  his  family  have  estab- 
lished a  cozy  home. 

Throughout  his  entire  life,  covering  a  period  of 
more  than  sixty  years,  Mr.  Roll  has  been  a  resident 
of  Illinois,  and  has  consequently  witnessed  much 
of  its  growth  and  development.  Born  in  San- 
gamon  County,  this  state,  September  12,  1830,  he 


is  a  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Eddy)  Roll,  natives 
of  New  Jersey.  Shortly  before  the  birth  of 
Alpheus  P.,  the  parents  came  west  to  Illinois  and 
purchased  a  farm  in  Sangamon  County,  where 
they  continued  to  reside  until  the  death  of  the  fa- 
ther, in  August,  1849.  In  addition  to  the  occu- 
pation of  a  farmer  he  was  also  engaged  as  a  sur- 
veyor. Politically  he  favored  the  Whig  party. 
His  wife  survived  him  for  many  years,  her  death 
occurring  December  6,  1876. 

Alternating  attendance  in  the  school  room  with 
work  upon  the  home  farm,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  passed  his  childhood  and  youth.  Upon  se- 
lecting an  occupation  in  life,  it  was  natural  that 
he  should  chose  the  one  to  which  he  had  been 
reared,  and  with  which  he  had  been  familiar  from 
childhood.  He  entered  a  tract  of  land  at  Lease's 
Grove,  where  he  embarked  in  general  farming, 
continuing  to  make  it  his  home  until  May  10, 
1891,  the  date  of  his  removal  to  Mason  City.  He 
still  owns  three  hundred  and  ninety-six  acres  of 
valuable  land  in  this  county,  all  of  which  is  under 
cultivation  and  embellished  with  substantial  farm 
buildings.  He  is  also  the  owner  of  an  eighty-acre 
tract  in  Cass  County,  Iowa.  In  addition  to  these 
interests  he  has  considerable  real  estate  in  Mason 
City,  the  value  of  which  is  constantly  increasing. 

The  lady  who  in  1850  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Roll  bore  the  maiden  of  Mary  Moslander  and  was 
a  native  of  New  Jersey.  That  state  was  also  the 
birthplace  of  her  father,  James  Moslander,  who 
became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Illinois.  Seven 
children  blessed  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roll,  of 
whom  four  are  now  living.  John  is  a  resident  of 
Mason  County;  Charles  and  Sidney  are  farmers  of 
this  county;  and  Mary  married  William  Petterson, 
a  farmer  of  Mason  County  they  have  four  chil- 
dren. The  family  is  one  of  prommejice  in  the 
community  and  its  various  members  are  highly 
esteemed  in  social  circles. 

Mr.  Roll  is  well  known  throughout  Mason  Coun- 
ty, where  so  many  years  of  his  life  have  been 
passed,  and  it  is  the  united  testimony  of  all  that 
his  personal  character  is  above  reproach.  A  just 
and  open  hearted  individual,  he  has  an  influence 
for  good  in  the  community  and  merits  the  high  re- 
gard in  which  he  is  held.  His  support  in  political 


UBRMY 

Qf   fur 

UNIVERSITY  OF 


GREEM   HAINLINE. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


619 


matters  has  always  been  given  to  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party.  In  educational  matters  he 
has  maintained  a  deep  interest  and  for  some  time 
served  as  a  member  of  the  School  Board. 


EBN  IIAINLINE.  On  section  15,  Ilittle 
,  Township,  Tazewell  County,  lies  a  fine  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  fertile 
land,  one  of  the  most  pleasant  homesteads  in  the 
county.  The  owner,  Mr.  Hainline  has  used  great 
care  and  judgment  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil 
and  has  introduced  the  improvements  of  a  first- 
class  farm. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Boone  County,  Ky., 
March  16,  1816,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Nancy 
(Darnell)  Hainline.  His  paternal  grandparents 
were  George  and  Hannah  Ilainline,  the  former  of 
whom  came  from  Germany  when  a  lad  of  sixteen 
years  in  company  with  two  elder  brothers.  They 
landed  in  South  Carolina,  where  the  grandfather  at 
once  began  working  on  a  farm.  A  few  months 
later  the  Revolutionary  War  broke  out  and  the 
man  for  whom  he  was  working  gave  him  a  horse, 
saddle  and  other  equipments  in  order  that  he 
might  join  the  British  army.  In  the  first  battle  in 
which  he  participated  his  horse  was  killed  and  he 
immediately  joined  the  Continental  army,  with 
which  he  fought  until  the  close  of  the  seven  years 
of  war.  He  then  returned  to  his  former  employer, 
who  again  gave  him  work.  He  followed  the  trade  of 
a  wagon-maker  until  his  marriage,  which  event  took 
place  in  South  Carolina.  Afterward  he  turned  his 
attention  to  farm  pursuits  and  moved  to  Kentucky, 
where  the  father  of  our  subject  was  born.  The 
later  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  Illinois  at  the 
home  of  Henry  Hainline,  and  he  died  at  the  age  of 
about  ninety  years. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  the  Blue 
Grass  State,  where  he  received  a  very  limited  edu- 
cation. After  his  marriage  with  Miss  Darnell  he 
engaged  in  farming  there  until  1827,  when  he 
came  with  his  wife  and  nine  children  to  this  state, 
20 


locating  in  Tazewell  County.  At  the  time  of  his 
settlement  here  Indians  and  wild  animals  were 
the  principal  inhabitants  and  there  were  only  five 
families  in  Ilittle  Township,  where  h,e  purchased 
a  quarter-section  of  land.  Afterward  he  entered 
the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  received  as  pay  for  his 
services  a  land  grant,  which  he  used  in  purchasing 
other  property  in  this  township.  At  his  decease  he 
was  the  owner  of  a  valuable  estate  com  prising  three 
hundred  acres. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Hainline  were  born 
twelve  children,  one  of  whom  died  when  quite 
young,  the  others  bear  the  respective  names 
of  Polly  (now  deceased),  Caleb,  Green,  Massy, 
George  (deceased),  Sylvester, Hannah  S.,  Lorenzo, 
Alvira  (deceased),  Amanda  and  Henry.  The  par- 
ents were  active  members  of  the  Christian  Church, 
and  in  politics  the  father  was  a  stanch  Whig. 

When  they  located  in  this  township  their  chil- 
dren had  for  playmates  Indian  boys,  with  whom 
they  often  ran  races  and  played  various  kinds  of 
games.  Green,  of  this  sketch,  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  of  Tazewell  County, 
and  began  when  very  young  to  earn  his  own  way 
by  working  in  the  woods.  He  was  only  eleven 
years  of  age  when  with  another  brother  he  made 
four  thousand  rails  during  one  winter. 

Two  years  after  attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Ilain- 
line married  Miss  Esther,  daughter  of  Solomon 
and  Polly  Allen.  To  them  were  born  six  children, 
of  whom  two  died  when  quite  young.  Nancy, 
Mrs.  Valentine  Summers,  is  now  deceased.  The 
other  children  are:  Solomon  A.,  Obed  H.  and 
Henry.  Mrs.  Esther  Hainline  departed  this  life 
about  sixteen  years  ago.  Our  subject  afterward 
married  Mrs.  Jerusha  Smith,  who  died  a  few. years 
later,  and  his  next  wife  was  Miss  Mary  Wright. 
His  present  wife  was  Mrs.  Sallie  Ritter,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  Lancaster. 

After  his  first  marriage  our  subject  entered  forty 
acres  of  land  from  the  Government  and  immedi- 
ately began  its  improvement.  He  added  to  it  from 
time  to  time  and  now  has  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres, besides  which  he  has  given  valuable  property 
to  his  children.  Many  years  ago  Pekin  and  Peo- 
ria  were  the  trading  posts  of  the  pioneers,  and  Mr. 
Hainline  once  made  a  trip  to  Chicago  which  con- 


620 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


sumed  fourteen  days.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church  and  is  an  active  temperance  man, 
voting  the  Prohibition  ticket. 


HJOIIN  G.  D1RKSON.  For  some  years  this 
gentleman  was  numbered  among  the  busi- 
ness men  of  Pekin,  where  he  was  proprietor 
of  a  drug  store  at  No.  432  Court  Street.  He 
was  born  in  Germany  April  4,  1851,  and  departed 
this  life  December  7,  1893,  at  the  age  of  forty-two 
years.  His  ancestors  were  people  of  prominence 
and  influence  in  the  Fatherland.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Rev.  John  G.  Dirkson,  was  a  minister 
in  the  Reformed  Church,  and  died  in  Germany  at 
the  advanced  age  of  ninety-four  years. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  N.  H.  Dirkson,  was  a 
druggist  in  his  native  country.  He  passed  away 
when  seventy-three  years  of  age,  having  for  three 
years  prior  to  his  demise  lived  in  retirement.  His 
wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hamchen  Von  Veck- 
ensteck,  and  was  a  member  of  an  influential  family 
of  Holland,  her  father  having  been  one  of  the  no- 
bility of  that  country.  She  died  at  the  age  of  lif- 
ty-one  years,  having  had  a  family  of  ten  children. 

Reared  to  manhood  in  his  native  place,  John  G. 
Dirkson  received  a  good  education  in  his  3'outh, 
and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  secured  a  position 
as  a  drug  clerk,  continuing  thus  employed  for  four 
years.  Afterward  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  ship- 
builder. During  the  Franco-Prussian  War  of  1870 
he  was  a  soldier  in  the  Tenth  Company,  Seven- 
ty-fifth Bremen  Regiment.  He  served  through  the 
entire  period,  and  was  present  at  the  battles  fought 
in  Paris  and  Metz.  He  continued  in  the  service 
one  year  after  the  close  of  the  war,  and  after 
being  mustered  out  was  engaged  in  the  grain  bus- 
iness for  a  twelvemonth  in  company  with  his 
brother. 

In  1873  our  subject  sailed  from  Bremen  on  the 
steamer  "Rhine,"  and  after  a  tedious  voyage  of 
four  months  reached  the  New  World.  In  Novem- 
ber of  that  year,  he  came  west  to  Pekin,  thence 
went  to  Minonk,  where  lie  began  as  a  pharmacist. 
He  was  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  English 


language  and  while  there  was  appointed  Assistant 
Postmaster.  In  1875,  however,  he  "removed  to 
St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  and  engaged  in  the  drug  business 
in  that  city  for  one  year.  Then  selling  out,  he 
came  to  this  city  and  for  four  years  was  clerk  for 
William  Millman.  In  1880  he  opened  a  store  of 
his  own  and  occupied  a  good  location  at  No.  432 
Court  Street.  He  was  very  energetic  and  persever- 
ing, and  that  the  people  of  the  city  had  confidence 
in  his  skill  and  ability  was  shown  by  their  large 
patronage. 

In  this  city  in  1885,  Mr.  Dirkson  married  Miss 
Emma  Fehrmann,  a  native  of  this  place,  and  the 
two  children  born  of  their  union  are  Emma  P.  and 
Herman  N.  Socially  our  subject  was  connected 
with  the  Turners'  society,  and  in  politics  voted  the 
Republican  ticket. 

ERRY  W.  STEVENS,  agent  of  the  Illinois 
|i  Central  Railroad  at  Easton,  is  one  of  the 
worthy  citizens  that  Ohio  has  furnished 
to  Mason  County.  He  was  born  in  Fair- 
view,  Guernsey  County,  March  31,  1846,  and  is  a 
son  of  Joshua  Stevens,  and  a  grandson  of  James 
Stevens.  The  former  was  born  in  Maryland  in 
1802,  and  having  attained  to  mature  years  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Caroline  McCartney,  who 
was  born  in  Virginia  in  1803.  There  they  resided 
until  1856,  when  they  came  to  Illinois.  After  a 
year  spent  in  Clayton  County,  however,  they  re- 
turned to  Waverly,  Pike  County,  Ohio,  where 
the  mother  died  in  1879,  while  the  father's  death 
occurred  in  1893.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  six  sons  and  five  daughters,  and 
with  the  exception  of  one  son  all  are  yet  living. 
They  are,  Elizabeth,  James,  Sophia,  Mrs.  Rachel 
Frey,  Thomas  M.,  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Taylor,  John 
W.,  Mrs.  Nancy  Bishop,  Perry  W.  and  Lewis. 
Three  of  the  sons  served  in  the  Civil  War. 
Thomas  M.  was  Second  Lieutenant  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Eighty-sixth  Ohio  Infantry,  and 
John  W.  was  Corporal  of  the  Ninety-first  Ohio 
Infantry.  The  parents  were  life-long  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  Mr.  Ste- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


621 


vens  usually  served  as  Class-leader.  They  had 
many  friends,  and  all  who  knew  them  held  them 
in  high  regard. 

Perry  W.  Stevens  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and 
was  educated  in  the  city  schools  of  Waverly, 
Ohio,  and  in  the  Iron  City  Commercial  College, 
of  Alleghany  City,  Pa.  Later  he  engaged  in  teach- 
ing, following  that  profession  for  two  years  in  the 
Buckeye  State,  and  for  four  years  in  Illinois. 
The  country  found  in  him  one  of  its  faithful  de- 
fenders during  the  late  war,  and  on  many  a  south- 
ern battlefield  he  followed  the  Old  Flag. 

Mr.  Stevens  entered  the  service  on  the  18th  of 
December,  1863,  enlisting  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany D,  Seventy-third  Ohio  Infantry.  He  joined 
the  company  at  Chillicothe,  its  members  being 
then  at  home  on  a  veteran  furlough.  He  went  to 
Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  participated  in  the  Atlanta 
campaign  under  Gen.  Joe  Hooker,  and  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Resaca  he  was  struck  in  the  left  fore-arm 
by  a  musket  ball,  which  shattered  both  bones.  He 
was  then  sent  to  Bridgeport,  Ala.,  and  there  re- 
mained in  the  hospital  until  he  was  granted  a 
sixty  days'  furlough.  After  his  return  to  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  he  did  provost  duty  until  .January, 
1864,  when  he  went  to  Charleston,  S.  C.,  by  the 
way  of  New  York  City.  lie  joined  his  company 
at  Raleigh,  N.  C.,  the  day  after  President  Lin- 
coln's assassination,  marched  with  the  regiment 
to  Richmond,  and  on  transports  went  to  Alex- 
andria, lie  took  part  in  the  Grand  Review  in 
Washington,  D.  C.,  and  carried  the  regimental 
colors.  He  then  went  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  where 
he  was  discharged  in  June,  1865.  He  now  draws 
a  pension  of  $12  per  month. 

When  his  country  no  longer  needed  his  serv- 
ices, Mr.  Stevens  returned  to  his  Ohio  home,  com- 
pleted his  education  and  fitted  himself  for  teach- 
ing. In  1871  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  for  two 
years  taught  school  in  Lawrence  County.  In  1873 
he  taught  school  in  Mason  County,  and  in  the 
same  year  came  to  Easton.  He  was  appointed 
agent  for  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Compaq', 
and  has  held  that  position  continuously  since. 

On  the  8th  of  October,  1871,  Mr.  Stevens  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Harriet  Irene  Thompson, 
a  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Cynthia  A.  Thomp- 


son. She  was  born  November  8,  1853,  in  Shelby 
County,  Ohio,  and  was  killed  by  a  runaway  horse 
October  21,  1893. 

"A  precious  one  from  us  has  gone, 

A  voice  we  loved  is  stilled; 
A  place  is  vacant  in  our  home 

Which  never  can  be  filled. 

"God  in  His  wisdom  has  recalled 
The  boon  His  love  had  given, 

And  though  the  body  slumbers  here 
The  soul  is  safe  in  Heaven." 

By  their  union  were  bom  six  children,  five  of 
whom  are  yet  living:  Ada  May,  Oliver  Perry, 
Hugh  Thompson.  Edna  S.  and  Lloyd.  The  chil- 
dren have  all  received  good  educational  privi- 
leges, and  Miss  Ada  is  a  graduate  of  the  Mason 
City  High  School. 

Mr.  Stevens  is  a  faithful  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  to  which  his  wife  also 
belonged.  Socially,  he  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason, 
and  is  a  member  of  J.  Q.  A.  Jones  Post,  G.  A.  R., 
of  Havana.  He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Republican  party,  and  is  now 
serving  as  a  member  of  the  School  Board  of 
Easton.  For  twenty-one  years  he  has  been  sta- 
tion agent  at  this  place,  and  his  long  continued 
service  shows  how  faithfully  he  has  performed  his 
duties,  and  indicates  the  confidence  and  trust  re- 
posed in  him.  His  life  has  been  well  and  worthily 
passed,  and  a  straightforward,  honorable  career 
has  won  him  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  has 
been  brought  in  contact. 


ROBERT  ANDERSON.  In  glancing  at  the 
ft  records  of  the  prominent  young  business 
\V  men  of  Pekin,  we  find  no  one  who  has  at- 
tained a  higher  success,  in  spite  of  great 
obstacles,  and  while  yet  in  life's  prime,  than 
has  the  genial  and  affable  gentleman  whose  name 
introduces  this  biographical  notice,  and  who  is  the 
local  passenger  and  freight  agent  for  the  Peoria, 
Decatur  &  Evansville  Railroad. 

To  the  principal  events  of  his  life  history  we 
now  invite  the  attention  of  our  readers:  He  was 
born  in  College  Corner,  Butler  County,  Ohio,  De- 


622 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


cember  3,  1868,  and  is  the  son  of  James  Anderson. 
The  latter  was  born  in  England,  on  the  borders  of 
Almwick,  and  was  of  Scotch  descent.  A  carpenter 
by  trade,  he  followed  that  trade  for  a  time  in  his 
native  land,  whence  immediately  after  his  marriage 
he  emigrated  to  America,  and  settling  in  Ohio,  en- 
gaged in  farming  near  College  Corner.  There  his 
death  occurred  in  1883.  His  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Isabella  Conn,  was  born  in  Almwick, 
and  now  resides  at  the  old  Ohio  homestead. 

In  the  parental  family  there  are  three  children, 
of  whom  our  subject  is  the  eldest.  The  others  are: 
Delia  (Mrs.  McCray)  a  resident  of  Indianapolis,  and 
Annie,  who  lives  with  her  mother.  Upon  his 
father's  farm,  consisting  of  one  hundred  acres,  in 
Butler  County,  Ohio,  Robert  Anderson  spent  the 
years  of  boyhood  and  youth,  alternating  work  on 
the  home  place  with  study  in  the  district  schools. 
After  the  death  of  his  father  he  took  charge  of  the 
homestead  until  1887,  when  he  entered  the  railroad 
business.  At  Oxford,  Ohio,  he  learned  telegraphy 
on  the  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  &  Indianapolis  Divi- 
sion of  the  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  &  Dayton  Rail- 
road. 

After  working  for  a  short  time  at  Liberty,  Ind., 
Mr.  Anderson  was  then  offered  a  position  on  the 
Terre  Haute  <fc  Peoria  road,  at  Dccatur,  111.,  which 
he  accepted  and  held  for  one  year.  Afterward  he 
accepted  a  position  as  operator,  at  Pekin,  for  the 
Peoria,  Decatur  &  Evansville  Railroad,  and  coming 
to  this  place  in  the  spring  of  1891,  was  engaged  as 
operator  and  chief  clerk  until  June,  1893,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  be  agent.  In  his  present  position 
he  has  six  men  under  him,  and  maintains  a  general 
supervision  of  the  work  of  his  department  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  elicit  the  commendation  of  his  su- 
periors in  office  and  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 

Socially  Mr.  Anderson  is  identified  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  has  passed  all  the  chairs  in 
that  fraternity.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Na- 
tional Union,  in  which  he  has  held  various  official 
positions.  In  the  Order  of  Railway  Telegraphers 
he  is  prominent  as  a  member  of  Division  No.  28, 
at  Peoria,  and  in  the  spring  of  1893,  he  was  elect- 
ed by  that  division  as  delegate  to  the  grand  con- 
vention at  Toronto,  Canada,  which  he  attended. 


In  his  religious  belief  he  is  in  sympathy  with  the 
doctrines  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  he 
is  a  member.  In  political  affiliations  lie  gives  his 
support  to  the  Republican  party,  the  principles  of 
which  he  is  ever  ready  to  uphold. 


yiLLIAM  HIERONYMUS,  a  prominent  ag- 
riculturist of  Ilittle  Township,  is  a  repre- 
'yyi  sentative  of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer 
families  of  Tazewell  County.  He  comes  of  an  old 
German  family,  which  at  an  early  day  removed 
from  Virginia  to  Kentucky.  His  grandfather, 
Henry,  and  his  father,  William,  made  that  jour- 
ney in  1805,  and  there  located.  The  latter  was 
born  in  Virginia,  February  13,  1788,  and  was  a 
cultured  and  highly  educated  gentleman,  who 
was  always  regarded  as  a  leading  citizen  of  the 
community  in  which  he  made  his  home.  His  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elvira  Darnell,  and  was 
born  in  Georgia,  February  8,  1796.  They  were 
married  August  14,  1811,  and  in  1828  cast  in 
their  lot  with  the  honored  pioneers  of  Tazewell 
County.  Their  home  was  a  rude  log  cabin,  16x20 
feet,  one  end  of  which  was  entirely  taken  up  by  a 
fireplace,  and  the  smoke  made  its  escape  through 
a  clay  chimney.  They  went  all  through  the  ex- 
periences and  hardships  of  frontier  life,  performed 
the  arduous  task  of  developing  a  new  farm,  and 
were  worthy  pioneer  settlers. 

With  no  special  advantages  in  his  youth,  Will- 
iam Ilieronymus  grew  to  manhood.  Although  his 
school  privileges  were  limited,  his  training  at  farm 
work  was  not  meagre,  for  as  soon  as  old  enough 
to  handle  the  plow  he  began  work  in  the  fields. 
In  1848  he  was  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  Miss  Lucinda  Gardner,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
who  during  her  girlhood  came  with  her  parents 
to  Cumberland  County-,  111.,  and  at  the  death  of 
her  parents  came  to  Tazewell  County.  Eight  chil- 
dren graced  this  union:  Adaline,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  eighteen;  Cynthia,  wife  of  John  W.  Miller; 
James,  John  L.  and  Alonzo,  who  follow  farming 
near  the  old  homestead;  Ella  M.,  wife  of  John  C. 
Britt,  a  farmer  of  this  locality;  Nancy  J.,  wife  of 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  Qf 


RICHARD    PROCTOR. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


625 


G.  T.  Murphy,  an  agriculturist  of  the  same  com- 
munity, and  Maggie,  who  is  deaf  and  dumb,  but 
was  well  educated  in  a  mute  school.  The  chil- 
dren all  received  good  school  privileges,  and 
were  thus  fitted  for  the  practical  duties  of  life. 
There  are  also  fourteen  grandchildren  and  two 
great-grandchildren. 

The  father  of  our  subject  died  the  year  previ- 
ous to  the  marriage  of  his  sons,  who  continued  to 
live  upon  the  old  farm  with  their  mother  until  after 
her  death.  In  connection  witli  his  brother  Enoch, 
William  bought  the  old  homestead,  but  later  they 
divided  it.  He  has  accumulated  nine  hundred  acres 
of  fine  land,  and  has  given  to  each  of  his  married 
children  a  tract  of  eightj-  acres.  His  time  and  at- 
tention have  been  given  entirely  to  farming  and 
stock-raising,  and  he  has  won  success,  not  as  the 
result  of  fortunate  circumstances,  but  through 
hard  labor,  enterprise  and  good  management.  His 
prosperity  is  therefore  well  deserved,  being  the 
just  reward  of  earnest  effort. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Hieronymus  was  a  strong  op- 
ponent of  slavery,  and  when  the  Republican  party 
sprang  into  existence  to  prevent  its  further  ex- 
tension, he  joined  its  ranks,  and  was  long  one  of 
ito  supporters.  He  now  votes  with  the  Prohibi- 
tion party.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Christian  Church,  and  are  well  worthy  of  rep- 
resentation in  this  volume. 


tICIIARD  PROCTOR.  Although  not  one 
of  the  earliest  settlers,  Mr.  Proctor  may 
/ii\\\  justly  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  pioneers 
^^)  of  Mason  County,  which  owes  much  to  his 
untiring  labor.  He  has  ever  been  active  in  ex- 
tending its  commercial  and  agricultural  interests, 
has  contributed  generously  to  all  schemes  that 
would  enhance  its  material  prosperity,  and  has  its 
educational,  religious  and  social  interests  at  heart. 
Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  has  reached  the 
advanced  age  of  seventy-nine  years  he  enjoys 
good  health  and  is  far  more  robust  than  many 
men  twenty  years  his  junior.  This  is  doubtless 
due  to  the  fact  that  he  has  always  been  temperate 


in  his  habits,  abstaining  from  the  use  of  tobacco 
and  intoxicants. 

Born  in  Barnwell  District,  near  Charleston, 
S.  C.,  the  natal  day  of  our  subject  was  September 
11,  1815.  His  father  dying  when  he  was  an  in- 
fant he  was  reared  by  his  widowed  mother,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Martha  Pettis.  Being  early 
thrown  upon  his  own  resources,  lie  had  few  ad- 
vantages in  youth  other  than  those  which  were 
secured  through  his  own  determination  and  en- 
ergy. In  1846  he  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in 
Morgan  County,  where  he  engaged  in  farming 
until  1852.  From  that  place  he  removed  to  San- 
giiinon  County,  where  he  continued  to  till  the  soil 
for  eleven  years.  The  date  of  his  arrival  in  Mason 
County  was  November  5,  1863,  and  here  he  has 
since  conducted  agricultural  pursuits.  Though 
now  living  retired  from  active  labor  he  still  su- 
perintends the  management  of  his  farm,  consisting 
of  two  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  well  im- 
proved and  under  cultivation. 

In  1840  Mr.  Proctor  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Rachel  S.  Harris,  a  native  of  Clayton 
County,  Tenn.  Her  parents  were  John  and  Eva 
(Moyers)  Harris,  the  latter  being  a  daughter  of 
Michael  Moyers,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
removed  from  that  state  to  Virginia  and  thence  to 
Tennessee.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Proctor  were  the  parents 
of  six  children,  as  follows:  William  Harrison,  a 
farmer  residing  in  Mason  County;  Martha  Ann, 
the  wife  of  G.  L.  Sinks,  of  Mason  City;  Eva  Jane 
and  John,  deceased;  Harriet,  wife  of  Joseph  Clegg; 
and  Rachel  S.,  wife  of  R.  D.  Fletcher,  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Vermillion  Coal  Mines  at  Streator. 

A  man  widely  known,  Mr.  Proctor  is  honored 
wherever  known.  His  life  has  been  a  busy  one. 
Realizing,  as  has  been  said,  that  "We  have  a  whole 
eternity  to  rest  in,"  and  that  the  aim  of  life  is 
not  to  merely  "kill  time,"  he  has  rightly  valued 
every  moment  given  him,  and  has  thus  gained  a 
reputation  for  promptness  and  dispatch  in  busi- 
ness matters.  In  political  views  he  is  a  pronounced 
Republican.  In  1836  he  enlisted  under  Captain 
Powell  and  for  two  years  served  in  the  Seminole 
War,  during  which  time  he  had  many  thrilling 
experiences  with  the  Indians  and  many  narrow  es- 
capes. With  his  wife  he  has  held  membership  in 


62(5 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  Methodist  P^piscopal  Church  for  many  years. 
From  a  perusal  of  his  life  record  the  reader,  though 
he  may  not  be  personally  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Proctor,  will  decide  that  he  is  a  man  of  energy, 
industry  and  honor.  Commencing  in  business 
without  capital,  he  nevertheless  achieved  success; 
coming  to  this  county  a  stranger,  he  gained  a  host 
of  warm  friends,  who  unite  in  wishing  him  many 
years  in  the  enjoyment  of  good  health  and  mental 
vigor. 


ID  WARD  A.  WILSON  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, June  4,  1812,  and  died  in  Mason 
County,  111.,  December  7,  1888.  The  years 
that  intervened  between  his  birth  and  demise  rep- 
resent and  witnessed  much  of  honest  toil  and 
patient  industry  on  his  part.  Though  not  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers  of  Pennsylvania  Township,  he 
was  well  entitled  to  rank  among  its  pioneers,  as 
he  was  also  one  of  its  most  efficient  and  success- 
ful agriculturists. 

Orphaned  by  his  father's  deatli  when  he  was  a 
mere  lad,  our  subject  was  early  obliged  to  earn 
his  livelihood,  and  contact  with  the  world  devel- 
oped in  him  the  traits  of  self-reliance  and  perse- 
verance that  characterized  his  later  years.  As 
early  as  1836  he  came  to  Tazewell  County,  111., 
and  a  few  years  later  purchased  a  tract  of  land, 
but  after  a  few  years  disposed  of  the  property 
and  came  to  Mason  County,  where  he  resided  for 
about  eighteen  months.  He  then  moved  to  Taze- 
well County,  where  he  spent  the  following  six 
years.  In  1856  he  came  here,  and  with  a  Mexi- 
can land  warrant  secured  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  section  14,  Pennsylvania  Township.  The 
land  was  then  raw  prairie  without  improvements, 
and  its  present  highly  cultivated  condition  is  due 
to  his  efforts.  Being  a  carpenter  by  trade  and 
having  a  natural  taste  for  building,  he  devoted 
all  his  leisure  hours  to  the  improvement  of  his 
farm,  which  in  time  became  one  of  the  best  in  the 
county. 

To  his  original  purchase  Mr.  Wilson  added  until 
he  became  the  owner  of  four  hundred  and  fort}' 
acres.  Here  he  built  a  residence  at  a  cost  of  $1,000, 


and  a  barn  costing  $1,800,  adding  from  time  to  time 
other  needed  buildings.  Around  his  farm  he  planted 
a  hedge  fence,  and  also  used  hedge  together  with 
wire  in  subdividing  the  land  into  fields  of  con- 
venient size.  Very  soon  after  coming  here  he 
planted  one  and  one-half  acres  to  fruit  trees,  and 
his  orchard  was  one  of  the  best  in  the  locality. 
He  also  planted  fifteen  hundred  walnut  trees, 
which  now,  together  with  the  magnificent  cotton- 
wood  trees,  comprise  the  beautiful  grove  sur- 
rounding the  residence  and  adding  to  its  value. 
Altogether  the  place  is  one  of  the  prettiest  and 
most  valuable  in  the  township,  and  under  the  ex- 
cellent supervision  of  Mrs.  Wilson  the  improve- 
ments are  maintained  at  the  high  standard  estab- 
lished by  our  subject. 

Mrs.  Rebecca  Wilson  was  born  in  Ohio  August 
4,  1823,  being  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Cather- 
ine (Montayne)  Woodrow,  natives  respectively 
of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  the  former  born 
on  the  banks  of  the  Susquehanna  River  in  Janu- 
ary, 1798,  and  the  latter  September  6  of  the  same 
year.  They  were  married  in  1818,  near  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  and  thence  came  to  Illinois,  settling 
on  Sand  Prairie,  near  Pekin,  111.,  where  the  father 
engaged  in  farming  pursuits.  He  passed  away  in 
January,  1874,  while  his  wife  died  in  November, 
1863.  Both  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  which  for  many  years  he  served  as 
Deacon.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
filled  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  fifteen 
years.  Of  their  thirteen  children,  but  four  are 
now  living:  Mrs.  Wilson;  Sarah,  Mrs.  Darling, 
who  lives  in  Green  Valley,  111.,  and  has  eight  chil- 
dren; Sylvester,  of  Green  Valley,  who  married 
Anna  Hill,  of  Springfield,  111.,  and  they  have  four 
children;  and  Catherine,  Mrs.  Kilpatrick,  a  resi- 
dent of  Luverne,  Minn.,  and  the  mother  of  five 
children. 

The  marriage  of  Edward  A.  Wilson  and  Rebecca 
Woodrow  took  place  March  3,  1846,  and  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  ten  children,  six  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing. Melvina,  the  eldest,  resides  with  her  mother, 
whom  she  relieves  of  all  household  duties,  and 
for  whom  she  tenderly  cares  in  her  declining 
years;  Catherine  is  married  to  Josiah  McKnight 
and  lives  in  Allen's  Grove  Township;  John  A., 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


627 


who  resides  on  the  old  homestead,  has  charge  of 
the  farm;  C.  W.,  who  lives  on  a  part  of  the  estate 
situated  on  section  13,  Pennsylvania  Township, 
married  Ella,  daughter  of  Hon.  J.  W.  Pugh,  of 
Mason  City;  C.  R.,  of  Allen's  Grove  Township, 
married  Florence  McIIarry  and  lives  in  Allen's 
Grove  Township;  and  Anna  Belle,  Mrs.  Charles 
W.  Pugh,  resides  in  Pennsylvania  Township  and 
has  six  children. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Wilson  was  a  Democrat,  but 
when  Abraham  Lincoln  was  a  candidate  for  the 
Presidency,  he  cast  his  ballot  twice  for  that  famous 
statesman,  after  which  he  could  never  again  be 
persuaded  to  vote  for  President.  For  seven  years 
he  officiated  as  School  Director,  during  which 
time  he  promoted  the  standard  of  scholarship  in 
his  vicinity.  He  also  gave  to  his  children  the 
best  educational  advantages  possible, desiring  that 
they  might  have  the  opportunities  and  privileges 
which  he  was  denied  in  youth. 


m 


!  OHN  KINSEY  is  a  successful  agriculturist 
of  Tuzewell  County,  and  no  man  within  the 
limits  of  Dillon  Township  is  more  highly 
esteemed  than  he.  For  many  years  he  lias 
been  engaged  in  farm  pursuits  and  has  a  valuable 
tract  of  seventy-seven  acres,  located  in  the  above 
place,  to  which  he  gives  his  entire  time  and  atten- 
tion. He  was  born  in  Elm  Grove  Township,  this 
county,  November  4,  1830,  on  a  farm  only  one- 
half  mile  distant  from  his  present  place  of  resi- 
dence. 

Nathan  Kinsey,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  1804  in  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  and  was 
the  son  of  Christopher  Kinsey,  also  a  native  of  the 
Buckeye  State,  and  who  was  of  German  descent. 
Of  the  brothers  and  sisters  of  Nathan  Kinsey,  the 
following  is  noted:  John,  Sr.,  who  was  bora  in 
Jones  County,  N.  C.,  August  23,  1798,  came  to 
Illinois  in  1843,  and  died  August  5,  1852;  he  was 
a  carpenter  by  trade  and  a  Quaker  in  religious  be- 
lief. Absalom,  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina 
in  1800,  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  until 
his  death  in  Illinois  in  1862.  Sarah,  who  was  born 


in  North  Carolina  in  1802,  died  in  1850.  Rachel, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Ohio  in  1806,  died  in 
1857.  Ruth  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1810,  and  died 
in  Iowa  in  1864.  Mary,  a  native  of  Ohio,  born 
in  1810,  died  in  Illinois  in  1875.  Edward,  who 
was  born  in  Ohio  in  1812,  followed  the  calling 
of  a  farmer,  and  died  in  Iowa  in  1862.  Fanny, 
likewise  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State,  born  in 
1814,  resides  in  Iowa.  Christopher,  who  was  born 
in  Ohio  in  1816,  engaged  in  farming  until  his 
death  in  Iowa  in  1878.  The  brothers  sup- 
ported the  principles  of  the  old  line  Whigs,  and 
in  religious  belief  they  and  the  sisters  were 
Quakers.  All  married  and  established  homes  of 
their  own. 

Nathan  KinsBy  took  up  his  abode  in  Illinois 
September  2,  1829,  when  he  located  upon  the  farm 
where  our  subject  was  born.  A  year  after  his 
birth,  however,  he  removed  upon  the  estate  which 
is  now  occupied  by  the  original  of  this  sketch, 
and  there  departed  this  life,  September  3,  1863. 
On  the  llth  of  February,  1830,  he  married  Miss 
Elvira  Fisher,  likewise  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  the 
daughter  of  Theodore  Fisher,  whose  birth  took 
place  in  North  Carolina.  The  latter  was  a  Quaker 
in  religion,  and  made  his  home  in  Tazewell 
County  from  1829  to  October  20,  1867,  when  his 
decease  occurred.  Mrs.  Nathan  Kinsey  died  of 
cholera  in  1834,  and  the  father  was  a  second  time 
married,  August  6,  1835,  his  bride  on  that  occasion 
being  Miss  Lydia  Edwards. 

John,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  only  son  of  his 
father's  first  union;  he  had  a  sister,  Louisa,  who 
married  Thomas  Alexander,  and  died  in  April, 
1855.  He  also  had  two  half-brothers  and  four 
half-sisters.  The  eldest,  Mary  Kinsey,  was  born 
May  3,  1836,  and  October  12,  1856,  married 
Thomas  Alexander,  a  resident  of  Pekin,  and  a  car- 
penter by  occupation.  James,  who  was  born 
August  26,  1837,  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer,  and  died  unmarried,  September  12,  1856. 
Phoebe,  born  April  6,  1840,  was  married  February 
27,  1862,  to  Abraham  Sturdy vin,  an  iron  moulder 
by  occupation,  who  died  November  14,  1888. 
Sarah,  born  July  6,  1841,  was  married  September 
15,  1867,  to  Rev.  Joseph  Hart,  a  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  residing  in  Little 


628 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Rock,  Ark.  Ruth  was  born  November  14,  1843, 
and  died  September  14,  1844.  Klias,  whose  birth 
occurred  July  26,  1847,  is  unmarried,  and  engages 
in  farming  in  Fremont,  Iowa. 

John  Kinsey  received  a  thorough  training  in 
farm  pursuits,  and  a  very  limited  education  in  the 
district  school.  The  lady  whom  he  married, 
December  21,  1854,  was  Miss  Rebecca  Ann  Wilson, 
who  was  born  August  16,  1834,  four  miles  south- 
east of  Pekin.  Her  father,  Seth  Wilson,  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania  in  1796,  came  to  Illinois  in  1820, 
and  died  March  16,  1836.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the 
War  of  1812.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Sarah  Hussy,  was  born  in  Tennessee  in  1798,  be- 
came his  wife  in  Ohio  in  1816,  and  died  January 
20,  1874.  Of  their  family  we  note  the  following: 
Margaret  L.,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1818,  was 
married  in  1839  to  John  S.  Young,  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation; Christopher  II.,  a  native  of  Ohio,  born 
in  1819,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  died  in 
Iowa  in  1869,  thirty  years  after  his  marriage; 
Mary,  born  in  Illinois  in  1821,  was  married  in 
1836  to  Austin  Prouty,  a  farmer  living  in  the 
State  of  Washington;  John  II.,  born  in  Illinois  in 
1823,  was  married  in  1842,  and  is  now  an  agricul- 
turist in  Iowa;  Jane  E.,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
1825,  was  married  in  Peoria  County  in  1840  to 
Jacob  Wolgamot,  a  cabinet-maker,  and  died  in 
Iowa  in  1876;  Seth,  who  was  a  native  of  this 
state,  born  in  1827,  was  a  brickmaker  by  occupa- 
tion, and  died  in  Nebraska  in  1889,  having  mar- 
ried September  10,  1850;  Nathan  H.,  born  in 
Illinois  in  1828,  a  cooper  by  trade,  married  in 
1849,  and  died  in  this  stale  May  20,  1894;  Cather- 
ine was  born  in  Illinois  in  1831,  married  in 
August,  1855,  to  Jacob  Dillon,  a  farmer,  and  died 
in  this  state  in  1856;  Rebecca  Ann,  the  3'oungest, 
was  born  in  Illinois  in  1834,  and  became  the  wife 
of  Mr.  Kinsey  December  21,  1854. 

Five  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and 
his  wife.  Henry,  who  married  Elizabeth  Haflinger, 
resides  in  Colorado;  Seth  W.  resides  with  his 
parents;  Sarah  W.,  who  is  the  wife  of  John  W. 
Manker,  makes  her  home  in  McLean  County; 
Charles,  who  married  Eva  Luft,  is  farming  in 
Dillon  Township,  and  Moleston  F.  resides  with  his 
parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kinsey  are  members  in 


good  standing  of  the  Christian  Church.  In  politics 
the  former  is  a  Republican,  and  his  progressive 
public  spirit  has  placed  him  among  the  foremost 
who  have  sought  to  promote  the  growth  and  en- 
hance the  general  welfare  of  his  community.  He 
has  served  for  thirty  years  as  School  Director,  and 
it  is  seldom  that  any  man  is  held  in  such  universal 
esteem  as  this  good  resident  of  Dillon  Township. 


©__ 
~ 


it 


ACOB  LUCAS  was  born  in  Hesse- Darmstadt, 
Germany,  November  9,  1825,  and  is  the  son 
of  George  Lucas,  also  a  native  of  the  Fa- 
therland, where  he  was  a  farmer  and  Col- 
lector of  Revenues.  He  crossed  the  Atlantic  in 
1866, and  made  his  home  with  our  subject  in  Pekin 
until  his  decease  in  1870,  when  in  his  seventieth 
year.  His  wife,  Mrs.  Johanna  Helena  (Metzger) 
Lucas,  was  likewise  born  in  German}',  where  her 
decease  occurred  at  the  age  of  forty-six  years. 

Of  the  nine  children  comprised  in  the  parental 
family,  five  sons  grew  to  mature  years,  those  beside 
our  subject  being:  Adam,  an  iron  builderof  Peoria; 
George,  residing  in  this  city;  and  John  and  Au- 
gust, who  are  now  deceased.  Jacob  was  reared  to 
mature  years  in  Germany,  and -for  four  years  was 
a  student  at  the  College  of  Friedberg,  near  Frank- 
fort-on-the-Main,  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  his  twentieth  year.  He  then  began 
teaching,  which  occupation  he  followed  for  five 
years,  and  then  decided  to  try  his  fortunes  in 
America,  joining  his  two  elder  brothers  who  had 
preceded  him  to  the  New  World.  In  the  spring  of 
1851  he  left  Rotterdam  for  London,  and  on  reach- 
ing the  sea  board  took  passage  on  a  sailing-vessel 
which  landed  him  thirty  days  later  in  New  York 
Harbor.  From  that  city  he  went  to  Rochester, and 
until  the  fall  of  the  above  year  clerked  in  a  whole- 
sale grocery  store.  Then  thinking  to  better  his 
condition  farther  west,  he  located  in  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
and  began  his  old  occupation  of  a  school  teacher, 
which  he  followed  until  the  spring  of  1855,  when 
he  returned  to  New  York,  and  at  Syracuse  was  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  vinegar.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1855  our  subject  came  to  Pekin,  and  as 


LIBRARY 
OF  THt 

UNIVERSITY  Of  ILLINOIS 


THOMAS   PAWSON. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


631 


there  was  no  vinegar  factory  near  this  city  lie 
bought  a  building  on  Court  Street,  which  he  used 
for  that  purpose,  and  until  1864  was  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  that  necessary  article.  That 
3^ear  he  sold  his  factory  and  accepted  the  position 
of  editor  of  the  Deutche  Zeitung  of  Peoria,  con  tin- 
ning to  act  in  that  capacity  until  1869.  That  year, 
his  health  being  very  much  impaired,  he  went  on  a 
visit  to  his  native  land,  and  recuperated  at  the 
different  watering  places  of  Germany. 

In  the  fall  of  1869  Mr.  Lucas  returned  to  Amer- 
ica, and  in  November  of  that  year  was  appointed 
United  States  Revenue  Gauger,  which  position  lie 
held  until  1875.  The  following  year  he  engaged 
in  the  insurance  business  and  now  represents  six 
of  the  largest  companies  in  the  United  States,  in- 
cluding the  Home,  of  New  York;  Phoenix, of  Lon- 
don; Northwestern,  of  Milwaukee,  and  is  agent  for 
the  Hamburg  and  Bremen  line  of  ocean  steamers. 

In  1859  Jacob  Lucas  and  Mrs.  Catharine  Hoff- 
man were  united  in  marriage.  The  lady  was  born 
in  Vienna,  Austria,  in  1820,  and  is  a  most  estima- 
ble and  intelligent  woman.  Our  subject  has  filled 
the  office  of  Township  and  City  Assessor  on  four 
different  occasions,  and  in  politics  is  an  independ- 
ent Republican. 


S  PAWSON,  who  is  now  living  on  a 
farm  on  section  14,Delavan  Township,Taze- 
well  County,  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
December  17,  1821.  His  father,  William  Pawson, 
was  a  native  of  England  and  a  wheelwright  by 
trade  The  grandfather,  William  Pawson,  Sr.,  was 
a  farmer  of  Yorkshire,  England,  and  was  a  tenant 
of  the  estate  of  'Squire  Fawks.  He  was  also  a  rel- 
ative of  John  Pawson,  the  great  Methodist  minis- 
ter, who  was  a  particular  friend  of  John  Wesley. 

Emigrating  to  America,  the  father  of  our  subject 
went  to  Cincinnati  about  1818  and  worked  at  his 
trade.  He  wedded  Hannah  Newsom,  a  native  of 
England,  and  a  daughter  of  Richard  Newsom,  a 
farmer.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pawson  died  in  Cin- 
cinnati. They  had  three  sons  and  five  daughters 


who  grew  to  mature  years,  while  five  are  yet  living. 
Isaac  is  a  carpenter  of  Jeffersonville,  Ind.;  John, 
who  followed  carpentering,  died  some  years  ago; 
Milton  was  a  steamboat  engineer;  Grace,  widow  of 
John  McCafferty,  is  a  resident  of  Springfield,  Mo.; 
Elizabeth  is  the  widow  of  Alexander  Latta  and  a 
resident  of  Cincinnati;  Jane  is  the  wife  of  David 
Johns,  of  Alabama. 

In  his  native  city  Thomas  Pawson  spent  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  and  was  graduated 
from  the  primary  department  of  the  Cincinnati 
College.  In  early  life  he  learned  the  pattern- 
maker's trade,  which  he  followed  for  nineteen 
years,  and  afterward  engaged  in  several  lines  of 
business.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's 
journey  he  chose  Miss  Rebecca  Weeks,  who  was 
born  in  Cincinnati  May  21,  1826,  and  was  one  of 
a  pair  of  twins.  Her  father,  Henry  Weeks,  was 
born  in  Peekskill,  N.  Y.,  August  25,  1790,  and 
died  during  the  Civil  War.  His  second  wife,  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  Pawson,  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Rebecca  Cox,  and  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  June 
1,  1807.  Her  death  occurred  in  1882.  Her  father 
was  a  ship  carpenter  and  was  with  John  Jacob  Astor 
when  he  made  his  first  trip  to  the  northwest  coast. 
During  his  seven  years'  cruise  he  was  landed  at 
Astoria  and  left  there  for  the  purpose  of  fitting  up 
the  spars  of  another  ship.  The  others  on  board 
the  boat  were  lost  afterward,  but  he  was  saved,  be- 
ing the  only  one  to  return  home.  After  an  ab- 
sence of  seven  years  he  made  his  way  back,  reaching 
home  just  before  his  wife,  who  supposed  him  dead, 
was  to  be  married  again.  The  mother  of  Henry 
Weeks  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Nancy  De- 
pew,  and  was  an  aunt  of  Chauncey  Depew.  She 
had  one  brother  who  was  taken  prisoner  during 
the  Revolutionary  War,  but  was  never  again  heard 
from. 

Mrs.  Pawson  had  nine  brothers  and  two  sisters. 
James,  who  was  born  in  1824,  and  is  a  ship  carpen- 
ter by  trade,  served  as  Captain  of  a  war  vessel  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War,  and  is  now  living  in  Indiana; 
Travis,  who  was  also  a  ship  carpenter  and  served 
in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  now  makes  his  home 
in  Cincinnati;  Sylvester  is  a  Methodist  minister 
now  located  at  Winton  Place,  near  Cincinnati; 
Charles  is  a  ship  carpenter  of  that  city;  Lewis, 


632 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


born  in  1844,  is  living  in  the  same  city;  and  Frank, 
born  in  1850,  is  a  druggist  of  Cincinnati. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pawson  were  married  November  3, 
1847,  and  the  following  year  went  to  New  Albany, 
Ind.,  where  they  lived  until  1864.  They  then 
came  to  Illinois  and  since  that  time  have  resided 
upon  the  farm  which  is  still  their  place  of  abode. 
Their  home  has  been  blessed  with  six  children. 
William  married  Jennie,  daughter  of  Samuel  Sun- 
derland,  and  follows  farming;  Edward,  who  mar- 
ried Jennie,  daughter  of  Rev.  J.  T.  Orr,  a  Method- 
ist minister,  is  a  traveling  salesman;  John  married 
Emma  K.  Orr,  and  is  a  Methodist  minister,  now  of 
Wapella,  111.;  George  married  Susie,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Sunderland,  and  makes  farming  his  life 
work;  Henry  wedded  Kate  Stansbury  and  carries 
on  agricultural  pursuits;  and  Mary  is  the  wife  of 
Vernon  V.  Baily,  a  farmer  of  Dillon  Township. 

Mr.  Pawson  votes  with  the  Republican  party 
but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office.  His  wife 
holds  membership  with  the  Methodist  Church.  This 
worthy  couple  are  now  spending  their  declining 
days  in  their  pleasant  home  upon  the  farm  where 
they  have  resided  for  thirty  years.  Their  many 
excellencies  of  character  have  gained  them  univer- 
sal esteem,  and  with  pleasure  we  present  this  sketch 
to  our  readers. 


OHN  CULBERTSON,  editor  of  the  Delavan 
Advertiser,  and  the  present  Postmaster  at 
Delavan,  was  born  July  23,  1837,  eight 
miles  east  of  Zanesville,  Muskingum  Coun- 
ty, Ohio.  The  family  is  of  remote  Scotch  origin, 
and  was  for  several  generations  represented  in  the 
North  of  Ireland,  whence  our  subject's  great- 
grandfather emigrated  to  America.  He  had  several 
sons  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
one  of  them  lost  his  life  during  that  struggle, 
being  killed  by  the  Indians. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Alexander  Cul- 
bertson, was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  in  youth 
learned  the  trade  of  a  tanner.  Removing  to  Ohio 
he  purchased  large  tracts  of  land  and  accumulated 
a  fortune.  His  son  John  was  born  in  Franklin 


County,  Pa.,  July  4,  1792,  and  removed  to  Musk- 
ingum County,  Ohio,as  early  as  1816,  there  being 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ann  Beevers,  who 
was  born  in  Virginia  in  1797,  and  was  the  daughter 
of  Samuel  Beevers,  an  early  settler  of  Ohio.  Their 
family  consisted  of  Edward  C.,  William,  John, 
and  three  daughters  who  died  in  childhood. 

Prior  to  the  age  of  thirteen,  the  subject  of  this 
notice  lived  on  the  home  farm,  receiving  but  a 
limited  education.  At  that  age  he  decided  to  be- 
come a  newspaper  man,  and  November  3,  1851, 
entered  the  office  of  the  Zanesville  Aurora,  now 
the  Zanesville  Signal.  After  serving  a  three  years' 
apprenticeship,  he  remained  with  the  paper  for 
four  years  ensuing,  and  then,  in  1857,  he  went  to 
Cincinnati,  where  he  was  employed  on  the  Cincin- 
nati Gazette.  The  famous  journalist,  Whitelaw 
Reid,  was  then  a  reporter  for  the  same  paper. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Culbertson  settled  on  a  farm  near 
Zanesville,  where  he  spent  four  years.  The  next 
three  years  he  spent  in  the  mercantile  business  at 
Bridgeville,  Ohio,  where  he  lost  all  that  he  had 
gained  through  \-ears  of  industrious  toil.  Though 
not  an  ardent  admirer  of  Horace  Greeley,  he  deci- 
ded to  follow  his  advice  and  go  west.  The  Del- 
avan Advertiser  had  been  established,  but  discon- 
tinued after  a  brief  existence.  He  secured  the 
plant,  and  April  28,  1870,  published  the  first  issue 
of  the  paper  under  the  new  management.  To  his 
credit  it  may  be  said  that  he  has  never  failed  to 
issue  the  paper  on  time  during  the  four  and  twenty 
years  it  has  teen  under  his  supervision. 

Originally  Democratic  in  politics,  the  Delavan 
Advertiser,  during  the  Greeley  campaign,  refused  to 
support  that  Presidential  candidate,  but  gave  its 
allegiance  to  the  principles  expounded  by  Jeffer- 
son in  the  early  days  of  our  nation's  history,  and 
suggested  Charles  O'Conor,  the  straight  Demo- 
cratic candidate.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Culbertson 
has  continued  in  same  line,  and  through  his  paper 
his  influence  is  felt  throughout  the  entire  state.  A 
forcible  writer  and  a  man  of  firm  convictions,  he 
does  not  hesitate  to  express  his  sentiments  upon, 
the  great  questions  of  the  age,  and  his  editorials 
are  spicy  and  able.  During  the  first  administration 
of  President  Cleveland,  lie  was  appointed  Post- 
master at  Delavan,  serving  thirty-three  months 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


633 


under  him,  and  six  months  under  President  Har- 
rison. February  1,  1894,  lie  again  assumed  the 
duties  of  the  office,  which  he  still  holds. 

Mr.  Culbertson  married  Miss  Sarah  E.,  daughter 
of  Samuel  Morris,  a  merchant  of  Cincinnati. 
They  have  had  live  children,  but  two  are  deceased. 
Cecelia  B.  is  the  wife  of  II.  C.  Meeker,  a  prosper- 
ous farmer.  Ella  A.  was  assistant  in  the  post- 
ottice  during  his  first  term,  and  was  retained  in  the 
same  position  under  Captain  Beatty,  who  recently 
retired  from  the  office;  she  continues  to  assist  her 
father  there.  Sarah  A.,  usually  known  as  Ertie, 
is  a  stenographer  in  the  office  of  N.  K.  Fail-bank 
&  Co..  of  Chicago. 


S.  DEMPSY.  One  of  the  most  successful 
business  enterprises  of  Armington  is  the 
mercantile  establishment  of  which  Mr. 
Dempsy  is  the  owner  and  proprietor.  The 
building  which  lie  occupies  is  a  three-story  struct- 
ure, 24x30  feet  in  dimensions,  with  an  addition 
22x60.  Here  may  be  found  a  full  and  complete 
assortment  of  general  merchandise,  which  includes 
everything  that  can  be  imagined,  from  a  threshing 
machine  down  to  a  paper  of  pins.  He  carries  a 
full  line  of  farm  implements,  which  are  stored  in 
buildings  adjacent  to  his  main  rooms.  The  value 
of  his  stock  is  estimated  at  $20,000.  This  success 
he  has  attained  solely  as  a  result  of  his  own  un- 
aided exertions,  and  during  the  twenty-three  years 
in  which  he  has  engaged  in  business  at  this  place, 
he  has  established  an  enviable  reputation  as  an 
honorable  and  reliable  business  man. 

Born  in  Maryland  in  1844,  our  subject  was 
a  mere  infant  when  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Peoria,  111.  In  that  city  his  parents  and  a  twin 
brother  died  of  cholera  when  he  was  about  four 
years  old.  The  children  were  taken  into  the 
homes  of  strangers,  by  whom  they  were  reared, 
our  subject  being  adopted  by  Mrs.  A.  O.  Merriam, 
the  widow  of  Rev.  Jonathan  Merriam.  At  the 
present  time  he  has  two  brothers  and  two  sisters 


living,  namely:  William,  a  resident  of  Peoria,  111., 
John,  whose  home  is  in  Tennessee;  Catherine,  the 
wife  of  George  W.  Martin,  of  Peoria;  and  Mar- 
garet J.,  who  married  R.  ]Nf.  Moffin  and  lives  in 
Armington. 

Upon  a  farm  three  miles  from  Armington,  our 
subject  was  reared  to  manhood,  receiving  a  good 
education  in  the  district  schools.  He  was  not 
eighteen  years  of  age  when,  on  the  7th  of  August, 
1862,  he  enlisted  asa  member  of  Company  A,  One 
Hundred  and  Seventeenth  Illinois  Volunteers.  He 
served  in  the  Sixteenth  Army  Corps  until  June, 
1865,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged  atQuincy, 
111.  For  many  months  his  regiment  was  located  at 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  after  considerable  skirmish- 
ing in  and  around  that  place,  they  were  trans- 
ferred to  Missouri,  where  our  subject  was  taken 
ill.  He  was  sent  to  Quincy,  111.,  where  later  he 
received  his  discharge.  Soon  after  returning 
home  Mr.  Dempsy  began  a  course  of  study  in  a 
commercial  college  of  Chicago,  where  he  remained 
for  several  months.  He  was  then  for  two  and  a- 
half  years  engaged  in  the  sheep  business,  and  was 
for  a  time  a  resident  of  Missouri.  Upon  disposing 
of  his  interests  there  he  returned  to  Armington 
and  embarked  in  the  grocery  business,  but  later 
sold  out,  and  for  eight  years  conducted  an  exten- 
sive drug  business.  lie  then  purchased  a  stock 
of  general  merchandise  and  established  the  store 
which  he  has  since  conducted  with  flattering  suc- 
cess. He  is  a  thorough  business  man,  genial  in  his 
intercourse  with  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  con- 
tact, and  uniformly  reliable  in  his  transactions. 
In  addition  to  the  property  he  owns  in  Armington, 
he  and  his  wife  have  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
in  Logan  County,  which  they  rent.  His  time  has 
been  devoted  closely  to  his  business  affairs,  but  he 
keeps  himself  well  posted  upon  matters  of  public 
interest  and  supports  the  principles  of  the  Repub- 
lican party. 

In  Pennsylvania  occurred  the  marriage  of  D.  S. 
Dempsy  and  Miss  Elizabeth  B.,  daughter  of  James 
Ewing.  Five  children  bless  the  union;  Harriet 
B.,  James  Ewing,  Catherine  J.,  David  R.  and  Mar- 
garet. Mrs.  Dempsy  was  reared  in  the  Presbyter- 
ian faith,  but  is  now  identified  with  the  Christian 
Church.  Socially  our  subject  is  a  member  of  Al- 


634 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


toona  Post  No.  166,  G.  A.  R.,  Nona  Lodge  No. 
152,  I.  ().  O.  F.,  at  Armington,  and  the  Masonic 
fraternity  in  Mmier. 


v  RLANDO  WELLINGTON  VAN  ORMAN 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  prominent  and 
influential  citizens  of  Mason  County.  He 
is  the  proprietor  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  improved  land, pleasantly  located  on  section  29, 
Forest  City  Township.  His  father,  Isaac  Van  Or- 
man,  was  born  in  New  York  State,  near  Canandai- 
gua,  in  1798.  His  father,  who  also  bore  the  name 
of  Isaac,  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  served  as 
a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  maiden  name  of  our  subject's  mother  was 
Miss  Adeline  Turner.  She  was  born  in  Trumbull 
County,  Ohio,  in  1802,  and  was  the  daughter 
of  John  Turner,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  a 
patriot  of  the  War  of  1812.  Her  parents  were 
early  settlers  of  the  Buckeye  State,  having  re- 
moved there  at  a  time  when  their  nearest  white 
neighbor  was  in  Lower  Sandusky,  about  one  hun- 
dred miles  distant. 

The  father  of  our  subject  settled  in  Ohio  about 
1822,  and  there  met  and  married  Miss  Turner,  af- 
ter which  event  he  removed  on  a  raw  farm  in 
Medina  County,  where  he  was  accidently  killed  in 
1842,  by  a  tree  falling  upon  him.  Orlando  W.,  of 
this  sketch,  was  the  first  in  the  parental  family  of 
four  children,  of  whom  those  living  are  Lois  A. 
and  John  T.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Orman  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  the 
mother  departed  this  life  in  1847.  The  former 
was  active  in  local  politics,  as  was  his  father  be- 
fore him,  and  during  elections  cast  a  vote  for 
Whig  candidates.  Throughout  the  community  he 
was  held  in  the  highest  regard,  and  at  his  decease 
left  a  well  improved  farm. 

Our  subject  was  born  September  21,  1832,  in 
Medina  County,  Ohio,  and  was  there  reared  on  his 
father's  farm  until  the  death  of  his  parents,  after 
which  he  made  his  home  with  an  uncle,  and  worked 
out  until  purchasing  property  of  his  own.  The 
lady  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1856  was  Miss 


Mary  A.  Kent,  born  in  Summit  County,  Ohio,  in 
1835.  She  became  the  mother  of  two  children, 
both  of  whom  are  now  deceased,  and  her  death 
occurred  in  1858. 

Mr.  Van  Orman  came  west  to  Tazewell  County 
in  1852,  and  made  location  in  Sand  Prairie  Town- 
ship, on  a  new  farm  which  he  worked  hard  to  im- 
prove during  his  residence  upon  it.  In  1858,  how- 
ever, he  made  his  advent  into  this  county  and  lo- 
cated on  section  29,  when  it  was  little  more  than  a 
wilderness.  In  1865  he  took  up  his  abode  on  his 
present  farm,  which  he  has  cultivated  in  a  most 
profitable  manner,  and  completed  a  comfortable 
residence  thereon  in  1884,  at  a  cost  of  $1,400.  His 
possessions  have  all  been  acquired  through  his 
own  efforts,  and  stand  as  monuments  to  his  enter- 
prise. His  estate,  which  includes  a  quarter-section, 
is  divided  into  four  forty-acre  fields,  each  section 
being  surrounded  by  a  beautiful  hedge  fence.  In 
addition  to  raising  grain,  he  gives  considerable  at- 
tention to  breeding  fine  grades  of  animals,  and  has 
upon  his  place  a  number  of  Poland-China  hogs. 

Mr.  Van  Orman  was  married  in  1865  to  Miss 
Belle,  the  youngest  daughter  of  George  Neikirk. 
A  full  sketch  of  her  parents  will  be  found  in  the 
sketch  of  J.  Alexander  Neikirk,  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  Mrs.  Van  Orman  was  born  in  the  year 
1845,  and  by  her  union  with  our  subject  has  be- 
come the  mother  of  eight  children:  Ruth,  the  wife 
of  John  Harvey,  of  this  township;  Lois,  now  Mrs. 
William  Warner,  also  makes  her  home  in  this  lo- 
cality, as  does  Letha,  who  married  Samuel  F.  Mar- 
tin. The  remainder  of  the  family  are  Bertha, 
Nellie,  Mark,  Earl  and  Ford. 

On  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  our  subject 
enlisted  in  July,  1861,  joining  Company  C,  Second 
Illinois  Cavalry.  The  regiment  was  organized  at 
Springfield,  from  which  city  they  went  to  Carbon- 
dale,  this  state,  from  there  to  Ft.  Massac,  and  later 
to  Bird's  Point,  Mo.  Soon  returning  to  Illinois, 
they  were  ordered  to  Cairo,  and  from  there  to 
Ilickman,  Ky.,  where  Mr.  Van  Orman  was  dis- 
charged on  account  of  sickness.  lie  returned  home 
in  June,  1862,  and  has  since  given  his  undivided 
attention  to  the  cultivation  of  his  farm. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  and  all  the  daughters  of 
the  family  are  members  in  good  standing  of  the 


LIBRARY 

Of  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


ELI   C.  FISK. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


637 


Baptist  Church.  Mr.  Van  Orman  belongs  to  the 
G.  A.  R.  Post  at  Havana,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Protective  Association.  He  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  Masonic  order,  which  he  joined  in 
1857,  and  meets  with  the  lodge  at  Delavan.  lie 
has  given  his  children  the  best  advantages  for  ob- 
taining a  good  schooling,  and  Miss  Bertha  and  Miss 
Lois  have  been  school  teachers.  He  aided  in  the 
organization  of  District  No.  9,  which  he  served  as 
Director  for  many  years.  Mr.  Van  Orman  has 
been  a  life-long  Republican,  and  as  an  active  poli- 
tician has  been  frequently  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the 
various  conventions  of  his  party.  He  is  always 
found  on  the  side  of  right,  and  his  influence  and 
support  are  given  to  the  best  interests  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Warren  Van  Orman,  a  brother  of  our  subject, 
also  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  serving  as  a 
member  of  the  Eighth  Missouri  Infantry.  He  is 
now  deceased,  as  is  also  his  wife,  and  their  only 
son,  Fred,  makes  his  home  in  Iowa. 


LI  COOLEY  FISK,  a  representative  farmer 
of  Havana  Township,  Mason  County,  now 
living  on  section  3,  was  born  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  August  22,  1825,  and  is  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  this  community,  where  he  has  made  his 
home  since  the  age  of  ten  years.  He  is  a  lineal 
descendant  of  John  Fisk,  an  English  lord  of  the 
realm,  who  flourished  from  1399  to  1422.  The 
original  American  ancestor,  who  also  bore  the 
name  of  John,  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1637,  loca- 
ting in  Wenharn,  Mass.  From  him  and  his  three 
brothers  the  Fisk  family  in  the  United  States  is 
descended.  Samuel  Fisk  went  to  Windham,  Conn., 
with  Rev.  Thomas  Hooker  and  located  in  Stafford, 
Conn.  His  old  home  there  was  occupied  by  his 
descendants  until  1784. 

Asa  Fisk  was  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  and 
Eli  Fisk  was  the  father.  He  was  born  in  Stafford, 
Conn.,  April  9,  1781,  and  married  Margaret,  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Maria  (Lawson)  Moore.  Her  fa- 
ther commanded  a  company  under  General  Gates 
at  the  battle  of  Saratoga  during  the  Revolution, 


and  helped  to  carry  Benedict  Arnold  off  the  field. 
He  was  also  at  the  massacre  in  New  London,  Conn., 
but  escaped.  His  daughter  was  born  in  Union, 
Conn..  May  16.  1788,  and  for  several  years  was  a 
school  teacher.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fisk  were  married 
in  Union,  May  13,  1813,  and  there  resided  until 
1817,  when  they  removed  to  Indiana  County,  Pa. 
From  1824  until  1835,  they  resided  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  and  while  in  that  city  their  property  was 
destroyed  by  fire.  Coming  to  Illinois,  they  lived 
for  two  years  in  Havana,  and  then  moved  to  the 
farm,  where  the  mother  died  February  12,  1857, 
while  the  father's  death  occurred  February  27, 
1861.  He  was  an  expert  with  tools,  and  was  a 
farmer,  shoemaker,  millwright  and  builder  of 
steam  engines. 

In  the  Fisk  family  were  three  children.  Esther 
Lawson,  born  February  5,  1814,  in  Union,  Conn., 
was  married  to  Frederick  Buck  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  April  26,  1832,  and  died  May  5,  1871.  His 
death  occurred  April  14,  1874.  Their  children 
were,  Henry  C.,  born  August  21,  1835;  Louisa  C. 
Lindley,  October  22,  1838;  Mrs.  Ann  Maria  Rog- 
ers, November  9,  1844;  and  Mrs.  Esther  Elizabeth 
Ross,  March  11,  1849.  John  Moore  Fisk  was  born 
in  Indiana  County,  Pa.,  September  17,  1822,  mar- 
ried Sarah  Ann  McReynolds  February  27, 1845, and 
lives  in  Sangamon  County,  111.  Their  children  are, 
Mrs.  Frances  Luciuda  Canterbury,  born  February 
25,  1846;  Mrs.  Margaret  Jane  Bentley,  June  30, 
1850;  Warren  Chauncey,  September  26,  1853;  Wil- 
lis Elbert,  August  15,  1858;  Mrs.  Esther  Elizabeth 
Canterbury,  June  10,  1860;  and  Elmer  M.,  born  in 
June,  1868. 

Eli  C.  Fisk  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Cin- 
cinnati and  Mason  County  until  1847,  when  he  en- 
tered Illinois  College  of  Jacksonville,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1853.  He  taught  school  at 
intervals,  and  studied  theology  under  the  Rev. 
Albert  Hale,  of  Springfield,  111.  He  was  ordained 
on  the  19th  of  February,  1858,  by  the  Rev.  L.  Fos- 
ter, and  was  pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church 
of  Havana  for  two  years,  but  resigned  on  the  9th 
of  February,  1859.  Since  August,  1837,  his  home 
has  been  upon  the  farm  where  he  still  resides,  and 
since  1858  he  has  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  owns  four  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  farm 


638 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


land,  and  raises  hogs,  cattle,  corn,  wheat,  rye  and 
oats.  He  has  developed  two  new  varieties  of  corn, 
and  is  engaged  in  the  culture  of  fruit.  One  of 
the  most  progressive  farmers  of  Illinois,  he  is  al- 
ways interested  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
development  and  improvement  of  agriculture. 

Mr.  Fisk  was  united  in  marriage  June  23,  1867, 
with  Rosanna  Wagoner,  who  was  born  in  Knox 
County,  Ohio,  in  1840,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Cas- 
per and  Maria  Wagoner.  They  have  seven  chil- 
dren: Margaret  Maria,  wife  of  James  W.  Edlin, 
by  whom  she  has  two  sons;  Lucy  Adda  Olive;  Eli 
Casper,  who  married  Adda  Crater,  and  is  a  fanner 
of  Pennsylvania  Township,  Mason  County;  John 
Moore,  Frank  Fredrick,  Rose  Mary  Esther  and 
Bertha  Eleanor,  at  home. 

Mr.  Fisk  has  served  as  School  Director  and  Treas- 
urer for  twelve  years,  has  been  a  Republican  since 
the  organization  of  the  party,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  first  Republican  convention  in  Springfield. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  committee  who  invited 
Abraham  Lincoln  to  address  that  body.  He  lias 
frequent^-  been  a  delegate  to  conventions,  and  al- 
ways takes  au  active  part  in  political  affairs.  He 
has  delivered  many  speeches  throughout  the  coun- 
ty, and  frequently  contributes  articles  to  newspa- 
pers. He  has  a  large  and  finely  selected  library, 
and  his  extensive  reading  has  made  him  a  well 
educated  man,  whose  opinions  on  various  subjects 
are  well  worthy  careful  consideration. 


ICHARD  N.  OSBORN.  One  would  not  live 
in  Mason  City  long  without  becoming  ac- 
W,  quainted  with  the  part  that  has  been  per- 
)  formed  by  Mr.  Osborn  in  the  progress  of 
this  thriving  municipality.  As  the  proprietor  of  a 
large  and  successful  business,  as  an  honored  vete- 
ran of  the  late  war,  as  the  owner  and  improver  of 
real  estate,  and  as  a  public  official,  he  has  deserved 
and  won  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-men  for  his  up- 
rightness, ability  and  success. 

The  Osborn  family  originated  in  England  and 
some  of  its  members  settled  in  Connecticut  during 
Colonial  days.  In  the  same  state  the  father  of 


our  subject,  Gideon  byname,  was  born, and  thence 
he  removed  to  New  York,  later  to  Ohio,  and  fin- 
ally coming  to  Illinois  died  in  Mason  County  in 
1865.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Harriet 
Porter,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Richard  Porter, 
who  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred 
years;  she  was  born  in  New  York  State  and  died  in 
Steuben  County,  N.  Y.  Our  subject  was  a  mere 
child  when  the  family  removed  from  Steuben 
County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born  April  1,  1838, 
to  Geauga  County,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until 
sixteen  years  of  age.  Thence  he  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Mason  County,  111.,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home. 

In  1862,  when  the  dark  clouds  of  the  Rebellion 
overshadowed  the  country  and  valiant  men  were 
called  for  to  fight  for  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  our 
subject  was  one  of  the  boys  in  blue  who  marched 
to  the  front.  He  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Eighty- 
fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  commanded  by  Colonel 
Moore,  of  Havana.  His  regiment  was  assigned 
to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  with  which  Mr. 
Osborn  did  service  until  his  health  became  so  poor 
as  to  incapacitate  him  for  the  hardships  of  forced 
marches  and  the  exposure  incident  to  life  in  camp 
and  on  the  field.  In  1863  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  returned  to  his 
home  in  Mason  County. 

Here  Mr.  Osborn  entered  upon  the  career  of  a 
farmer,  and  engaged  in  raising  grain  and  stock 
until  1884,  when  he  removed  to  Mason  City  and 
embarked  in  his  present  business.  He  carries  a 
large  and  complete  assortment  of  lumber,  lath, 
sash,  doors,  blinds,  shingles,  posts,  lime,  cement 
stone,  paints  and  oils,  hard  and  soft  coal,  carpet 
paper  and  sewer  pipe.  In  addition  to  his  interests 
in  the  city,  he  owns  eighty  acres  of  valuable  land, 
all  under  cultivation  and  well  improved.  With 
the  enterprises  of  a  public  nature,  he  has  been 
closely  identified,  and  was  a  prime  factor  in  the 
organization  of  the  Water  Works  Company.  In 
political  views  he  favors  the  Prohibition  party. 
Socially  he  ia  identified  with  Duval  Lodge  No. 
123,  G.  A.  R. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Osborn  occurred  in  1864, 
uniting  him  with  Mary  F.  White, a  native  of  New 
York,  who  accompanied  her  parents  to  Ohio,  and 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


639 


later  came  to  Mason  County,  where  she  grew  to  wo- 
manhood. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Osborn  are  the  parents  of 
five  daughters,  namely:  Dora,  wife  of  W.  J.  Pot- 
torf,  of  Mason  City;  Lottie  J.,  wife  of  Charles 
Ritter,  residing  in  Chicago;  Carrie  PL, Edna  Esth- 
er and  Elma  Irene,  who  are  at  home.  Mrs.  Osborn 
is  a  lady  possessing  rare  modesty  and  sweetness  of 
disposition,  yet  is  strong  in  her  convictions  and 
steadfast  in  her  purpose.  She  is  a  devoted  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  with  which  Mr. 
Osborn  is  also  identified. 


LBERTUS  DEAN,  one  of  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty's progressive  farmers,  now  residing  on 
section  28,  Malone  Township,  was  born  in 
Mercer  County,  Pa.,  January  1,  1840.  He 
is  the  son  of  Jonathan  Dean,  who  was  born  in 
Huntingdon  County,  Pa.,  May  21,  1816,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1835  accompanied  his  parents  to  Mer- 
cer County,  where,' February  21,  1839,  he  married 
Susan  Wentz.  This  lady  was  born  in  that  county 
January  9,  1813,  while  her  parents,  Christopher 
and  Mar3r  (Martin)  Wentz,  were  natives  of  Hun- 
tingdon County,  the  same  state. 

After  marriage  Jonathan  Dean  settled  upon  a 
farm  in  Mercer  County,  and  remained  there  un- 
til the  fall  of  1858,  when  he  removed  to  Taze- 
well County,  111.,  locating  in  Malone  Township 
and  purchasing  a  farm.  In  the  year  1871  he 
disposed  of  his  propertj-  and  went  to  Mercer 
County,  Mo.,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  for 
four  years.  On  his  return  to  Tazewell  County  he 
purchased  forty  acres,  where  he  and  his  wife  have 
since  resided.  For  ten  years  he  was  Justice  of 
the  Peace  and  has  held  other  township  offices. 

Of  the  eight  children  comprising  the  family  of 
Jonathan  Dean,  Albertus  is  the  eldest.  Elmira  was 
born  March  13,  1841,  and  died  in  1859.  William, 
who  was  born  May  18,  1843,  married  Miss  Sarah 
Ann  Worstall,  a  native  of  Tazewell  County,  and 
they  now  live  in  Mason  County;  they  are  the 
parents  of  four  children,  Eugene,  Edward,  Alice 
and  Mabel.  Mary  E.  was  born  June  13,  1845, 
married  George  Ail,  and  they  reside  in  Green  Val- 


ley. Leah,  whose  birth  took  place  May  17,  1847, 
married  Oliver  Priddy  and  lives  on  a  farm  iu  Iowa; 
she  has  four  children,  Wilber,  Benjamin,  Guy  and 
Ertie.  Harriet,  who  was  born  August  15,  1849. 
married  Manuel  Boyer  and  lives  on  a  farm;  of 
their  fifteen  children,  three  died  in  infancy,  and 
the  others  are,  Alta,  Mahlon,  William,  Manuel, 
Jonathan,  Louisa,  Maud,  Lottie,  Clab,  Susie,  Min- 
nie and  Clarence.  Hilary,  who  was  born  June  16, 
1854,  married  Ida  Torrland  and  they  live  on  the 
farm;  their  children  are  six  in  number,  Morrel,  Del- 
bert,  Etta,  Nellie,  Seymour  and  Aaron.  Aaron  was 
born  July  4,  1856,  and  now  lives  in  Iowa;  he  mar- 
ried Anna  Hart,  and  they  have  four  children, 
Delia,  Cora,  Ella  and  an  infant  unnamed. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Aaron 
Dean,  was  born  in  Maryland,  and  after  his  mar- 
riage to  Leah  Steele  he  removed  to  Huntingdon 
County,  Pa.,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  Later 
he  went  to  Mercer  County,  Pa.,  where  he  and  his 
wife  died.  For  a  number  of  years  before  going 
to  Pennsylvania  he  kept  an  hotel  in  Baltimore,  Md. 
The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a 
soldier  through  the  entire  War  of  1812,  and 
though  a  participant  in  many  engagements  es- 
caped uninjured.  His  death  occurred  while  on  a 
visit  to  his  relatives  in  Tazewell  County. 

No  event  of  especial  importance  occurred  dur- 
ing the  boyhood  of  our  subject.  He  remained  an 
inmate  of  his  father's  home  until  his  marriage, 
June  27,  1867,  which  united  him  with  Miss  Nettie 
Quance,  a  native  of  Ontario  County,  N.  Y.,  born 
near  Shortsville,  September  30,  1851.  Her  father, 
Stephen  Quance,  was  born  in  Michigan,  August 
16,  1816,  and  followed  the  trade  of  a  mason  in 
Rochester,  Geneva,  Syracuse,  and  other  cities  in 
New  York.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Mary  Harris,  was  born  May  12,  1829,  and  moved 
to  Mason  County,  111.,  in  1858,  dying  there  two 
years  later.  Afterward  Mr.  Quance  removed  to 
Michigan,  and  there  married  Almira  Heath,  who 
died  in  1881.  Since  that  time  he  has  made  his 
home  with  one  of  his  sons  in  South  Bend,  Ind. 

After  marriage  Mr.  Dean  rented  land  in  Taze- 
well County  for  a  season,  when  he  purchased  a 
farm  in  the  vicinity.  Three  years  later  he  sold 
the  place  and  accompanied  his  father's  family  to 


640 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mercer  County,  Mo.,  where  he  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land.  However,  on  ac- 
count of  the  climate  not  agreeing  with  the  health 
of  his  family,  he  disposed  of  his  interests  there,  and 
in  1875  came  back  to  Tazewell  County.  He  oper- 
ated rented  land  until  1892,  when  he  purchased  an 
eighty-acre  farm  in  Mason  County  adjoining  the 
one  he  rents.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and 
has  held  various  township  offices.  For  fourteen 
years  he  has  been  Assessor,  and  served  eight  years 
as  Constable. 

Of  the  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dean  we 
note  the  following:  Jonathan  E.  was  born  August 
24,  1868,  and  died  October  19,  1873.  Lyron  L., 
who  was  born  October  15,  1870,  married,  October 
28,  1891,  Miss  Florence  Marlin,  who  was  born  in 
St.  Louis.  September  8,  1873,  and  they  with  their 
daughter  Nellie  May,  live  on  a  farm  in  Mason 
County.  William  S.  was  born  September  6,  1873, 
and  assists  in  cultivating  the  home  farm;  he  mar- 
ried, January  5,  1893,  Miss  Lulu  A.  Brown, .who 
was  born  in  Tazewell  County,  November  3,  1873, 
and  they  have  one  child,  Nettie.  Alva  A.  was  born 
August  7,  1876,  and  lives  at  home.  Frederick  A. 
was  born  July  31,  1880,  and  died  May  5,  1881. 
Lulu  was  born  June  29,  1882,  and  is  a  student 
in  the  home  schools.  Cora  A.  was  born  October 
18,  1887. 


THOMAS  LASCELLES.  Mason  County  fur- 
nished its  full  quota  of  noble  men  to  the 
rank  and  file  of  the  Union  army  during 
the  late  war,  among  whom  our  subject  occupied 
an  honorable  place.  He  is  now  prosperously  en- 
gaged in  agriculture  in  Bath  Township,  where  he 
has  a  good  estate,  upon  which  have  been  erected  a 
substantial  residence  and  such  other  buildings  as 
are  needed  on  a  modern  farm. 

John  Lascelles,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1812,  and  lived  in 
the  village  of  Sherryhulton  during  his  entire  life. 
He  was  given  a  good  education,  and  when  ready 
to  engage  in  business  for  himself,  buying  and  sell 
ing  stock,  he  was  married  in  1836  to  Miss  Ann 
Galtres,  also  a  native  of  England,  and  the  young 


couple  immediately  after  their  marriage  began 
housekeeping  in  Sherryhulton.  Their  union  was 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  two  children,  Thomas,  and 
Robert,  who  was  married,  and  makes  his  home  in 
Leeds,  England. 

Grandfather  Thomas  Lascelles  was  born  in 
Yorkshire,  and  there  resided  until  his  decease  in 
1860.  The  maternal  grandparents  of  our  subject, 
Phineas  and  Elizabeth  Galtres,  were  likewise  born 
in  Yorkshire,  where  they  died,  the  grandmother 
passing  away  in  1845,  and  the  grandfather  living 
until  1852. 

Our  subject  attended  school  in  his  native  land 
until  twelve  years  of  age,  when  he  began  working 
out  on  farms,  receiving  as  his  pay  $25  per  year. 
He  was  thus  employed  until  1858,  when  in  the 
fall  of  that  year,  in  company  with  Mark  Cooper 
and  family,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  after 
arriving  on  the  soil  of  the  New  World  made  his 
way  directly  to  this  county,  where  he  found  work 
on  the  farm  of  Richard  Ainsworth  in  this  town- 
ship. He  remained  in  the  employ  of  that  gentle- 
man for  two  years,  and  was  engaged  for  the  same 
length  of  time  on  other  farms  in  the  locality. 
He  enlisted  in  the  late  war,  joining  Company  C, 
Sixth  Illinois  Cavalry.  He  served  his  country 
faithfully  and  well  for  three  years,  during  which 
time  he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Corinth, 
Nashville,  Memphis,  and  was  with  General  Grant 
on  his  famous  raid  extending  from  Memphis  to 
Baton  Rouge. 

Mr.  Lascelles  was  mustered  out  of  service  in 
July,  1865,  and  returning  to  this  township,  again 
worked  at  farm  duties,  and  was  married  March  16, 
1866,  to  Miss  Mary  Fletcher.  The  lady,  who  was  the 
daughter  of  James  and  Maggie  Fletcher,  was  born 
in  England,  and  became  the  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Lizzie  was 
born  in  1879,  and  makes  her  home  in  Easton,  this 
state.  The  wife  and  mother  departed  this  life  in 
1885,  and  in  July  of  that  year  our  subject  was 
married  to  Miss  Charity  Miller,  who  was  a  native 
of  this  township,  and  the  daughter  of  William  and 
Hester  (Anderson)  Miller. 

Mrs.  Charity  Lascelles  was  born  March  30,  1860, 
and  by  her  union  with  our  subject  has  become  the 
mother  of  four  children,  John  William,  Benjamin 


LlBRARt 
OFM 
UNWERSW  Of 


J.  B.   PAUL. 
[DECEASED. 1 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


643 


F.,  Gracie  May  and  Robert  Thomas.  The  parents 
are  members  in  good  standing  of  the  Ml.  Zion 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Our  subject  has 
always  voted  with  the  Republican  part}',  and  is 
deeply  interested  in  all  those  movements  which 
will  enhance  the  material  and  educational  pros- 
perity of  this  section.  He  lias  succeeded  well  in 
worldly  affairs,  is  the  proprietor  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  excellent  land  in  Bath  Town- 
ship, and  is  therefore  able  to  surround  his  family 
with  all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of 
life. 


I  OSEPH  B.  PAUL,  M.  D.  The  eminent  phy- 
sician whose  name  introduces  this  sketch 
impressed  even  those  who  met  him  in  a 
casual  way  as  a  man  who  had  drifted  easily 
and  naturally  into  the  medical  profession,  who 
realized  that  he  had  made  no  mistake  in  the  choice 
of  his  vocation,  and  who  felt  thoroughly  at  home 
in  the  position  which  he  occupied.  This  first  im- 
pression deepened  with  a  more  intimate  acquain- 
tance, and  familiarity  with  the  history  of  his  life 
leads  to  the  unbiased  and  impartial  view  that  the 
splendid  success  which  he  achieved  was  the  result 
of  energy  and  industry  never  misapplied.  He  set- 
tled at  Havana  in  1855,  and  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  in  this  city  until  his  death. 
Our  subject  was  born  in  Somerset  County,  Me., 
April  30,  1823,  and  was  the  son  of  William  A. 
Paul,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  The  father  was  born  in  Greenwich, 
October  5,  1780,  and  departed  this  life  while  liv- 
ing in  Maine,  August  16,  1868.  The  maiden  name 
of  our  subject's  mother  was  Catherine  Rice;  she 
also  was  a  native  of  the  Bay  State,  her  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  in  Brookfield,  March  26,  1788,  and 
her  death  took  place  in  Solon,  Me.,  August  10, 
1871. 

Joseph  B.  Paul  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Som- 
erset County,  and  received  his  early  education  in 
the  academy  at  Foxcraft.  When  sixteen  years  of 
age  he  left  the  parental  roof  and  apprenticed  him- 
self to  learn  the  blacksmith's  trade,  at  which  he 
worked  for  two  yearSi  One  year  prior  to  reach- 
21 


ing  his  majority,  he  began  teaching  school  in  his 
native  state,  and  was  thus  employed  for  six  years, 
meeting  with  fair  success  in  that  line  of  work. 

In  the  spring  of  1851,  our  subject  came  west, 
and  after  remaining  for  a  short  time  in  Wiscon- 
sin, came  in  the  fall  of  that  year  to  Illinois,  and 
taught  school  in  Peoria.  At  the  same  time  he  read 
medicine  in  the  office  of  Dr.  J.  D.  Arnold,  who 
was  then  one  of  the  most  prominent  physicians  of 
the  city.  Later  he  entered  Rush  Medical  College 
in  Chicago,  where  he  took  a  course  of  lectures  and 
was  graduated  with  the  Class  of  '57.  Two  years 
previous  to  this,  however,  he  had  come  to  Havana, 
and  to  this  place  he  returned  after  receiving  his 
degree  as  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  became  a  phy- 
sician and  surgeon  of  wide  reputation,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Brainard  District  Medical  Associa- 
tion, of  which  he  was  one  of  the  organizers,  and 
served  as  Vice-President  for  a  number  of  years. 

In  politics,  Dr.  Paul  was  a  pronounced  Repub- 
lican, and  was  a  strong  advocate  of  the  temperance 
cause.  He  was  also  a  prominent  Mason,  and  held 
membership  with  Havana  Lodge  No.  88,  Havana 
Chapter  No.  86,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Damascus  Com- 
mandery  No.  42,  K.  T.  The  Doctor  found  in  the 
study  and  practice  of  medicine  an  occupation 
more  congenial  to  his  taste  than  anything  else 
could  possibly  have  been,  and  was  greatly  devoted 
to  his  profession.  He  possessed  great  literary  tal- 
ent, and  contributed  many  important  articles  to 
the  various  medical  journals. 

September  30,  1848,  Dr.  Joseph  B.  Paul  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lavinia,  daughter  of 
James  and  Sarah  (Wellman)  Laugh  ton,  natives  of 
Maine,  in  which  state  Mrs.  Paul  was  also  born. 
Her  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Paul  were  born  six  children,  three  of  whom  are 
living:  Dr.  Edward  W.,  a  prominent  physician  of 
Forest  City,  this  state;  Charles  Augustus,  residing 
in  Peoria;  and  Catherine,  Mrs.  W.  W.  Lindsley,  of 
Havana.  The  Doctor  was  a  devoted  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  the  con- 
gregation in  this  city  served  as  Trustee  and  Stew- 
ard for  many  years.  In  1889  he  was  Treasurer  of 
the  building  fund,  and  handled  all  the  cash  used 
in  the  erection  of  the  new  church,  which  cost  $11,- 


644 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


000.     Mrs.  Paul   is   also  identified  with  that  de- 
nomination. 

When,  upon  the  29th  of  November,  1893,  Dr. 
Paul  closed  his  eyes  upon  the  scenes  of  earth,  it 
was  felt  throughout  the  entire  community  that 
one  of  its  best  citizens  was  gone.  His  loss  was 
mourned  by  all  with  whom  business,  professional 
or  social  relations  had  brought  him  into  contact. 
Among  other  expressions  of  tribute  to  his  memory 
is  the  following  testimonial  of  the  order  with 
which  he  was  long  associated: 

To  the  Eminent  Commander  and  Praters: — 

"Another  distinguished  Mason  and  Sir  Knight 
has  joined  the  great  majority,  and  it  is  proper  for 
us  to  pause  a  moment  and  briefly  review  some  of 
the  characteristics  of  a  life  so  intimately  blended 
with  the  interests  of  our  fraternity. 

"Sir  Knight  Joseph  Blodgett  Paul  was  dubbed 
and  created  a  Knight  of  the  valiant  and  magnani- 
mous Order  of  Knights  Templar  in  Damascus  Com- 
mandery  on  June  28,  1880,  and  on  November  29, 
1893,  a  summons  came  to  him  from  the  Supreme 
Ruler  of  the  Universe  to  join  the  valiant  throng 
on  high;  in  that  asylum,  that  house  not  made  with 
hands,  eternal  in  the  Heavens;  and  with  a  faith  in 
Him  who  doeth  all  tilings  well,  obeyed  the  Mas- 
ter's call  and  entered  into  that  rest,  to  which  all 
true  and  valiant  Templars  are  awarded. 

"Immediately  upon  joining  our  order,  Sir  Knight 
Paul  secured  a  uniform  and  became  one  of  the  ac- 
tive workers  in  the  Commandery,  always  wielding 
his  sword  in  defense  of  the  cause  in  which  he  had 
drawn  it.  He  was  elected  to  the  station  of  Junior 
Warden  for  1881;  rising  in  office,  until  1884  he 
was  elected  Eminent  Commander.  Sir  Knight 
Paul  has  ever  been  a  faithful  and  earnest  member, 
filling  several  of  the  most  important  offices  in  the 
order,  and  he  will  be  greatly  missed  within  our 
ranks,  for  he  was  acknowledged  to  be  a  Christian 
leader,  and  we  as  Masons  will  ever  revere  his  mem- 
ory and  virtues,  for  he  was  an  upright,  faithful 
Mason,  a  physician  of  eminence,  an  honor  to  man- 
kind, a  noble  Christian,  and  a  pillar  of  strength  to 
the  fraternity. 

"His  pilgrimage  is  ended,  and  his  warfare  is 
completed,  and  ere  long  the  Angel  of  Death  will 


knock  again  at  our  doors  to  summon  another,  and 
when  that  time  shall  come,  let  us  hope  that  we 
shall  one  and  all  be  ready  to  meet  at  the  Great 
White  Throne  of  Our  Supreme  Ruler,  having 
striven  to  advance  the  cause  of  purity  and  relig- 
ion, we  too  maj'  leave  the  world  better  because  we 
have  lived." 

"To  the  past  go  more  dead  faces 

Every  year; 
As  the  loved  leave  vacant  places 

Every  year; 

Everywhere  the  sad  eyes  meet  us, 
In  the  evening's  dusk  they  greet  us. 
And  to  come  to  them  entreat  us 

Every  year. 

"But  the  truer  life  draws  nigher 

Every  year; 
And  its  morning  star  climbs  higher 

Every  year; 

Earth's  hold  on  us  grows  slighter, 
And  the  heavy  burden  lighter, 
And  the  Dawn  Immortal  brighter 

Every  year." 

H.  A.  COLLIXS,  } 

F.  M.  COPPEL,  >  Com. 

ISAAC  N.  MITCHELL,  ) 
Approved  December  12,  1893. 


eW.  MOORE  is  the  proprietor  and  manager 
of  a  first-class  livery  and  feed  stable  in  Bath, 
where  he  has  a  good  building,  well  and  com- 
fortably arranged.  It  affords  shelter  for  a  number 
of  fine  horses,  a  good  supply  of  buggies,  carriages 
and  the  various  appurtenances  belonging  to  the 
business  in  which  Mr.  Moore  is  now  well  estab- 
lished. He  was  born  in  Lynchburg  Township,  this 
county,  March  12,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
Moore,  whose  birth  occurred  October  30,  1817,  in 
Tennessee. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  to  farm  pur- 
suits, and  alternated  the  duties  of  a  farmer  lad  with 
attendance  at  the  district  school.  In  the  fall  of 
1837  he  emigrated  to  this  state  and  located  on  a 
farm  in  Greene  County,  where  his  father  had  pur- 
chased land.  The  latter  was  Thomas  Moore,  and 
his  wife  Mrs.  Sarah  (Mitchell)  Moore.  They  were 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


645 


natives  of  Virginia  and  moved  to  Tennessee  in 
1816.  They  reared  a  family  of  seven  sons  and  five 
daughters,  and  departed  this  life  soon  after  mov- 
ing to  Illinois,  in  1842,  within  a  day  of  each  other. 
The  brothers  and  sisters  of  our  subject's  father 
were  William,  James,  Mercy,  Tyrus,  Thomas,  Zach- 
arias,  Sarah,  Mary,  Nathaniel  and  Laura. 

John  Moore  removed  from  Greene  County  to 
this  section  in  1844,  and  located  in  Lynchburg 
Township,  where  he  purchased  property  and  began 
farm  work.  He  had  learned  the  trade  of  a  mason 
prior  to  coming  hither,  and  followed  the  business 
in  connection  with  his  farm  duties  during  the 
greater  part  of  his  life.  lie  was  married  January 
15,  1848,  to  Miss  Susan  Bowen,  who  was  born  April 
22,  1828,  in  Montgomery  County,  N.  Y.,  and  was 
the  daughter  of  Caleb  and  Rutli  (Randall)  Boweu, 
also  natives  of  the  above  county.  Her  parents, 
who  were  born  respectively  in  1790  and  1792, 
were  married  in  April,  1815,  and  in  1835  they  came 
to  Hancock  County,  this  state,  and  farmed  for  five 
years,  when  they  moved  into  this  county  and  pur- 
chased land  on  which  they  spent  the  remaining 
years  of  their  life.  The  ten  children  of  whom  they 
were  the  parents  were:  Peter,  Catherine,  Margaret, 
Andrew,  Julia  Maria,  Angelica,  Susan,  Nancy, 
Christina  V.  and  William  H. 

The  parental  family  included  eight  children. 
Sarah,  who  married  William  Sorff,  resides  in  Lynch- 
burg Township;  Lovina  became  the  wife  of  G. 
Taylor;  C.  W.,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  next  in  or- 
der of  birth;  Mary  E.  married  William  Ketchum 
and  makes  her  home  in  this  township;  John  E. 
married  Emma  Deahn  and  is  living  in  this  state; 
Susan  E.  died  in  July,  1881;  Hattie  J.  is  the  wife 
of  George  W.  Lacy  and  resides  in  Bath;  Francis 
H.  is  single. 

Our  subject  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  this 
county,  with  the  exception  of  the  first  six  weeks 
spent  on  earth.  He  attended  the  village  school 
and  was  married  April  20,  1890,  to  Miss  J.  Work- 
man, whose  birtli  occurred  in  Cass  County,  June 
20,  1864.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Jesse  and  Julia 
(Foster)  Workman,  also  natives  of  that  county, 
who  came  to  Mason  County  in  1872,  where  they 
are  now  living  in  Bath  Township. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  has  been  born  a  son, 


Clyde.  Besides  his  livery  stable,  our  subject  owns 
an  eighty-acre  farm  in  this  township,  which  he  has 
placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He 
identifies  himself  witli  the  Democratic  party,  and 
has  served  his  fellow-citizens  in  the  capacity  of 
Constable  for  several  terms.  He  is  known  and 
respected  for  the  honesty  and  sincerity  of  hischar- 
acter,  and  has  the  friendship  of  the  best  men  in 
the  community. 

;1LLIAM    VINCENT    BAILY.      Tazewell 

County  is  justly  proud  of  her  native- 
born  citizens  who  are  honorably  bearing 
their  share  in  sustaining  her  interests  and  extend- 
ing her  wealth.  Among  these  is  the  subject  of 
this  biographical  review,  who  is  one  of  the  most 
progressive  and  enlightened  farmers  of  Dillon 
Township,  and  also  one  of  its  largest  land  owners, 
his  possessions  aggregating  five  hundred  acres  of 
valuable  land. 

Our  subject  was  born  on  the  banks  of  the  Mack- 
inaw, in  the  above  township,  on  the  llth  of  March. 
1831,  and  is  the  son  of  Dr.  Jeremiah  Baily,  a 
native  of  Chester  Count}*,  Pa.,  where  his  birth 
occurred  in  1805.  There  the  grandfather,  Vincent 
Baily,  was  born,  and  thence  he  subsequently  went 
to  Baltimore,  Md.,  where  the  early  life  of  our 
subject's  father  was  spent,  and  where  he  also  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  business  in  company  with  his 
uncle,  George  Baily. 

Dr.  Baily  lias  three  brothers,  the  eldest  of  whom, 
Samuel  P.,  was  an  attorney,  and  coming  to  this 
state  in  1830,  practiced  law  in  Pekin  until  his  de- 
cease. Bernard,  the  next  in  order  of  birth,  was 
the  first  Mayor  of  Pekin,  and  is  now  residing  in 
Peoria,  where  he  has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace  for  thirty-five  years.  The  other  brother, 
Isaac,  died  when  in  his  twentieth  year. 

The  father  of  our  subject  came  to  Illinois  iu 
1825, and  after  spending  some  time  in  Galena,  re- 
moved to  Pekin,  and  was  engaged  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  in  that  city  for  several  years 
in  company  with  David  Bailey,  who,  although 
bearing  the  same  name,  was  in  no  way  related  to 
him.  When  retiring  from  business  life  in  Pekin 
he  removed  to  Dillon  Township,  and  soon  after- 


646 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ward  erected  on  his  farm  a  saw  and  grist  tread- 
mill, run  by  oxen,  which  he  operated  for  three  or 
four  years. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  about 
1829,  the  maiden  name  of  the  mother  being  Mir- 
iam Brown.  She  was  born  in  Lancaster  County, 
Pa.,  in  1805,  and  was  the  daughter  of  William 
and  Rachel  Brown,  prominent  Quakers  in  that 
state.  The  mother  of  our  subject  had  several 
brothers,  of  whom  Isaiah  went  to  California  in 
1852,  and  there  died,  leaving  a  family.  Joshua 
makes  his  home  near  Bloomington,  this  state; 
Milner  became  one  of  the  wealthy  men  of  this 
county,  and  at  his  death  left  a  large  fortune  to 
his  only  child,  Mary,  who  is  now  Mrs.  S.  D. 
Wood.  Daniel,  who  also  became  very  wealthy, 
was  killed  by  a  mad  bull,  and  his  widow,  Mrs. 
A.  L.  Brown,  lives  on  the  estate  left  to  the  two 
sons.  One  of  Mrs.  Baily's  sisters,  Hester,  married 
J.  W.  Fell,  who  was  the  founder  of  the  Blooming- 
ton  Pantagrapli.  For  a  more  complete  history  of 
the  Brown  family  the  reader  is  referred  to  the 
sketch  of  Daniel  or  Milner  Brown,  elsewhere  in 
this  volume. 

Dr.  Jeremiah  Baily  also  crossed  the  plains  to 
California  in  1852,  but  returned  soon  after.  He 
departed  this  life  in  1880,  and  was  followed  to 
the  better  land  by  his  good  wife  in  1881.  Our 
subject  was  the  eldest  of  four  brothers,  of  whom 
Joshua  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  late  war  as  a 
member  of  the  Seventy-third  Illinois  Infantry. 
At  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  he  was  shot  in  the 
neck,  and  although  he  was  thought  to  have  been 
mortally  wounded,  it  was  but  six  weeks  until  he 
was  back  in  the  ranks.  He  served  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  and  was  First  Lieutenant  of  his  com- 
pany. After  peace  was  established,  he  went  to 
southern  Missouri,  where  he  purchased  a  large 
tract  of  land  and  died  several  years  ago,  leaving 
a  wife  with  two  children.  Another  brother,  Jo- 
seph, also  removed  to  Missouri  about  that  time, 
and  still  makes  his  home  there.  Cyrus,  who  was 
likewise  a  member  of  the  Seventy-third  Illinois 
Infantry,  is  living  at  Lincoln,  Neb.  The  three 
sisters  of  our  subject  are  Eliza,  Mrs.  Jesse  Black- 
burn, who  lived  and  died  at  Normal;  Frances, 
the  wife  of  William  Haines,  residing  in  Missouri; 


and  Rachel,  who  married  James  Davis  and  is  liv- 
ing in  Carthage,  Mo. 

In  his  youth  our  subject  was  a  student  in  the 
college  at  Galesburg.  He  has  been  a  resident  of 
this  county  during  his  entire  life,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few  years  when  he  lived  in  Warren 
County,  and  was  engaged  in  running  a  sawmill. 
While  living  in  the  latter  count}',  he  was  married, 
March  2,  1852,  to  Miss  Bethania  C.  Ferguson, 
who  was  born  in  Oxford,  Butler  Count}',  Ohio, 
May  27,  1832.  Her  father,  Rev.  William  Finley 
Ferguson,  D.  D.,  was  born  July  24,  1804,  and  be- 
came a  minister  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He 
was  a  graduate  of  Miami  University,  at  Oxford, 
Ohio,  in  which  he  afterward  became  Professor  of 
Mathematics,  and  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divin- 
ity was  conferred  upon  him  by  this  school.  At 
his  death,  in  1853,  he  was  President  of  McDon- 
ough  College,  at  Macomb,  this  state. 

The  mother  of  Mrs.  Baily,  prior  to  her  marriage, 
was  Miss  Salome  Snow, .and  she  was  born  in  Barn- 
stable  County,  Mass.,  July  7,  1804.  Her  parents 
reared  a  family  of  sixteen  children,  thirteen  of 
whom  attained  mature  years  and  married.  Mrs. 
Ferguson  died  in  1835,  when  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
B.  F.  Baily,  was  only  three  years  of  age.  The 
latter  had  four  sisters,  and  her  only  brother,  Jo- 
seph, died  in  infancy.  Sophronia  Snow  Ferguson 
was  born  in  1827,  and  when  twenty  years  of  age 
was  married  to  Rev.  Reuben  S.  Monroe,  a  Baptist 
preacher  at  Thornton,  Ind.  They  are  both  now 
deceased.  Mary  C.  was  born  in  1829,  and  died 
in  Monmouth,  this  state,  in  1851.  Lydia  Ann, 
born  in  1834,  was  married  in  1853,  in  the  above 
place,  to  James  Brown,  and  died  many  years  ago. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  had  the  advantages  of 
a  good  education,  becoming  fluent  in  the  use  of 
French,  and  also  studying  Greek.  Commencing 
life  with  nothing,  Mr.  Baily  has  by  industry  and 
economy  accumulated  a  large  estate,  the  greater 
portion  of  which  he  rents.  Though  advanced  in 
years  he  is  constantly  at  work,  and  has  given 
special  attention  to  stock-raising,  having  upon  his 
place  some  very  line  animals.  In  his  political  be- 
lief he  has  voted  with  the  Republican  party  since 
its  organization,  but  in  no  sense  has  been  an  office- 
seeker. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


647 


Of  the  nine  children  born  to  our  subject  and 
his  wife,  only  six  are  living.  Milner  Brown,  born 
in  Dillon  Township,  December  23,  1852,  was  mar- 
ried, in  1880,  to  Miss  Laura  Kurd;  he  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  the  Iowa  State  University,  and  is  a  promi- 
nent attorney  in  Dunlap,  that  state.  Eva  V.,  born 
August  14,  1856,  was  married  in  1880  to  Allen 
II.  Taylor,  a  prominent  merchant  of  Delavan,  and 
they  have  two  children,  Reuben  Brown  and  Anna 
L.  Daniel  Brown  was  born  August  4,  1857,  and 
died  March  8,  1860.  Miriam,  born  April  30,  1861, 
became  in  1882  the  wife  of  Thomas  II.  McKinstry 
who  died  in  California  in  1883;  in  1888  she  mar- 
ried Charles  L.  Waltmire,  a  lumberman  living  in 
Delavan.  William  Ferguson  was  born  October  7, 
1863,  and  died  March  21,  1864.  Mary  Fergu- 
son, whose  birth  occurred  April  21,  1865,  died 
March  21,  1866.  Vernon  Vincent,  born  July  26, 
1867,  married  in  1888,  Mary,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Pawson,  of  Delavan  Township,  and  is  now  the 
owner  and  occupant  of  a  farm  adjoining  that  of 
his  father;  they  have  three  children:  Pawson  H., 
Clifford  V.  and  Reuben  W.  Henry  Snow,  born 
November  12,  1870,  married  in  February,  1893, 
Miss  Jessie,  daughter  of  Jerome  Baily,of  Delavan, 
and  resides  upon  a  farm  west  of  that  city.  Kffle 
Sophronia  was  born  November  30,  1873,  and  is 
at  home  witli  her  parents. 


,,.(  DAM  LIST  stands  among  the  foremost  of 
the  successful  farmers  who  have  contrib- 


lii  uted  so  greatly  to  the  development  of 
Mason  County.  His  interest  is  centered 
in  Crane  Creek  Township,  where  he  has  six  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  land,  which  is  one  of  the 
largest  and  best  managed  farms  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  He  is  actively  and  successfully  engaged  in 
its  cultivation,  and  for  many  years  has  reaped 
handsome  profits  from  his  stock  interests. 

Mr.  List  was  born  January  27,  1835,  in  Bedford 
County,  Pa.,  and  is  the  son  of  Lewis  List,  a  native 
of  Germany,  who  on  emigrating  to  America  located 
in  the  Keystone  State.  In  1835  the  father  crossed 
the  country  to  this  state,  making  his  home  at  first 


in  Peoria.  Later  he  located  on  the  farm  in  Taze- 
well  County,  which  he  entered  from  the  Govern- 
ment, paying  for  it  $1.25  per  acre.  He  improved 
eight}'  acres  of  this  tract  and  resided  on  it  until 
his  decease  in  about  1846. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mrs.  Catherine 
(Gaeble)  List,  was  also  born  in  the  Fatherland, 
whence  she  came  to  America  when  in  her  twenty- 
fifth  year.  Like  her  husband  she  too  made  her 
home  in  Pennsylvania,  and  after  her  marriage  ac- 
companied him  on  his  various  removals,  departing 
this  life  in  this  state,  when  in  her  seventy-fifth 
year.  She  reared  a  family  of  eight  sons.  Her 
only  daughter  died  when  an  infant. 

He  of  whom  we  write  is  the  second  child  in 
order  of  birth  of  his  parents'  family,  and  was  only 
three  months  old  when  the  removal  was  made  to 
Peoria.  When  a  lad  of  eleven  years  he  began  to 
make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  and  worked  out 
by  the  month  on  farms.  He  was  engaged  at  this 
a  short  time,  however,  when,  in  company  with  his 
brothers,  he  began  the  improvement  and  cultiva- 
tion of  the  land  which  his  father  had  entered  from 
the  Government,  in  Tazewell  County. 

In  October,  1861,  Adam  List  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Elizabeth  Kile,  a  native  of  Taze- 
well County.  After  their  union  the  young  couple 
located  on  a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  which  now 
comprises  a  portion  of  our  subject's  valuable  es- 
tate. He  has  prosecuted  Ins  calling  with  good  suc- 
cess, adding  to  his  farm  from  time  to  time  and 
placing  it  under  good  improvements.  He  now 
has  six  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  from  its  well 
cultivated,  highly  productive  fields,  reaps  rich  har- 
vests in  compensation  for  the  toil  and  care  ex- 
pended. He  has  watched  the  growth  of  his  town- 
ship with  pleasure,  promoting  it  in  his  capacity  of 
an  energetic  agriculturist.  The  land  is  divided 
into  two  bodies,  one-half  of  it  lying  in  Salt  Creek 
Township  and  the  remainder  in  Crane  Creek  Town- 
ship, on  which  is  located  the  farm  residence.  This 
was  built  in  1878  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  Mr.  List  has 
also  placed  convenient  barns  and  outbuildings  on 
his  estate,  and  gives  considerable  attention  to  stock 
breeding. 

The  three  sons  and  three  daughters  comprised 
in  the  household  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  are, 


648 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Charles  F.,  a  farmer  of  Salt  Creek  Township;  Julia 
E.,  at  home  with  her  parents;  Lewis  A.,  an  agri- 
culturist living  in  Crane  Creek  Township;  E.  J.,  a 
veterinary  surgeon  located  in  Havana;  Katie  M. 
and  Matilda  M.  M.,  residing  at  home.  Prior  to 
his  advent  into  this  county  our  subject  had  learned 
the  carpenter  trade  and  also  for  some  time  oper- 
ated a  threshing  machine.  He  is  truly  a  self- 
made  man,  and  unlimited  praise  is  rightfully  be- 
stowed upon  him  for  the  noble  manner  which  he 
has  battled  with  the  trials  and  privations  that  the 
poor  are  compelled  to  endure.  Political!}',  he  has 
been  a  life  long  Democrat  and  served  as  School 
Director  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 


W.  TAYLOR,  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser 
residing  on  section  7,  Allen's  Grove  Town- 
ship, Mason  County,  is  the  son  of  Joseph 
and  Lucinda  (Houchin)  Taylor,  natives  of 
Kentucky,  who,  removing  to  Indiana,  there  met 
and  married.  In  April,  1851,  they  came  to  Illinois, 
the  trip  being  made  with  ox-teams  and  consuming 
eighteen  days.  Arriving  in  Mason  County  they 
settled  in  Allen's  Grove  Township.  Like  the 
majority  of  the  pioneers  who  came  to  this  section, 
they  were  poor  in  purse,  but  rich  in  energy  and 
hope  for  the  future.  Their  first  property  con- 
sisted of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  swamp 
land,  entered  from  the  Government  in  1851. 

After  preparing  a  home  for  the  family,  Mr. 
Taylor's  next  task  was  to  keep  the  proverbial  wolf 
from  the  door.  In  order  to  do  this  he  engaged  in 
breaking  prairie  for  others,  while  B.  W.,  the  eldest 
of  the  children,  raised  the  first  crop,  which  con- 
sisted of  ten  acres  of  corn.  In  those  early  days 
the  mother  wove  the  cloth,  from  which  she  after- 
ward made  the  garments  worn  by  the  family. 
Industry  nnd  energy  resulted  in  the  acquisition  of 
a  valuable  property,  and  at  one  time  the  father 
owned  eleven  hundred  acres  of  choice  farm  land. 
In  the  family  of  Joseph  and  Lucinda  Taylor 
there  were  ten  children,  of  whom  the  following 
survive:  B.  W.;  John;  Melinda,  who  is  married 
and  lives  in  Mason  County;  Lucy,  also  a  resident 


of  this  county,  and  Melissa  J.,  of  Mason  City. 
The  mother  of  these  children  is  deceased;  the 
father,  now  seventy-two  years  of  age,  makes  his 
home  in  Mason  City. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Harriet  E.  Hill,  who  was  born  in 
Scott  Count}',  111.,  August  6,  1850.  She  is  one  of 
ten  children  comprising  the  family  of  William 
and  Mildred  (Mason)  Hill.  Five  of  the  number 
are  now  living:  Cynthia,  Sarah,  Louisa,  John  and 
Harriet.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taylor  are  the  parents  of 
six  children,  as  follows:  Harry,  who  married  Miss 
Fanny  Dowell,  and  lives  in  Allen's  Grove  Town- 
ship; R.  A.,  who  is  telegraph  operator  for  the 
Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  at  Mason  City;  Char- 
les L.,  Benjamin  W.,  Jr.,  who  married  Miss  Flora 
B.  Hess,  and  lives  in  Allen's  Grove  Township; 
Joseph  and  Bessie,  who  reside  with  their  parents. 
The  children  have  been  given  the  best  advantages 
for  obtaining  good  educations,  and  have  received 
such  home  training  as  will  make  them  honored 
citizens  of  any  community  where  they  may  reside. 

Politically,  Mr.  Taylor  afliliates  with  the  Demo- 
crats, and  has  held  the  position  of  Supervisor  for 
five  years.  He  has  also  served  as  Collector,  Road 
Commissioner,  School  Director  and  Trustee,  and  as 
a  public  servant  has  given  entire  satisfaction  to  the 
people.  He  is  one  of  the  large  land  owners  of 
the  county,  having  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in 
the  home  farm  land,  and  three  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  acres  on  sections  5  and  6,  township  21, 
range  5,  and  section  31,  township  22,  range  5. 
Upon  starting  out  in  life,  he  was  given  by  his 
father  seventy-four  acres,  which  formed  the  nu- 
cleus of  his  present  broad  possessions. 

In  connection  with  Capt.  S.  Bivens  and  E. 
Starrett,  our  subject  was  instrumental  in  securing 
the  ditching  of  the  big  swamp  in  Mason  and 
Tazewell  Counties.  He  signed  the  bond  to  guar- 
antee the  payment  of  the  expense  of  districting, 
surveying,  and  paying  the  court  providing  the 
enterprise  failed.  ]t  did  not,  however,  fail,  but 
has  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  beneficial  im- 
provements, whether  of  a  public  or  private  nature, 
in  this  section  of  the  state.  It  has  converted 
thousands  of  acres  of  once  waste  and  worthless 
land  into  productive  property,  and  too  much 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


649 


praise  cannot  be  bestowed  upon  the  gentlemen  to 
whose  persistent  efforts,  in  the  face  of  all  opposi- 
tion, is  due  the  success  of  the  enterprise. 


J~|OHN  SHREFFLER  KENNELLY,  M.  D., 
who  is  now  successfully  engaged  iu  the 
•  practice  of  medicine  in  Easton,  has  the 
honor  of  being  a  native  of  Illinois,  for  he 
was  born  in  Plainfield,  Will  Count}',  this  state,  on 
the  10th  of  August,  1853.  His  father,  Daniel 
Kennelly,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1811,  and 
came  of  an  old  family  of  that  state.  His  mother, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Goist,  was 
born  in  the  Keystone  State  in  1819,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Henry  Goist.  Her  death  occurred  in 
1888,  but  Mr.  Kennelly  is  still  living,  his  home 
being  in  Joliet.  Their  seven  children  are  all  yet 
living,  namely:  Henry  G.,  Winfield  S.,  Samuel  M., 
John  S.,  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Soper,  Mrs.  Doubbleline 
Bischman,  and  Frank  C.  The  eldest  son  entered 
the  army  when  sixteen  years  of  age  as  a  member 
of  the  Forty-sixth  Illinois  Infantry,  was  made 
Sergeant,  afterwards  became  Second  Lieutenant, 
and  later  served  as  Adjutant  on  the  staff  of  a 
general.  He  was  in  the  service  throughout  the 
entire  war. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  Dr. 
Kennelly,  knowing  that  it  will  prove  of  interest 
to  many  of  our  readers.  He  was  reared  in  his 
native  county,  and  his  early  education,  acquired  in 
the  common  schools  was  supplemented  by  study  in 
the  high  school  of  Plainfield,  and  in  Naperville 
College.  In  1876  he  came  to  Mason  County, 
where  he  engaged  in  teaching  school.  Wishing  to 
enter  the  medical  profession  and  make  its  practice 
his  life  work,  he  began  studying  with  Dr.  J.  W. 
Downey,  of  Topeka,  111.  Subsequently  he  at- 
tended a  course  of  lectures  at  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and 
was  graduated  from  that  institution  in  the  Class 
of  '80.  In  June  of  the  same  year  he  opened  an 
office  in  Easton,  and  lias  since  been  continuously 
engaged  in  practice  in  this  place. 

Dr.   Kennelly   was   united   in  marriage  in  June, 


1882,  with  Miss  Fannie  McReynolds, a  daughter  of 
John  M.  McReynolds,  who  is  living  in  Quiver 
Township,  Mason  County.  The  lady  was  born  on 
the  28th  of  August,  1853,  in  this  county,  and  was 
educated  in  the  Female  College  of  Jacksonville, 
after  which  she  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  a 
time.  To  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  were  born  two 
children,  Frank  Clair,  who  was  born  March  21, 
1883;  and  Fred  Herald,  who  died  February  28, 
1890,  at  the  age  of  four  years  and  seven  months. 
The  parents  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  are  numbered  among  the 
best  citizens  of  this  community. 

Dr.  Kennelly  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason, 
belonging  to  the  Blue  Lodge  of  Mason  City,  and 
to  the  Chapter  Commandery  of  Havana.  In 
politics  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Republican  party.  He  has  served  as  Pres- 
ident of  the  School  Board,  is  a  member  of  the 
Brainard  District  Medical  Society,  of  which  he 
served  as  President  in  1883,  and  also  belongs  to  the 
State  Medical  Society.  He  has  often  furnished 
contributions  to  medical  journals,  and  has  several 
times  prepared  and  read  papers  before  the  medical 
societies.  He  is  now  enjoying  a  good  practice, 
which  has  been  won  through  his  skill  and  ability, 
and  in  the  line  of  his  profession  in  Mason  County, 
he  occupies  a  high  position. 


ILTON  S.  McCLINTICK,  Supervisor  of 
Crane  Creek  Township,  Mason  County, 
and  the  owner  of  property  on  section  24, 
was  born  in  Tazewell  County,  111.,  May  16, 
His  father,  George  S.,  was  a  native  of 
Virginia,  and  thence  was  brought  to  Illinois  by  his 
parents  at  the  age  of  two  years,  growing  to  man- 
hood in  Tazewell  County.  Grandfather  Robert 
McClintick,  a  native  of  the  Old  Dominion,  came 
to  Illinois  about  1836,  and  became  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Tazewell  County.  Our  subject's 
mother,  Sarah  J.,  was  born  in  Ohio,  but  was  reared 
in  Missouri  and  Illinois.  She  died  at  the  age  of 
about  fifty  years. 

Our   subject    is  the    younger    of  two   children 
comprising   the    family    of  George  S.  McClintick. 


1863. 


650 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


He  came  to  Mason  County  at  the  age  of  five 
years,  and  was  afterward  a  student  in  the  schools 
of  the  home  locality.  In  the  fall  of  1884,  he 
settled  on  the  place  where  he  now  resides.  Sep- 
tember 21,  1887,  he  married  Miss  Sophia  E.  Berger, 
a  native  of  Mason  County,  111.,  and  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Mary  Berger.  They  are  the  parents 
of  three  children,  Bessie  L.,  Clyde  and  Seth. 

The  farm  occupied  and  operated  by  Mr.  McClin- 
tick  consists  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
valuable  land,  upon  which  have  been  placed 
suitable  improvements.  In  the  public  affairs  of 
the  county  he  takes  an  intelligent  interest,  and 
gives  his  support  to  all  measures  for  the  benefit  of 
the  people.  In  1893,  he  was  elected  upon  the 
Republican  ticket  to  the  office  of  Township  Super- 
visor, and  he  has  since  served  acceptably  in  that 
office.  Socially  he  affiliates  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  belonging  to  Lodge  No.  213,  at  Mason 
City. 

W* — •  . 


C.  HARL.  The  journalistic  profession  is 
one  of  such  peculiar  nature,  so  complicated 
in  its  literary  and  business  channels,  that 
to  call  a  man  an  editor  has  become  equiva- 
lent to  saying  that  he  is  apt  in  speech,  acute  in 
perception  and  well  versed  in  mind.  In  this  age 
of  the  world  an  uneducated  man  cannot  conduct 
a  paper  even  in  what  might  be  called  the  "back 
woods,"  and  much  less  in  the  midst  of  an  en- 
lightened community,  who  demand  that  their 
local  papers  shall  be  spicy,  newsy  and  readable. 
All  these  characteristics  are  true  of  the  Bath 
Sentinel,  which  is  edited  by  the  subject  of  this  bio- 
graphical notice. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Metamora,  Woodford 
County,  this  state,  September  21,  1861,  and  is  the 
son  of  G.  L.  Ilarl,  whose  birth  occurred  July  12, 
1825,  in  Loudoun  County,  Va.  The  latter  came 
with  his  parents  to  Beardstown.  this  state,  their 
family  including  eight  children.  The  paternal 
grandparents  of  our  subject,  James  and  Susan  F. 
(Shoemaker)  Ilarl,  were,  natives  respectively  of 
Wales  and  Virginia.  The  time  of  their  removal 
to  this  state  was  in  the  fall  of  1833,  and  the  father 


died  the  following  year.  His  family  resided  in 
Beardstown  for  about  six  years,  and  in  1840 
located  in  Jacksonville,  where  the  father  of  our 
subject  learned  the  printer's  trade,  working  in  the 
office  "Goudy  on  the  weather." 

After  spending  nine  months  in  the  above  city, 
G.  L.  Harl  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  thoroughly 
mastered  the  art  preservative  in  the  office  of  the 
St.  Louis  Republic,  and  soon  thereafter  took  up  his 
abode  in  Peoria,  this  state,  working  on  the  Inde- 
pendent. To  him  belongs  the  distinction  of  having 
done  the  first  job  work  in  the  city.  About  1856 
he  moved  to  Tiskilwa,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
publication  of  the  Tiskilwa  Independent  about  one 
year,  after  which  he  published  the  Galva  Watch- 
man for  six  months.  Upon  selling  the  latter  paper 
he  returned  to  Peoria,  and  was  employed  on  the 
Transcript  until  the  fall  of  1861,  when  he  removed 
with  his  family  to  Metamora,  finding  employment 
in  the  office  of  the  Sentinel.  In  1866,  in  company 
with  Thomas  L.  Powers,  he  purchased  that  plant, 
and  they  continued  to  publish  the  paper  together 
until  1877.  That  year  Mr.  Harl  bought  his  part- 
ner's interest,  and  was  engaged  in  the  publishing 
business  until  his  decease,  July  12,  1891. 

The  lady  whom  G.  L.  Harl  married  March  12, 
1860,  was  Miss  Eliza  Thurlow.  She  was  born  in 
London,  England,  and  was  a  daughter  of  James 
and  Ann  (Golden)  Thurlow,  also  natives  of  that 
city.  Mrs.  Harl  came  with  her  father  and  three, 
brothers  to  America,  and  in  the  spring  of  1847 
located  with  them  in  Peoria.  Her  mother  had 
previously  died  in  London,  and  her  father  de- 
parted this  life  two  years  after  coming  to  the  New 
World.  Mrs.  Ilarl  is  still  living,  and  makes  her 
home  in  Bath  with  her  two  sons  and  daughter, 
Harry,  Ilervcy  and  Jennie  T.  Mary  C.,  the  other 
member  of  the  family,  was  born  in  1864,  and  died 
two  years  later. 

Harry  C.,  of  this  sketch,  learned  the  trade  of  a 
printer  in  his  father's  office  in  Metamora,  and 
entered  upon  that  business  in  1877.  On  his 
father's  death,  in  1891,  he  took  charge  of  the  paper, 
and  conducted  it  until  December  of  that  year, 
when  he  sold  the  plant,  but  again  purchased  it  in 
June,  1892.  That  year  he  moved  to  Washington 
and  with  a  partner  began  the  publication  of  the 


LlbKAItt 
Of  (Hi 

umvtKsm  of 


ISAAC   REED. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


653 


Washington  Herald.  The  following  November  he 
moved  to  Bath  and  established  the  Sentinel,  the 
increasing  circulation  of  which  indicates  that  its 
editor  has  ability  for  journalism. 


ISAAC  REED.  In  all  the  broad  expanse  of 
the  Mississippi  Valley  no  finer  farms  are  to 
be  found  than  those  which  are  located  in 
the  Prairie  State.  The  agriculturists  of  this  state 
are  generally  men  of  energy  and  good  judgment, 
under  whose  careful  management  the  fertile  soil 
yields  abundant^'  of  golden  grain  and  various 
fruits  in  their  season.  In  Mason  County,  Allen's 
Grove  Township  is  not  behind  other  sections 
in  attractive  and  remunerative  farms.  One  of 
these  is  occupied  by  the  subject  of  this  sketch  and 
comprises  six  hundred  and  eighty  acres. 

A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  our  subject  was  born 
in  Franklin  County  November  15,  1826,  and  is 
a  son  of  Jacob  and  Margaret  (Gunter)  Ueed, 
both  of  whom  were  born  in  the  Keystone  State. 
In  the  family  there  were  nine  children,  eight  of 
whom  are  still  living,  viz.:  Ephraim,  Frederick, 
Isaac,  Mary,  Sarah,  Margaret,  Elizabeth  and  Cath- 
erine. Solomon  died  after  arriving  at  manhood. 
At  the  age  of  about  ten  years  our  subject  went 
to  the  home  of  his  grandfather,  where  he  lived 
for  seven  years.  He  then  proceeded  to  Strasburg, 
near  which  place  he  spent  two  years  in  learning 
the  milling  trade.  Later  he  was  employed  for 
two  years  at  his  trade  in  Pennsylvania,  whence  he 
removed  to  Ohio  in  1848,  and  stopping  at  Day- 
ton, worked  in  a  mill  there  until  1850. 

During  that  year  Mr.  Reed  came  to  Illinois, 
and  in  Springfield  worked  at  his  trade  for  about 
eighteen  months.  From  there  he  removed  to 
Tazewell  County,  where  he  was  employed  in  a 
mill  for  six  years.  He  then  came  to  his  present 
home  in  Allen's  Grove  Township,  Mason  County. 
His  first  purchase  consisted  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  unimproved  land.  This  he  had 
broken  prior  to  coming  hither,  and  after  settling 
here  at  once  began  the  work  of  improvement  and 
cultivation.  As  he  was  prospered,  he  added  to 


his  first  purchase  until  he  now  owns  six  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  of  the  best  land  in  the  state. 
The  entire  tract  has  been  placed  under  cultiva- 
tion, and  the  home  farm  is  embellished  with  a 
commodious  residence  and  outbuildings  suitable 
for  the  storage  of  grain  and  the  shelter  of  stock. 
Of  the  latter  he  keeps  a  goodly  number  con- 
stantly on  the  farm. 

In  October,  1846,  Mr.  Reed  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Catherine,  daughter  of  Andrew 
and  Catherine  (Kinnard)  Hanegan.  They  were 
the  parents  of  two  children,  the  elder  of  whom, 
Jacob  A.,  is  deceased.  The  younger,  Leonard, 
was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  in  April,  1848, 
and  married  Miss  Henrietta  L.  McCollough.  by 
whom  he  has  three  living  children:  J.  I.,  Charles 
and  Kennith  L.  He  and  his  family  reside  on 
section  10,  Allen's  Grove  Township.  In  religious 
belief  Mr.  Reed  is  liberal,  but  contributes  to  the 
support  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  his 
wife  is  an  active  member.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat,  and  for  a  number  of  years  served  as 
Assessor  and  Supervisor  of  Allen's  Grove  Town- 
ship, in  which  positions  he  rendered  satisfactory 
service.  As  a  successful  agriculturist,  a  reliable 
citizen  and  an  honorable  man,  he  is  regarded  with 
respect  by  his  fellow-men,  particularly  in  the 
township  where  so  many  years  of  his  life  have 
been  spent,  and  where  he  is  so  well  known. 


X  G.  SPARROW,  a  well  known  agri- 
culturist  of  Hopedale  Township,  Tazewell 
County,  was  born  in  Logan  County,  Ky., 
March  25,  1825.  His  father,  Elias  Sparrow,  was 
born  in  Maryland,  but  went  to  Kentucky  when  a 
youth  of  fifteen  with  his  father,  who  was  also  a 
native  of  Maryland.  The  Sparrows  are  of  English 
lineage.  In  1827  the  family  came  to  Illinois,  lo- 
cating on  the  Mackinaw  River  not  far  from  the 
present  farm  of  our  subject,  to  which  they  removed 
after  a  short  time.  The  father  was  in  limited  cir- 
cumstances, and  although  a  settlement  had  been 
made  upon  Government  land,  it  was  still  subject  to 
entry  and  in  this  way  lie  lost  his  farm.  A  few 
}rears  later,  however,  Felix  purchased  the  place  and 


654 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


continued  to  make  their  home  thereon  during  their 
remaining  days.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Nancy  Barker,  and  was  also  a  native  of 
Kentucky. 

In  the  Sparrow  family  were  fourteen  children, 
of  whom  Felix  was  the  ninth  in  order  of  birth; 
with  the  exception  of  two  all  grew  to  mature  years. 
James  M.  and  Spencer  B.  both  died  of  measles  in 
the  Civil  War.  Only  three  of  the  family  are  now 
living  :  Emily,  who  is  the  wife  of  William  Hod- 
son,  of  Hopedale  Township,  and  Adeline,  Mrs.  Kerr. 

Mr.  Sparrow  of  this  sketch  had  but  limited 
school  privileges,  but  his  train  ing  at  farm  labor  was 
not  meagre.  From  an  earl}'  age  he  was  inured  to 
arduous  work,  and  throughout  life  he  has  carried 
on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  has  been  twice  mar- 
ried. He  wedded  Elizabeth  Bright,  who  died 
leaving  four  children,  of  whom  three  are  yet  living: 
Mrs.  Lavina  Morrow,  of  Nebraska;  Benjamin,  of 
Farmer  City,  111.;  John,  a  farmer  of  Boynton 
Township,  and  Mrs.  Emily  Louisa  Sands,  who  re- 
moved to  southwestern  Kansas,  where  her  death 
occurred. 

In  the  fall  of  1859,  Mr.  Sparrow  married  his 
present  wife.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mar- 
garet Lucy  Hannah,  and  was  the  widow  of  James 
Morris.  Her  father,  Newton  Hannah,  was  born  in 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  was  a  pioneer  of  Gallatin 
County,  111.  He  married  Ellen  Crawford,  a  native 
of  that  county,  and  removed  to  Brown  County, 
Kan.,  where  his  last  days  were  passed.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sparrow  were  born  eleven  children,  nine  yet 
living.  Serena  became  the  wife  of  John  Henshaw 
and  died  leaving  one  child.  Alma  is  the  wife  of 
William  Smalley,  of  Hopedale  Township.  Llewel- 
lyn is  at  home.  Ida  is  the  wife  of  Freeman  Smal- 
ley, of  Hopedale  Township,  by  whom  she  has  three 
children,  Harvey,  Glenn  and  Clifford.  Laura  G. 
is  the  wife  of  Harvey  Hess,  an  agriculturist,  and 
they  have  a  daughter,  Lottie.  Lucy  is  the  wife  of 
William  Smalley,  of  Hopedale.  Maggie  is  the  wife 
of  Charles  Smalley,  who  follows  farming  near 
Hopedale,  and  they  have  one  child,  Dot.  Julian 
and  Daisy  complete  the  family.  Three  sisters  of 
the  Sparrow  family  married  three  brothers  of  the 
Smalley  family,  and  one  daughter  married  an  uncle 
of  the  three  Smalleys  above  mentioned.  Mrs. 


Sparrow  had  two  brothers,  William  and  James,  who 
were  in  the  Civil  War,  and  died  from  the  effects 
of  their  service. 

Mr.  Sparrow  has  filled  several  local  offices,  and 
has  long  been  recognized  as  one  of  the  valued  and 
highl}'  respected  citizens  of  the  community.  For 
more  than  forty  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church;  his  wife  is  a  Presbyterian  and 
his  children  belong  to  the  Methodist  Church.  He 
has  also  been  a  Mason  for  many  years.  In  politics 
he  was  formerly  a  Whig,  but  has  been  a  Republi- 
can since  the  organization  of  the  party. 


IIILIP  S.  RIPPER.  One  of  the  fine  farms 
of  Tazewell  County  is  situated  in  Cin- 
cinnati Township,  and  is  owned  and  oper- 
ated by  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  one  of 
the  progressive  and  capable  agriculturists  of  the 
community.  He  is  of  German  birth,  having  been 
born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  October  8,  1837.  The 
family  of  which  he  is  a  representative  was  one  of 
prominence  in  that  province.  His  grandfather, 
Peter  Ripper,  Sr.,  was  born  in  the  same  locality 
and  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  He  passed  away  at 
the  age  of  about  seventy  years  in  the  faith  of  the 
Lutheran  Church,  of  which  he  had  long  been  a 
devoted  member. 

In  the  family  of  Grandfather  Ripper  there  were 
five  children,  viz.:  John,  Philip,  Leonard,  Peter 
and  Maggie,  the  latter  becoming  the  wife  of  Peter 
Getz.  The  father  of  our  subject,  Peter  Ripper, 
received  a  common-school  education  in  his  native 
land,  and  under  his  father's  instruction  learned 
the  trade  of  a  shoemaker.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  he  married  Miss  Maggie,  daughter  of  Daniel 
and  Caroline  Conrad,  and  after  his  marriage  began 
the  cultivation  of  a  farm  of  forty-three  acres.  For 
many  years  he  was  an  incumbent  of  school  and 
village  offices, and  in  his  religious  belief  supported 
the  doctrines  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  His  deatli 
occurred  at  the  age  of  forty-seven,  while  his  wife 
passed  away  when  fifty-four  years  old.  They 
reared  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  as  follows: 
Catherine,  who  married  Martin  Webber;  Leonhard; 
Peter,  a  soldier  in  the  Old  Country;  George;  Philip, 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


655 


of  this  sketch;  Adam,  whose  home  is  iu  St.  Louis; 
Maggie,  deceased;  and  Lizzie,  who  married  and 
is  now  deceased. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  years  Philip  S.  Ripper 
commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  tailor,  at 
which  he  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years, 
and  afterward  followed  the  trade  in  the  Old 
Country  about  two  years.  In  1857  he  emigrated 
to  the  United  States  in  company  with  a  brother, 
reaching  this  country  with  but  a  few  dollars  in 
his  possession.  He  came  at  once  to  Pekin,  arriv- 
ing in  this  city  in  August  of  the  same  year.  After 
working  at  his  trade  for  six  months,  he  was  em- 
ployed in  a  blacksmith  shop  for  one  and  one-half 
years,  and  then  worked  on  a  farm  for  John  Shafer, 
receiving  $150  and  board  per  year.  After  two 
and  a-half  years  thus  spent,  he  began  the  cultiva- 
tion of  rented  land,  and  two  years  later  bought 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  improved  and 
fifteen  acres  of  timber  land,  where  he  now  lives. 
The  place  cost  $4,500,  and  as  he  was  unable  to 
pay  cash  for  it,  he  was  obliged  to  incur  a  heavy 
indebtedness.  As  time  passed  by,  however,  he 
was  able  not  only  to  pay  off  the  debt,  but  also  to 
add  to  his  possessions,  which  at  the  present  time 
aggregate  three  hundred  and  fifteen  acres. 

In  1862  Mr.  Ripper  married  Miss  Eva,  daughter 
of  Philip  and  Eva  (Shafer)  Scherer.  Mrs.  Ripper 
was  born  in  Germany,  and  at  the  age  of  about 
two  years  was  brought  to  America  by  her  parents. 
She  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
which  at  her  death,  in  January,  1881,  lost  one  of 
its  valued  members.  Nine  children  blessed  this 
union,  two  of  whom  died  in  childhood.  The 
others  are  John,  William,  Peter,  Philip,  Jr.,  Mary, 
George  and  Eva.  They  have  received  excellent 
educations,  both  in  the  German  and  English  lan- 
guages, thus  becoming  fitted  for  honorable  posi- 
tions in  life. 

Politically,  Mr.  Ripper  is  a  stanch  Democrat. 
He  has  served  as  School  Director  and  School  Trus- 
tee, and  for  three  years  lilled  the  position  of 
Township  Collector.  Later  he  was  chosen  Super- 
visor of  the  township,  in  which  capacity  he  has 
served  for  ten  years.  In  him  the  Lutheran  Church 
has  one  of  its  active  workers;  he  officiated  as  its 
Treasurer  for  ten  years,  and  as  Secretary  for  a 


number  of  years.  His  daughter  Mary  has  kept 
house  for  him  since  she  was  twelve  years  of  age, 
and  is  a  lady  of  more  than  ordinary  ability,  her 
success  as  a  housekeeper  and  cook  being  univer- 
sally recognized  in  the  community.  The  family 
is  one  of  prominence  in  socially  circles,  and  its 
members  enjoy  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom  they 
come  in  contact. 


A.  NICHOLS,  the  well  known  editor  of 
the  Manito  Express  has  the  honor  of  be- 
ing a  native  of  Illinois,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Vermont,  this  state,  on  the 
14th  of  July,  1870.  His  father,  W.  II.  Nichols, 
was  born  in  New  York  about  1842,  and  was  a 
harness-maker  by  trade.  Having  arrived  at  years 
of  maturity,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Virginia  (Dairy)  Morrison,  of  Havana,  111.,  where 
they  have  since  resided.  Their  union  was  blessed 
with  three  children,  who  are  yet  living,  and  they 
lost  two:  S.  J.,  now  makes  his  home  in  Peoria; 
and  Mrs.  Olive  (Turner)  Spink,  who  is  living  in 
Havana,  and  has  one  child  by  her  first  husband 
and  one  by  her  second. 

Our  subject  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  under  the  parental  roof,  and  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  he 
started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  and 
began  learning  the  printer's  trade  in  the  office  of 
the  Republican,  of  Havana,  where  he  spent  three 
years.  He  was  next  employed  in  the  office  of  the 
Mason  County  Democrat,  where  he  remained  for 
nearly  a  year,  when  he  went  to  Toulon,  Stark 
County,  and  worked  for  one  year.  Returning 
home  on  the  expiration  of  that  period,  he  was  then 
once  more  employed  in  the  office  of  the  Havana  Re- 
publican, and  continued  his  connection  therewith 
until  1893. 

On  the  19th  of  August,  of  that  year,  Mr.  Nichols 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  E.  May  Havens, 
daughter  of  John  and  Eva  Havens.  Her  father 
was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation  in  his  early  days.  After  his  marriage, 
our  subject  came  to  Manito,  and  bought  out  the 


656 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Manito  Express,  of  which  he  is  still  editor  and  pro- 
prietor. It  is  a  five-column  quarto,  published 
weekly,  and  is  an  interesting  and  newsy  sheet, 
which  receives  from  the  public  a  liberal  patronage, 
which  is  well  deserved.  The  editor  is  a  young 
man,  but  he  handles  his  business  interests  with 
ability,  which  argues  well  for  his  success  in  future 
life.  A  pleasant,  genial  gentleman,  he  has  already 
made  many  warm  friends  in  Manito. 


ARIUS  WHITE  ORENDORFF,  one  of 
the  representative  farmers  of  Tazewell 
County,  now  living  in  Hopedale  Town- 
ship, has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  this 
community,  and  we  feel  assured  that  this  record 
of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our 
readers. 

•D.  W.  Orendorff  is  Corresponding  Secretary  for 
the  American  Orendorff  Reunion  Association. 
There  are  ten  branches  of  the  Orendorff  family  in 
America.  The  grandparents  of  the  branch  from 
which  the  pioneers  of  Tazewell  County  originated 
were  born  and  married  in  Prussia,  Germany. 
Christian  Ohrendorf,  Sr.,  born  November  15,  1726, 
was  a  military  officer  of  high  rank  in  Germany, 
and  married  Elizabeth  Miller,  a  Countess.  A  few 
years  later,  with  his  family  and  a  brother,  he  emi- 
grated to  America,  and  settled  in  Lancaster  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  about  the  middle  of  that  century.  About 
1765,  lie  moved  to  Sharpsburg,  Md.,  and  bought 
large  tracts  of  land  in  Maryland  and  Virginia, 
lie  built  extensive  flouring-mills  on  the  Big  Anti- 
etam,  where  he  managed  his  plantation  and  en- 
gaged in  milling  until  his  death,  December  10, 
1797. 

His  early  training,  thorough  knowledge  of 
human  nature,  and  his  position  in  life  made 
Christian  Ohrendorf  a  very  useful  and  influential 
member  of  the  Colonies,  before,  during,  and  after 
their  independence.  Three  of  his  sons  fought 
through  the  war,  and  lived  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of 
their  labors.  He  was  the  father  of  five  sons  and 
six  daughters.  His  third  son,  Christian  Ohrendorf, 


Jr.,  who  was  a  General  in  the  Revolution,  married 
Anna  Maria  Stille,  an  English  lad}',  and  died  at 
Martinsburg,  W.Va.;  some  of  his  descendants  live  at 
Hagerstown,  Md.,  and  Washington,  D.  C.;  his  son 
Perry  fought  under  Gen.  W.  H.  Harrison,  at  Ft. 
Meigs.  The  second  son,  Henry  Ohrendorf,  was 
taken  prisoner  by  the  British,  and  during  his  im- 
prisonment, in  the  absence  of  the  officer,  married 
said  officer's  daughter;  his  last  and  permanent 
location  was  Shepherdstown,  Va. 

John  Ohrendorf,  the  bachelor  son  of  Christian 
Ohrendorf,  Sr.,  and  the  Nirarod  of  the  family,  moved 
to  Kentucky  on  horse-back,  with  his  gun,  hounds, 
and  horn  in  hand,  by  which  he  announced  his 
approach  some  time  before  reaching  his  brother 
Christopher's  camp;  he  died  in  Logan  County, 
Ky.,  in  1807.  Jacob  Ohrendorf  married  Susan 
Miller,  and  received  by  will  the  home  plantation, 
mills,  and  stock,  with  a  reserve  of  one-third  for 
his  mother,  Elizabeth  Ohrendorf,  and  his  grand- 
mother, Elizabeth  Cophaver.  Among  the  provis- 
ions of  the  will  is  one,  that  the  other  "sons  had 
received  their  full  Legacies,"  and  another  for 
the  sale,  of  his  land  in  the  District  of  Columbia, 
a  part  of  which  is  now  occupied  by  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  Railroad,  the  proceeds  to  be  paid  to,  and 
equalize  "  The  Legacies  of  his  six  daughters."  The 
majority  of  the  descendants  of  Jacob  Ohrendorf  re- 
side in  Maryland.  Many  of  them  have  been,  and  are 
now  prominent  men  in  Baltimore  and  Washington, 
D.  C.  Recent  extracts  from  the  German  Reformed 
Church  Records  of  Hagerstown,  Md.,  show  that 
a  number  of  Henry,  Christian,  Jr.,  and  Jacob 
Ohrendorf's  children  were  baptized  there  between 
the  years  1795  and  1806. 

Of  the  six  daughters  of  Christian  Ohrendorf, 
Sr.,  the  following  is  noted;  Margaret,  born  in 
German}'  in  1747,  was  given  by  her  father  a  large 
tract  of  land  on  the  Little  Antietam.  After 
young  Jacob  Hess  completed  the  mills  for  Ilerr 
Ohrendorf,  on  the  Big  Antietam,  he  took  Peggy  to 
wife,  and  with  her  fled  to  the  land  of  Little 
Antietam,  where  he  built  a  large  dwelling,  Swiss 
barn,  and  flour-mill.  Margaret  died  in  1813, 
Jacob  in  1814,  leaving  a  large  family.  Elizabeth 
Ohrendorf  married  Peter  Stille,  an  Englishman, 
and  they  remained  until  death  on  their  farm  near 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


657 


Braddock,  Frederick  County,  Md.  Some  of  the 
descendants  live  in  Frederick  County,  a  number  in 
Washington,  D.  C.,  and  many  in  the  west.  Barbara 
Ohrendorf  married  a  Mr.  Keagan  in  1799,  and  they 
resided  near  Uagerstown,  Md.  Catharine  married 
John  Rohrer,  and  moved  to  Logan  County,  Ky. 
Their  descendants  live  in  Kentucky,  Illinois,  and 
many  of  the  Western  States.  Rose  was  born  on  the 
31st  of  January,  1780,  married  Jacob  RohreY,  March 
30,  1799,  and  moved  to  Frankfort,  Ky.,  their  family 
keeping  pace  witli  emigration.  Mary  Magdahne, 
the  belle  and  beauty  of  her  day,  rejected  a  pro- 
posal of  marriage  from  Gen.  Horatio  Gates,  on  the 
grounds  that  he  was  as  old  as  her  father.  Capt. 
Jonathan  Hager,  Jr.,  more  fortunate,  was  accepted 
the  next  day.  Captain  Hager  died,  December  18, 
1798,  leaving  his  beautiful  widow  with  one  child, 
Elizabeth,  and  a  very  large  estate.  Luther  Martin, 
the  most  distinguished  lawyer  in  the  state,  fell  in 
love  with  the  young  widow,  and  wrote  her  a 
number  of  letters  (the  first  dated  Annapolis,  May 
14,  1800.)  in  which  he  expressed  his  love  for  her, 
his  desire  for  a  kind  and  amiable  companion  for  life, 
&c.,  &c.  This  was  immediately  followed  by  another 
letter  in  which  he  incidentally  mentioned  his  large 
landed  estate  in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  and  a  prac- 
tice bringing  him  more  than  $  12,000  a  year.  An 
engagement  was  entered  into,  but  afterward 
broken,  Mrs.  Hager  having  learned  that  Mr. 
Martin  was  a  man  of  very  intemperate  habits. 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Mary  M. 
Hager,  married  Col.  Upton  Lawrence;  their  chil- 
dren and  grandchildren  may  be  found  in  Balti- 
more, Md.,  Washington,  D.  C.,  New  York  City,  St. 
Paul,  Minn.,  and  Little  Rock,  Ark. 

Christopher  Ohrendorf  was  born  in  Lancaster 
County,  Pa.,  November  23,  1752,  had  the  contract 
of  the  teams  in  hauling  the  product  of  his  father's 
mills  and  farm  from  Sharpsburg  to  Baltimore,  his 
management  of  teams  being  proverbial.  He  re- 
ceived an  appointment  to  serve  his  country  in  that 
line  during  the  Revolution.  March  21,. 1775,  he 
married  a  German  lady,  Mary  Thomas,  located 
near  Sharpsburg,  Md.,  moved  to  Virginia,  probably 
in  1797,  thence  to  Logan  County,  Ky.,about  1800. 
He  engaged  in  farming  and  milling,  and  died 
December  10,  1823.  By  this  union  were  born 


eight  sons  and  four  daughters;  Christian  married 
Mrs.  Mary  Wiseman,  a  sister  of  John  and  Jacob 
Rohrer,  and  they  had  thirteen  children;  Elizabeth 
married  a  Mr.  Miller;  Rosa'n  died  single,  aged 
thirty-one  years;  John,  born  January  7,  1782,  was 
twice  married.  He  was  an  expert  mechanic,  and 
he  and  Aaron  began  business  together  by  building 
and  operating  saw  and  grist  mills  on  the  Red 
River,  in  Logan  County,  Ky.  Absalom,  born 
January  13,  1786,  died  unmarried,  April  15,  1838, 
and  his  was  the  first  body  buried  in  the  Ohrendorf 
Cemetery;  he  owned  considerable  land  in  Taze well 
County,  111.  Noah  and  Enoch  died  young.  Leah, 
born  September  10,  1794,  married  William  Mor- 
gan, and  died  November  5,  1875.  Delilah,  after 
keeping  house  for  her  brother  John,  married 
John  Grubb,  at  an  advanced  age. 

Esau,  born  January  17,  1790,  was  united  in 
marriage  May  18,  1815,  with  Mary  E.  Miliken, 
who  in  her  youth  was  quite  a  belle.  This  union 
was  blessed  with  eight  sons  and  four  daughters. 
The  second  daughter,  Mary  Ann  O.  Milner,  was  a 
devout  Christian,  an  energetic  church  worker, 
founder,  and  a  prominent  worker  in  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church  at  Atlanta,  111.  Esau 
moved  to  Tazewell  County  in  1837  and  improved 
a  large  farm  on  section  33,  township  23. 

Enoch  T.,  born  November  29,  1799,  in  Jefferson 
County,  Va.,  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Logan  Coun- 
ty, Ky.,  and  came  with  Aaron  on  an  exploring 
tour  through  Illinois  in  1826.  The  autumn  of  the 
same  year  he  moved  to  Tazewell  County.  Elias 
Sparrow  and  John  Mosley  came  with  him  and 
located  in  township  23.  Enoch  T.  first  improved 
a  farm  on  the  Mackinaw,  but  after  shaking  for 
eighteen  months  with  an  early  Illinois  malaria, 
Aaron  pursuaded  him  to  settle  on  prairie  land 
that  the  former  had  selected  on  section  32,  town- 
ship 23.  He  was  a  successful  farmer,  an  active 
and  liberal  member  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  and  as  a  neighbor  was  beloved  by 
all,  especially  by  the  young  people  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. Of  his  family  of  five  children,  three  are 
living. 

Aaron,  the  fifth  child  of  Christopher  Ohrendorf, 
was  born  near  Sharpsburg,  Md.,  February  5,  1784. 
At  the  age  of  thirteen  years  he  and  his  parents 


658 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


moved  to  Harper's  Ferry  and  Shepherdstown,  Va., 
into  an  English  speaking  settlement,  where  the 
family  learned  and  ever  after  spoke  the  English 
language.  Later  he  moved  with  his  parents  to 
Logan  County,  Ivy.,  where  he  was  principal  team- 
ster in  hauling  the  farm  and  mill  products  to 
Nashville.  Tenn.  He  finished  his  education  at 
Sheplierdstown,  Va.,  in  1808,  his  studies  including 
civil  engineering.  On  returning  to  Kentucky, 
heing  deterred  by  Indian  trouble  from  filling  an 
appointment  as  government  surveyor  to  Illinois, 
he  and  his  brother  John  engaged  in  the  mill  busi- 
ness, first  erecting  a  saw  mill,  then  a  flour  mill, 
which  they  operated  together  until  Aaron  mar- 
ried. He  then  sold  his  interest  in  the  mills  to 
John,  and  moving  across  the  state  line  improved 
his  wife's  land,  in  Robertson  County,  Tenn.  He  was 
united  in  marriage  September  2,  1813,  with  Martha, 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Martha  (White)  McDow- 
ell, and  niece  of  Gen.  McDowell,  of  Revolutionary 
fame.  Her  ancestors  were  Scotch,  emigrating  to 
the  North  of  Ireland  and  thence  to  America,  locat- 
ing at  Cowpens,  S.  C.  She  had  two  sisters  and 
three  brothers,  Joseph,  Jarnes  and  Abner,  all  prom- 
inent ministers  in  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  early  settlers  in  Illinois. 

Concluding  so  make  an  exploring  trip  through 
Illinois,  early  in  1826  Aaron  Orendorff  and  his 
brother  Enoch  T.  started  for  this  state  on  horse- 
back, and  after  a  few  days'  travel  in  Illinois  they 
heard  of  Christopher  Orendorff.  Calling  on  .him, 
they  found  that  he  was  from  Maryland,  and  that 
Christian  Oluendorff,  Sr.,  of  Sharpsburg,  was  his 
uncle.  He  had  married  Elizabeth  Phillips,  of 
Hagerstown,  Md.,  about  1791,  moved  to  Georgia, 
thence  to  the  Carolinas,  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  and 
finally  to  Sugar  Creek,  111.,  in  1823.  Of  his  large 
family,  William  and  Thomas  located  in  Blooming 
Grove,  McLean  County.  William  was  for  many 
years  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  was  active  in  or- 
ganizing Tazewell  County.  John  located  in  Can- 
ton, 111.,  where 'his  son  and  son-in-law  are  manu- 
facturing agricultural  implements  under  the  firm 
name  of  Parlin  &  Orendorff.  Joseph  located  a 
farm  and  mills  on  Sugar  Creek. 

After  a  short  rest  Aaron  and  Enoch  T.  contin- 
ued their  journey,  passing  a  point  of  timber  on 


section  34,  township  23,  forded  the  Illinois  River 
near  Ottawa,  thence  went  west  and  south,  swim- 
ming the  Illinois  River  at  Ft.  Clark  on  horse- 
back. They  returned  through  township  23  N., 
range  3  W.,  where  they  made  selections  for  home 
sites,  Aaron  selecting  a  location  on  section  34. 
Returning  to  Tennessee  he  closed  his  business  there, 
and  moving  to  Illinois  opened  up  a  stock  farm  on 
section  34.  As  soon  as  the  lands  came  in  market 
he  entered  a  considerable  quantity  in  Tazewell  and 
Marshall  Counties. 

Politically,  Aaron  Orendorff  was  a  supporter  of 
Jacksonian  principles  and  the  African  Coloniza- 
tion Society.  The  dislike  of  slavery  was  one  of 
his  reasons  for  leaving  the  south,  and  having  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  low  moral  condition  of 
the  African  race,  he  was  conscientiously  opposed 
to  their  freedom  in  America.  He  was  a  devout 
member  and  an  Elder  in  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church,  with  which  his  children  united. 
He  never  sought,  nor  would  he  accept  the  offer 
of  public  office,  yet  he  was  influential  in  building 
up  the  country,  and  in  the  moral  and  mental  ad- 
vancement of  the  people.  He  was  the  first  to  in- 
troduce into  the  neighborhood  improved  stock, 
and  farm  implements,  investing  in  the  scouring 
plow  and  McCormick  reaper  as  early  as  1840  and 
1842.  In  his  house  the  first  school  was  taught  and 
the  first  sermon  preached  in  the  township. 

Mr.  Orendorff  and  his  wife  reared  a  family  of 
nine  children,  six  of  whom  were  born  in  Tennes- 
see, and  three  in  Illinois.  Thomas  H.,  born  Au- 
gust 22,  1814,  after  finishing  his  education  in 
Kentucky,  worked  at  the  tanner's  trade  with  his 
uncle,  Abner  McDowell,  in  Rushville,  III.;  Joseph 
McD.,  born  January  26,  1816,  returning  from 
school  in  Kentucky,  made  brick  one  season  for  the 
Delavan  Colony,  and  then  joined  his  brother  in 
the  tannery.  November  5,  1840,  Thomas  H.  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Letitia  C.  Mitchell,  a  niece 
of  Hon.  Henry  Grider,  U.  S.  C.,  of  Kentucky;  Jo- 
seph dying  June  28,  1842,  and  his  own  health  fail- 
ing, Thomas  sold  his  tanyard  and  settled  upon  a 
farm.  During  the  winter  of  1849-50,  he  went  into 
the  sawmill  business  with  his  brother,  Darius  W. 
lie  laid  out  the  town  of  Ilopedale  in  1853,  and  was 
appointed  Postmaster.  Darius  withdrew  from  the 


PORTRAIT    AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


659 


mill  and  Thomas  added  steam  power  and  flouring 
mill.  About  1860  he  entered  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness, which  he  pursued  the  remainder  of  his  active 
life.  He  was  an  Elder  in  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  enterprising  in  public  and  local 
improvements,  including  moral,  mental  and  relig- 
ious advancement.  Of  his  family  of  four,  only 
one  lived  to  mature  age.  Green  P.  Orendorff, 
born  November  24,  1844,  aided  his  father  in  his 
business  occupations,  and  served  two  terms  in  the 
Legislature.  After  his  father's  death,  December 
18,  1878,  Green  P.  continued  stock  farming  and 
banking  in  Ilopedale  for  seven  or  eight  years. 
He  then  sold  out  his  entire  property  in  Tazewell 
County,  invested  in  lands,  a  large  brick  and  tile 
factory,  and  laid  out  the  town  of  Lacon  at  his 
brick  and  tile  yards,  midway  between  Decaturand 
Birmingham,  Ala.,  where  he  now  resides. 

Delilah  J.  Orendorff,  born  January  5,  1818,  re- 
ceived her  last  schooling  in  Rushville,  111.,  in  1841, 
where  she  boarded  with  her  aunt.  She  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Samuel  McClure,  of  McLean 
County,  January  7,  1848,  and  reared  five  sons. 
Aaron  B.  McClure,  a  prosperous  farmer,  influential 
citizen  and  Elder  in  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Ilopedale.  Samuel  A.  McClure,  Jr., 
formerly  had  a  lumber  yard  in  Ilopedale,  but 
moved  to  Opolis,  Mo.,  where  he  is  engaged  in 
farming.  William  R.  McClure,  a  dealer  in  real  es- 
tate, first  in  the  southwest,  sold  his  lands  there 
and  opened  a  real  estate  oflice  in  New  York  City. 
Marion,  a  very  successful  farmer  of  McLean  Coun- 
ty, owns  a  number  of  farms  in  that  and  other 
counties,  and  resides  in  Bloomington,  111.  Milton 
H.  first  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  buggies 
and  carriages  in  Carthage,  Mo.,  but  his  trade  in 
agricultural  implements  is  now  his  chief  occupa- 
tion. 

After  the  death  of  Samuel  McClure,  Sr.,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1858,  his  widow  moved  to  Hopedale,  thence 
to  her  farm  on  sections  30  and  31,  Ilopedale  Town- 
ship, from  there  to  Lincoln,  111.,  where  she  died 
January  8,  1871.  From  girlhood  through  life  she 
was  a  most  modest  lady,  yet  a  leader  in  all  private 
and  public  associations,  from  the  varied  duties  re- 
quired in  household  affairs  to  those  of  an  exem- 
plary Christian  and  church  member. 


Mary  H.  Oreudorff,  born  August  20,  1820,  mar- 
ried David  VanDevender,  November  29,  1849,  and 
died  in  Delavan,  November  23,  1857.  In  child- 
hood she  had  for  playmates  not  only  the  white  and 
colored  children  of  Tennessee,  but  the  papoose  of 
the  native  Americans  in  the  early  settlement  of 
Tazewell.  Of  her  four  children,  two  are  living, 
Mahala  J.  Pugh,  at  Fremont,  Iowa,  and  Rachel  I)., 
at  Delavan,  111. 

Abigail  C.  Orendorff,  born  March  13,  1823,  mar- 
ried Mathias  Mount,  November  14,  1843, and  died 
June  2,  1853,  leaving  three  children,  Jasper  Mount, 
postmaster  at  Ilopedale,  111.;  Jane  (Mount)  Hess, 
and  Martha  (Mount)  Kinsey,  who  live  in  this 
County. 

Cyrus  W.  Orendorff,  born  August  18,  1825,  died 
December  21,  1848.  He  was  principal  plough-boy 
from  the  age  of  nine  years,  a  good  manager  on 
the  farm,  an  excellent  nurse  and  was  universally 
liked  in  the  community. 

Minerva  Orendorff,  born  March  17,  1830,  mar- 
ried Alfred  Reid,  and  the}'  reared  a  family  of  three 
sons  and  two  daughters. 

Solon  Orendorff,  born  December  26,  1832,  mar- 
ried Lydia  E.  Teft  April  22,  1858,  opened  and  op- 
erated a  farm,  was  interested  in  public  improve- 
ments; Elder  and  active  member  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church  at  Hopedale;  he  moved 
to  Pueblo,  Colo.,  about  1870,  and  owns  a  green- 
house and  a  ranch  near  the  city. 

Darius  W.  Orendorff  was  born  March  21,  1828, 
on  section  34,  township  23  north,  range  3  west,  in 
Hopedale  Township.  His  home  is  now  on  sections 
27,  33  and  34,  and  he  also  owns  two  farms  in  Ar- 
kansas. In  the  winter  of  1849-50  he  engaged  in 
the  sawmill  business  with  his  brother  Thomas.  In 
1853  they  laid  out  the  village  of  Ilopedale.  Da- 
rius withdrew  from  the  mill  and  afterwards  built 
a  number  of  the  first  houses,  the  first  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  Church  edifice  and  a  storehouse  in 
Ilopedale.  April  1,  1854,  he  opened  the  first  store 
here.  July  12,  1855,  he  married  Mary  J.  Walters, 
who  was  born  in  1831,  and  came  from  Ohio  with 
her  parents,  settling  in  1834  in  Wilson  Town- 
ship, DeWitt  County,  111.,  where  they  built  a 
log  '-mansion"  with  clapboard  roof  and  puncheon 
floor.  Darius  sold  his  store  and  stock  of  goods 


660 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


August  1,  1856,  afterward  traveled  extensively 
and  invested  in  Kansas  lands.  Building  a  frame 
dwelling,  he  moved  to  his  farm  on  section  34, 
December  3,  1860,  and  bought  five  hundred  head 
of  fine  Spanish  sheep  in  1864.  lie  built  a  wool 
mill  with  fine  machinery,  at  a  cost  of  $15,000 
in  1865,  and  five  years  later  erected  a  flour  mill 
in  Ilopedale.  This  he  sold  in  1872  and  opened 
a  lumber  yard,  built  a  large  furniture  room  and 
the  first  public  hall.  lie  added  furniture  to  the 
lumber  trade,  his  daughter  Phoebe  using  a  part 
of  the  same  building  for  the  sale  of  fine  dress 
goods  and  millinery.  In  January,  1876,  he  sold 
out  and  took  a  prospecting  tour  through  Texas, 
Arkansas  and  Missouri,  to  look  up  a  site  fora  wool 
mill,  and  during  the  same  year  took  his  wife  and 
daughter  Phoebe  to  the  Centennial  at  Philadelphia. 
He  returned  to  Harrison,  Ark.,  in  October,  with 
his  daughter  Phoebe,  making  the  trip  via  the  Chi- 
cago ife  Alton  Railroad  the  night  the  east  end  of 
the  bridge  fell  into  the  Mississippi  River. 

In  January,  1878,  Mr.  Orendorff  moved  his 
wool  machinery  to  Judsonia,  Ark.,  and  operated 
it  four  summers,  part  of  the  family  being  there 
and  the  others  remaining  on  the  farm.  In  the  fall 
of  1886  he  moved  to  Lincoln,  111.,  for  school 
privileges,  going  back  to  the  farm  March  1,  1890. 
In  his  dealings  with  the  public  his  motto  has  been, 
"Manufacture  and  deal  in  the  best  and  guarantee 
satisfaction."  He  has  a  family  of  five  daughters, 
viz.:  Phebe  J.,  born  August  7,  1856,  the  wife  of 
William  M.  Mount;  Lelia  L.,  born  December  12, 
1858,  married  Adolph  Johnson,  and  lives  on  the  old 
homestead;  Flora  E.,  born  June  26,  1860;  Martha 
A.,  born  November  11,  1862;  and  Lydia  M.,  born 
April  15.  1864;  the  latter  is  an  artist  of  consider- 
able note. 


ILES  VAN  HORN,  a  farmer  residing  on 
section  22,  Pennsylvania  Township,  and 
one  of  the  prominent  young  agricultu- 
rists of  Mason  County,  lias  spent  his  entire 
life  within  the  limits  of  the  township  where  he  now 
makes  his  home.  His  father,  John  Van  Horn,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  in  September,  1817,  and 
was  a  son  of  David  Van  Horn,  likewise  a  native 


of  the  Keystone  State,  who  died  in  1852.  Our 
subject's  mother  was  Jane,  daughter  of  David 
Mathers,  who  was  born  in  Warren  County,  Ohio, 
in  1823,  and  died  in  1854,  after  having  devoted 
his  entire  life  to  farming  pursuits. 

After  the  marriage  of  John  Van  Horn,  which  oc- 
curred in  Miami  County,  Ohio,  in  1836,  he  con- 
tinued to  till  the  soil  in  the  Buckeye  State  until 
the  spring  of  1855,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  and 
settled  near  Teheran,  where  he  operated  as  a  renter 
for  two  years.  He  then  came  to  Pennsylvania 
Township  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  raw  prairie  land,  to  which  in  the  follow- 
ing year  he  added  an  eighty-acre  tract.  He  built 
a  handsome  residence  at  a  cost  of  $2,200,  and  also 
built  barns,  corn  cribs  and  other  outbuildings 
that  cost  $2,000.  By  a  system  of  good  hedge 
fencing  he  divided  the  property  into  eighty-acre 
fields.  In  1883  he  moved  to  Mason  City,  where 
he  bought  fourteen  acres  within  the  corporate 
limits,  paying  $3,000  for  the  property.  There  he 
continued  to  reside  until  his  death,  June  26, 1887. 
Politically  he  was  a  Republican  and  served  for 
several  years  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  School 
Director. 

October  17,  1863,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides.  After  com- 
pleting a  common-school  education  he  attended 
Blackburn  University,  and  is  now  a  well  informed 
3'ouug  gentleman.  He  is  one  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren, of  whom  eight  now  survive,  the  others 
besides  himself  being  David  P.,  of  Washington, 
Iowa,  who  married  and  has  two  children;  John  E., 
of  Wellington,  Kan.,  who  has  two  children;  Mar- 
garet, the  wife  of  H.  C.  Hull,  of  Washington, 
Iowa,  and  the  mother  of  one  child;  Joel  R.,  who 
is  married  and  lives  in  Indian  Territory;  Martha, 
the  wife  of  George  Peet,  living  in  Pennsylvania 
Township;  Elizabeth,  at  home;  and  Susan,  Mrs. 
Frank  Ludlam,  of  Mason  City. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  Mr.  Van  Horn  started 
out  on  his  own  account  and  for  eight  years  rented 
his  father's  farm.  His  first  purchase  consisted  of 
eighty  acres,  to  which  he  has  added  until  he  now 
owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  February  17, 
1892,  he  married  Miss  Catherine  Berry,  of  Rushville, 
Schuyler  Count}-,  111.,  and  one  child,  Marguerite, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


661 


has  blessed  their  union.  Mrs.  Van  Horn  was  born 
November  8,  1868,  and  is  a  daughter  of  F.  E.  Berry,' 
whose  birth  occurred  December  22,  1842,  the  latter 
being  a  son  of  Daniel  Berry,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  mother  of  Mrs.  Van  Horn  was  Mar- 
garet, daughter  of  William  Milby,  who  was  born 
in  Delaware. 

Politically  Mr.  Van  Horn  supports  the  principles 
of  the  Republican  party  and  has  served  as  Tax 
Collector  and  Road  Commissioner  for  one  term, 
and  has  also  rendered  efficient  service  as  School 
Director.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Grange 
and  the  Knights  of  Pythias  of  Mason  City,  while 
his  wife  is  connected  with  the  Fanners'  Alliance. 


ILLIAM  ABBOTT.  Notable  among  the 
///  valuable  farms  of  Mason  County  is  that 
situated  on  section  23,  Lynchburg  Town- 
,  ship,  and  owned  and  operated  by  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  While  the  land  is  devoted  mainly  to 
the  raising  of  cereals,  considerable  attention  is  also 
paid  to  stock-raising,  and  upon  the  farm  are  to  be 
seen  a  number  of  full-blooded  Jersey  cattle  and 
Chester  White  hogs.  The  residence,  erected  by  Mr. 
Abbott  at  a  cost  of  $2,000,  is  a  two-story  structure, 
16x24  feet  in  dimensions,  with  an  4%L"  20x20.  The 
other  buildings  are  substantial,  adapted  to  their 
varied  uses;  the  barn,  50x30  feet,  was  built  at  a 
cost  of  $800,  and  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  locality. 
Everything  about  the  place  indicates  the  energetic 
disposition  and  excellent  judgment  of  the  owner. 
Our  subject  is  of  English  parentage  and  descent. 
His  father,  Henry  Abbott,  who  was  born  in  that 
country  February  1,  1829,  came  to  America  in 
1842,  and  settled  in  Cass  County,  111.,  near  Vir- 
ginia, which  place  he  reached  with  his  wife  and 
two  children  and  $5  in  cash.  For  three  years  he 
worked  at  the  shoemaker's  trade  in  that  place, 
after  which  he  came  to  Mason  County  and  bought 
an  eighty-acre  tract  near  Fairview  Church,  in 
Lynchburg  Township.  Six  years  later  he  settled 
upon  the  farm  now  owned  by  our  subject,  and  to 
his  original  purchase  of  two  hundred  acres,  in  a 
few  mouths  added  eighty  acres.  He  did  not,  how- 

22 


ever,  give  his  personal  attention  to  the  cultivation 
of  this  tract,  but  removing  to  Logan  County, 
bought  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  and  for 
some  years  engaged  in  farming  there.  Retiring 
from  active  business  in  1876,  he  bought  a  residence 
in  Lincoln,  111.,  and  there  he  still  makes  his  home. 
His  landed  possessions  now  aggregate  six  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  in  Mason  County, eight  hundred 
acres  in  Logan  County,  and  eight  hundred  in 
Champaign  County,  111.,  the  entire  amount  being 
under  cultivation,  with  the  exception  of  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  timber  land. 

The  lad}'  with  whom  Henry  Abbott  was  united 
in  marriage  in  England  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Martha  A.  Keen,  and  was  the  daughter  of  English 
parents,  who  lived  and  died  in  that  country.  There 
were  seven  children  in  the  family,  all  but  one  of 
whom  still  survive.  William  is  the  eldest,  and  the 
others  are,  Mrs.  Alice  Fletcher,  of  Sterling,  111.; 
Mrs.  Nancy  Campbell,  of  South  Dakota;  J.  B.,  a 
resident  of  Mason  City,  111.;  James,  living  in 
Logan  County;  and  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Pegram,  whose 
home  is  in  Lincoln,  this  state.  All  the  children 
are  married  and  have  children. 

The  first  six  years  of  the  life  of  our  subject 
were  passed  in  Lancashire,  England,  where  he  was 
born  October  3,  1838.  Thence  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  the  United  States,  where  he  grew  to 
manhood  in  Illinois.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four 
he  married  Miss  Sarah  J.,  daughter  of  Robert  Mc- 
Intosh,  of  England,  who  was  born  November  4, 
1820,  and  in  early  life  worked  at  the  weaver's 
trade.  In  1847  he  emigrated  to  America,  landing 
in  Philadelphia,  where  he  spent  three  years.  Upon 
sending  for  his  famil}'  to  join  him,  he  settled  in 
New  Bedford,  Mass.,  but  after  a  year  there  he 
went  to  New  Hampshire,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  for  seven  years.  In  1856  he  removed 
westward  to  Illinois,  and  coming  to  Mason  County, 
bought  eighty  acres  in  Lynchburg  Township. 
Afterward  he  added  ninety-five  acres  to  his  estate, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  April  9,  1888,  he  was 
numbered  among  the  prosperous  citizens  of  his 
community.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
Thorn  ley,  of  England. 

Immediately  following  his  marriage,  January  1, 
1863,  Mr,  Abbott  settled  in  Lynchburg  Township, 


662 


PORTKAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


where  he  purchased  from  his  father  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres.  Five  years  later  he  bought 
another  quarter-section,  upon  which  he  engaged 
in  tilling  the  soil  for  five  years.  As  it  was  thought 
that  a  change  would  benefit  his  wife,  who  was  in 
poor  health,  he  went  to  Logan  County,  where  he 
resided  for  seven  years.  Since  then  he  has  made 
his  home  on  section  23,  Lynchburg  Township.  He 
cultivates  four  hundred  acres,  and  superintends  the 
management  of  his  father's  property  in  Mason 
County. 

Politically,  Mr.  Abbott  is  a  Republican.  He  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Church  and 
prominent  workers  in  the  Sunda3"-school,  Mrs. 
Abbott  being  at  the  present  time  V ice-President  of 
the  Township  Sunday-school  Association.  They 
were  the  parents  of  nine  children;  two  are  deceased, 
Mrs.  Alice  A.  Winters,  who  was  born  October  7, 
1863,  and  died  April  24,  1889,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren that  are  now  in  Iowa;  and  Louisa  E.,  who 
was  born  November  18,  1869,  and  died  August  5, 
1878.  The  other  children  arc:  Mary  E.,  who 
married  Mr.  Daniel,  and  has  three  children; 
Pernecia,  an  accomplished  young  lady,  who  at- 
tended the  Jacksonville  Female  College  for  one 
year;  Henry  A.  and  Dora  J.,  who  are  graduates  of 
the  Mason  County  schools;  Gracie,  William  R. 
and  Elmer  R.,  who  are  students  in  the  home 
schools. 


lARTLEY  FARR  HO  WELL.  Mason  Coun. 
ty  is  the  home  of  a  goodly  number  of  men 
who  have  put  forth  such  industrious  and 
well  directed  efforts  that  they  have  been 
enabled  to  retire  from  the  toil  and  cares  of  life, 
and  are  now  spending  their  time  in  ease  and  en- 
joyment. Among  this  number  is  the  gentleman 
above  named,  who  occupies  a  fine  home  in  Havana. 
Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  was 
born  April  29,  1828,  in  Lycommg  County.  His 
father,  Nathan  Howell,  was  likewise  born  in  the 
Keystone  State,  and  came  to  Mason  County  in 
1840,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  until  his 
decease  ten  years  later.  He  in  turn  was  the  son 
of  William  Howell,  an  old  Revolutionary  soldier. 


He  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  The 
mother  of  our  subject,  prior  to  her  marriage,  was 
known  as  Ann  Richards.  She  was  born  in  New 
Jersey  and  was  the  daughter  of  William  Richards, 
who  also  fought  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary 
War  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill 
and  Lundy's  Lane. 

Hartley  F.  was  a  lad  of  twelve  years  at  the  time 
of  his  parents'  removal  to  Mason  County,  and  lo- 
cated with  them  on  farm  near  Havana  when  that 
now  thickly  populated  district  contained  but  five 
or  six  families.  He  remembers  the  old  block  house 
in  which  the  women  and  children  were  placed  for 
safety  when  the  male  portion  of  the  inhabitants 
were  engaged  in  fighting  the  Indians.  Like  all 
farmer  lads  he  assisted  his  father  in  improving 
and  cultivating  the  land  of  their  new  home,  and 
in  the  winter  season  prosecuted  his  studies  in  the 
district  school. 

During  the  early  settlement  of  our  subject's 
parents  in  this  county  the  pioneers  were  compelled 
to  go  a  distance  of  thirty  miles  to  have  their  grain  , 
ground  into  bread  stuffs,  and  the  first  bushel  of 
grain  which  was  made  into  flour  in  the  old  Quiver 
Creek  Mill  was  carried  there  by  our  subject.  He, 
a  few  years  later,  assisted  in  clearing  the  brush 
from  the  present  site  of  the  court  house  in  Havana, 
and  aided  in  the  erection  of  the  first  schoolhouse 
in  that  then  hamlet,  which  was  built  of  clapboards, 
with  furnishing  of  a  most  primitive  style. 

Mr.  Howell  began  his  chosen  career  as  a  farmer 
in  an  early  day,  and  has  helped  to  garner  in  the 
grain  from  fifty-three  successive  harvests.  He  has 
been  very  successful  as  an  agriculturist,  and  now 
owns  a  valuable  estate  comprising  two  hundred 
and  fifty-five  acres  in  this  county,  besides  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  cultivated  land  in 
Labette  County,  Kan.  His  property  in  this  county 
contains  all  the  modern  improvements,  and  be- 
sides the  large  and  substantial  barns  on  the  place, 
is  embellished  with  a  handsome  residence,  which 
was  erected  at  cost  of  $6,000. 

In  his  political  relations  Mr.  Ilowell  is  a  stanch 
Democrat,  and  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in 
public  affairs,  being  especially  interested  in  the 
progress  of  schools,  and  has  rendered  ellicient  ser- 
vice as  a  member  of  the  Board  for  several  years. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


663 


The  lady  whom  he  married  in  1849  was  Miss 
Amanda,  daughter  of  Reuben  Henninger,  an  early 
settler  of  Mason  County.  Their  union  has  been 
productive  of  five  children,  of  whom  John  Wes- 
ley is  living  in  Kansas;  Mary  M.  is  the  wife  of 
Richard  Quick,  of  Chariton  Count}-,  Mo.;  Susan 
Ella  married  George  Hurley,  a  resident  of  this 
county;  Lavinia  Isabel  is  now  Mrs.  Charles  Walker, 
of  Pueblo,  Colo.,  and  Charles  Clark  is  a  farmer  in 
this  county.  Mr.  Howell  and  his  wife  move  in 
the  best  circles  of  society  in  Havana,  where  they 
have  a  beautiful  and  comfortable  home. 

II  tFSTCIS  PFETZING.  For  a  number  of  years 
'  past  the  city  of  Havana  has  been  noted  far 
and  wide  for  its  mercantile  establishments, 
and  particularly  that  conducted  by  Mr.  Pfet- 
zing,  who  is  one  of  the  first-class  business  men  of 
the  place.  In  his  active  career  through  life  he  has 
gained  to  an  unlimited  extent  the  confidence  and 
esteem  awarded  integrity,  honor  and  industry,  and 
is  now  one  of  the  well-to-do  men  of  the  county. 
He  is  progressive  in  his  ideas,  pleasing  and  court- 
eous in  his  manner,  and  is  carrying  on  the  busi- 
ness of  furniture  dealer  and  undertaker. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  the  province  of  Kuhr- 
Hessen,  Germany,  July  1,  1832,  and  there  received 
his  education  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  cabinet- 
maker. Deciding  to  come  to  America,  lie  sailed  in 
1852  and  landed  here  November  18  of  that  year  in 
Baltimore,  where  he  remained  for  two  and  a-half 
years.  May  11,  1855,  he  found  he  could  better 
his  condition  in  this  then  western  country,  and 
coming  to  Havana,  followed  his  trade  for  the  suc- 
ceeding five  years.  He  then  went  into  business 
for  himself,  and  from  1865  to  1883  was  the  owner 
of  a  grocery  house. 

In  1859  Mr.  Pfetzing  erected  the  building 
where  he  conducts  his  business  at  the  present 
time  and  which  is  66x155  feet  in  dimensions. 
Since  1885,  however,  he  has  devoted  himself  to 
the  furniture  business,  to  which  he  has  since  added 
that  of  undertaking,  having  one  of  the  largest  and 
.  best  equipped  establishments  of  the  city.  The  un- 


dertaking department  is  under  the  supervision  of 
his  son  Oscar  F.,  who  is  an  expert  embalmer,  being 
graduated  from  Clark's  School  in  St.  Louis,  and 
the  Embalmer's  School  in  Indianapolis.  Ind. 

Our  subject  was  married  July  26,  1860,  to  Miss 
Anna  Adelheid  Kreiling,  of  Hanover,  Germany. 
To  them  have  been  born  eight  children,  of  whom 
Carl  J.,  a  graduate  of  the  Jacksonville  Business 
College,  is  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  this 
city.  August  C.,  who  also  took  a  course  in  the 
above  college,  is  now  clerking  in  a  clothing  store 
in  Havana;  Oscar  we  have  already  mentioned  as 
being  in  business  with  his  father;  Lewis  Henry  is 
in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company;  Henry  G.,  Sophia  Anna,  Adelheid  C., 
and  Ida  M.  are  all  at  home  and  attending  school 
in  this  city. 

Our  subject  is  a  good  business  man,  a  very  pleas- 
ant gentleman,  whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to  meet  or 
have  any  dealings  with.  He  is  one  of  the  promi- 
nent business  men  of  the  city,  and  in  every  walk 
in  life  has  conducted  himself  with  honor.  He  is 
independent  in  politics. 


VHILIP  SCHEMBER,  foreman  in  the  finish- 
ing room  of  the  Acme  Harvester  Company, 
and  one  of  the  old  settlers  of  Pekin,  is  of 
German  nativity,  having  been  born  in  Or- 
tenberg,  Hesse-Darmstadt,  June  5,  1847.  The 
family  of  which  he  is  a  member  was  long  identi- 
fied with  the  history  of  Ortenberg,  where  both  his 
grandfather,  Nicholas,  and  his  father,  John,  were 
born.  The  latter  learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker 
and  carried  on  a  shop  in  his  native  city,  where  he 
continued  to  reside  until  his  death,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-six  years.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Luth- 
eran, which  was  the  faith  of  his  ancestors  for  many 
generations.  He  married  Johanna  Wiesner,  a  na- 
tive of  Ortenberg,  who  died  there  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight. 

In  the  parental  family  of  six  children,  all  grew 
to  mature  years,  and  five  are  now  living.  Philip 
is  the  only  one  who  came  to  America,  the  others 
having  remained  in  Germany.  In  his  native  land 


664 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


be  received  a  common  school  education,  but  his 
school  days  ended  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  He 
was  then  apprenticed  as  a  machinist  in  a  large 
machine  shop  in  Langen,  where  he  learned  all  de- 
partments in  the  manufacture  of  iron,  steel  and 
brass,  and  made  a  specialty  of  the  manufacture  of 
locks.  After  three  years  in  that  shop  he  traveled 
as  a  machinist  in  Alsace,  France,  but  on  account 
of  military  oppression  he  concluded  to  emigrate 
to  America. 

In  1866  Mr.  Schember  left  his  native  hind  and 
at  Hamburg  took  passage  on  the  steamer  "Almira," 
landing  in  New  York  after  an  uneventful  voyage 
of  three  weeks.  He  soon  found  employment  with 
Fleishman  &  Bros.,  manufacturers  of  scales,  on 
Ludlow  Street,  and  later  was  with  the  firm  of  Dea- 
gle  &  Weiler,  manufacturers  of  hand  printing 
presses.  On  the  10th  of  June,  1868,  he  came  to 
Pekin  and  accepted  a  position  with  Hodges  & 
Weyrich  as  machinist,  continuing  with  the  firm 
when  the  name  was  changed  to  Hodges  &  Co., 
one  year  later.  Two  years  afterward  he  be- 
came an  employe  in  the  finishing  room  of  T.  & 
II.  Smith,  and  after  twelve  months  with  them  re- 
turned to  Hodges  &  Co.,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  the  finishing  room  until  1876. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  Pekin  Plow  Com- 
pany, Mr.  Schember  became  a  machinist  in  their 
employ  and  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
brass  and  wood  patterns  and  in  originating  new 
designs  for  machines.  For  thirteen  years  he  was 
with  Luppe  Luppen,  and  in  the  spring  of  1890 
accepted  a  position  with  the  Acme  Harvester 
Company,  successors  to  Hodges  &  Co.  Since 
that  time  he  has  been  foreman  in  the  finishim' 

o 

room  and  has  charge  of  forty  men.  He  is  well 
known  as  an  expert  pattern  maker,  and  in  his 
chosen  line  few  are  his  superiors.  Having  had 
thirty-two  years'  experience  in  the  machinist's 
trade,  lie  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  every  detail 
of  the  business,  and  is  a  practical  and  rapid  work- 
man. 

At  Pekin  in  1869  occurred  the  marriage  of  Philip 
Schember  and  Miss  Dora  Cappel,  the  latter  being  a 
native  of  Prussia,  Germany.  Four  children  re- 
sulted from  this  union,  namely:  Johanna,  who  is 
in  Chicago;  Philip,  a  molder  in  Pekin;  William,  a 


cigar  manufacturer  in  this  city;  and  Henry,  a  ma- 
chinist under  his  father.  Mrs.  Dora  Schember  died 
in  1879,  and  the  following  year  our  subject  mar- 
ried Miss  Elizabeth  Moehring,  of  Pekin.  Their 
children  are:  Dora,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four 
years;  Charles,  Freddie,  George  and  Louis,  who 
are  with  their  parents. 

A  Democrat  in  his  political  opinions,  Mr.  Schem- 
ber has  been  an  active  worker  in  the  interests  of 
his  party,  and  upon  its  ticket  was  in  1888  and 
1889  elected  Alderman  from  the  Third  Ward. 
While  a  member  of  the  City  Council  he  served  as  a 
member  of  various  committees,  and  as  chairman 
of  the  railroad  committee.  He  is  interested  in 
the  Mutual  Building  and  Loan  Association.  His 
residence,  a  commodious  structure  at  No.  513 
Catherine  Street,  was  erected  under  his  personal 
supervision,  and  is  one  of  the  pleasant  homes 
for  which  Pekin  is  noted.  Since  1868  he  has  been 
identified  with  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  is  now 
serving  as  Trustee  in  that  denomination  at  Pekin. 


<w?  J.  ALBERTSEN.  .  The  biography  of  the 
successful  gentleman  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  sketch  furnishes  another  instance 
of  a  poor  boy  who  by  industry  and  thrift  has 
gained  a  competence  and  asocial  position  through 
his  own  unaided  efforts.  A  prominent  business 
man  of  Pekin,  he  is  very  popular  and  well  known 
throughout  the  surrounding  country  as  the  propri- 
etor of  a  fine  grocery  and  part  owner  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Biscuit  &  Cracker  Company. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Rysum  County,  Sweden, 
August  30,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Albertsen, 
also  a  native  of  that  place.  The  father  was  the 
younger  of  two  sons  in  the  family,  and  prior  to 
coming  to  America  owned  a  grocery  store  in  his 
native  land.  The  trip  across  the  Atlantic  was  made 
in  1856,  and  occupied  sixty-three  days.  Mr.  Al- 
bertsen, after  landing  in  New  York,  made  his  way  to 
Freeport,  this  state,  where  he  located  near  Worth's 
Grove,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  purchased  prop- 
erty and  began  farming.  The  panic  of  the  follow- 
ing year,  however,  caused  him  to  lose  his  farm,  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


665 


thus  being  compelled  to  start  anew  in  life,  he  name 
to  Pekin,  and  was  variously  employed  until  1870, 
when  he  opened  up  a  grocery  store  in  the  city. 
Two  years  later  he  took  in  our  subject  as  partner, 
which  connection  lasted  for  two  years,  when  the 
father  died. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mrs.  Hilkei  Albertsen, 
was  born  in  the  same  place  as  was  her  husband, 
and  is  at  present  living,  making  her  home  in  this 
city,  at  the  age  of  three-  score  years  and  ten.  She 
reared  a  family  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  third  in  order  of 
birth.  He  was  a  lad  of  ten  years  at  the  time  of  the 
family's  location  in  this  city,  and  for  six  years  car- 
ried on  his  studies  in  the  public  schools.  At  that 
early  age  he  began  to  earn  his  own  living, and  ap- 
prenticed himself  to  learn  carriage  painting  in  the 
shops  of  the  T.  &  H.  Smith  Co.  After  mastering 
this  branch  of  work  he  continued  in  the  employ  of 
the  above  firm  until  1866  or  1867,  when  his  health 
failed  him,  and  he  was  obliged  to  refrain  from 
steady  work.  He  continued  to  do  job  work,  how- 
ever, for  several  years  longer,  and  in  1872,  as  be- 
fore stated,  entered  his  father's  grocery  as  an  equal 
partner. 

After  the  decease  of  his  father,  our  subject  pur- 
chased the  other  half  interest  of  the  business,  which 
he  has  since  conducted  in  a  most  profitable  man- 
ner, and  enlarged  the  store  from  time  to  time,  now 
occupying  a  building  50  x  60  feet  in  dimensions, 
with  two  stories  and  a  basement.  He  is  one  of  the 
oldest  grocers  in  this  city,  and  in  the  management 
of  his  affairs  has  shown  excellent  judgment,  and 
has  a  large  patronge  of  the  best  people  in  Pekin. 
He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Independent 
Buiscuit  &  Cracker  Co.,  with  which  he  is  still  con- 
nected, and  his  position  in  the  community  is  one 
of  prominence  and  importance. 

October  25,  1871,  Mr.  Albertsen  was  united  in 
marriage,  in  this  city,  with  Miss  Mary  M.  Gobel,  a 
native  of  Cook  County,  this  state.  To  them  has 
been  born  a  family  of  seven  children,  of  whom 
Franklin  H.  is  engaged  as  clerk  in  his  father's 
store.  The  others  are:  Lyda,  Clara,  Elsie,  Cora, 
Edna  and  Emma.  He  has  always  been  deeply  in- 
terested in  school  affairs,  and  from  1886  to  1889 
rendered  efficient  service  as  a  member  of  the  School 


Board,  and  was  re-elected  to  the  same  position 
in  1893.  In  his  political  preference  he  is  a  decided 
Republican,  and  the  city  in  which  he  lives  looks 
upon  him  as  one  of  the  most  progressive  of  her  peo- 
ple. He  is  a  member  of  the  German  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  no  man  in  his  locality  is 
more  devoted  to  the  cause  of  Christianity. 


|  OHN  HENNINGER,  a  retired  farmer  resid- 
ing in  Havana,  was  born  in  Bourbon  County 
Pa.,  May  28,  1829.  The  family  of  which 
he  is  a  representative  originated  in  Ger- 
many, but  was  represented  in  America  at  an  early 
period  in  the  settlement  of  Pennsylvania.  His 
father,  Reuben  Henninger,  was  a  native  of  the 
Keystone  State,  and  became  an  early  settler  of 
Dauphin  County,  Ohio,  whence,  in  1842,  he  came 
to  Illinois,  settling  in  Havana  Township,  Mason 
County.  He  died  in  October,  1885,  aged  eighty- 
five  years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Susan  Boyer,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and 
died  during  the  '40s. 

The  early  boyhood  years  of  our  subject  were 
passed  in  Ohio,  whence  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
years  he  accompanied  his  father  to  Mason  County. 
Here  he  grew  to  manhood  upon  the  home  farm, 
meantime  receiving  a  common  school  education, 
At  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  he  embarked  in 
farming  pursuits,  and  sucli  was  the  success  with 
which  he  conducted  his  enterprises  that  at  the 
present  time  he  is  the  owner  of  one  thousand 
acres  of  land,  all  under  cultivation  and  well  im- 
proved. In  the  spring  of  1893  he  abandoned  ac- 
tive labors  upon  the  farm  and  came  to  Havana, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  The  comforts 
by  which  his  family  are  surrounded  have  been  se- 
cured through  his  own  untiring  industry,  and  the 
success  which  he  has  attained  is  the  result  of  merit. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  Henninger  occurring  in 
1852,  united  him  with  Miss  Altha  ,1.  Faulkner,  a 
resident  of  Mason  County,  and  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  Faulkner,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this 
part  of  the  state.  Three  sons  and  two  daughters 
were  born  to  this  union,  as  follows:  Charles  A., 


666 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


whose  home  is  in  Mason  County;  James  S.,  who 
lives  in  Taylor  County,  Neb.;  Ora  A.,  wife  of  C. 
E.  Tice,  of  Havana;  Ada  J.,  who  lives  in  Ne- 
braska, and  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Quick,  and, John 
M.,  of  Havana. 

Mrs.  Altha  J.  Henninger  died  March  20,  1886, 
and  in  1893  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage 
witli  Miss  Hattie  Quick,  whose  father,  James  Quick, 
was  an  early  settler  of  Mason  County.  Mrs.  Hen- 
ninger is  an  amiable  and  accomplished  ladyi 
and  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  to  which  our  subject  also  belongs. 
Politically  lie  gives  his  support  to  the  principles 
and  candidates  of  the  Democratic  party,  but  has 
never  sought  or  desired  office,  preferring  to  devote 
his  attention  to  private  affairs.  He  is  a  man  of 
temperate  habits,  cordial  in  his  intercourse  with 
others,  an  interesting  conversationalist  and  an  in- 
telligent man. 


W,  A.  BOLEY,  President  and  Manager  of  the 
W.  A.  Boley  Ice  Company,  and  one  of  Pe- 
kin's  influential  citizens,  was  born  in  Pitts- 
burg,  Pa., on  the  15th  of  January,  1836.  The  family 
of  which  he  is  a  member  traces  its  lineage  to  Ger- 
many, but  has  long  been  identified  with  the  his- 
tory of  Pennsylvania,  where  were  born  our  sub- 
ject's father,  Daniel,  his  grandfather,  John  Boley, 
and  also  his  great-grandfather.  In  early  life  Dan- 
iel Boley  engaged  in  farming  pursuits,  but  after- 
wards conducted  business  as  a  coal  merchant  on 
the  Ohio  River  in  Pennsylvania.  His  death  oc- 
curred at  Sewickley,  that  state,  in  1847. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Ruth,  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  William  Alexander  Crawford,  a  native 
of  New  York,  who  located  in  Westmoreland 
County,  Pa.,  and  died  in  the  prime  of  life.  Mrs. 
Ruth  I.  Boley  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County, 
and  accompanied  our  subject  to  Pekin,  where  she 
died  in  1877,  aged  sixty-seven.  In  her  religious 
belief  she  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  a  lady  of  noble  character,  whose  influence  still 


lives  in  the  hearts  of  her  family  and  friends.  Of 
ten  children,  six  attained  mature  years.  The  eldest 
of  these  is  our  subject,  who  was  reared  in  Penn- 
sylvania, receiving  a  good  common  school  and  ac- 
ademic education.  After  the  death  of  his  father 
he  assumed  the  management  of  the  coal  business, 
which,  however,  he  sold  a  year  later.  We  next 
find  him  on  an  Ohio  River  steamboat,  where  for 
three  weeks  he  filled  the  position  of  watchman, 
then  was  promoted  to  second  mate,  and  after  five 
months  became  first  mate,  in  which  capacity  he 
was  employed  for  three  years  on  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  Rivers,  between  Pittsburgh,  St.  Louis 
and  New  Orleans. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  Mr.  Boley  be- 
came superintendent  of  the  Memphis  Ice  Company 
at  Kingston,  111.  This  company  was  one  of  the 
most  prominent  in  the  state,  owning  thirteen 
barges,  as  well  as  a  number  of  towboats.  In  1860 
he  accepted  the  position  of  superintendent  for 
John  Lowny,  and  six  years  later  purchased  the 
business  which  he  has  since  conducted.  In  1888 
the  concern  was  incorporated  as  the  W.  A.  Boley 
Ice  Company,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $32,000,  and 
our  subject  has  since  filled  the  position  of  Presi- 
dent and  Manager.  The  ice  houses  of  the  company 
are  situated  on  Pckin  Lake,  and  have  a  capacity  of 
twenty  thousand  tons.  The  lake  itself  is  owned 
by  the  company,  having  been  purchased  in  1873 
for  $5,000.  By  means  of  side-tracks  the  ice  is 
loaded  on  the  cars  and  shipped  by  rail  to  various 
points  in  the  state.  Steady  employment  is  given 
to  a  force  of  twenty- five  men,  a  large  wholesale 
and  retail  business  is  transacted,  and  the  enter- 
prise is  one  of  the  most  important  and  successful 
in  the  county. 

In  May,  1893,  Mr.  Boley  purchased  an  interest 
in  the  Pekin  Gas  Light  Company,  in  which  he  has 
since  served  as  Director.  In  politics  a  Republican, 
he  gives  his  support  to  the  principles  of  that  party. 
For  two  terms  he  has  served  as  Alderman  from  the 
Second  Ward,  and  during  his  incumbencj'  of  the 
office  many  improvements  were  secured,  including 
the  electric  light  works,  the  water  works  and  the 
bridge. 

In  Peoria,  this  state,  in  1862,  occurred  the  mar- 
riage of  W.  A.  Boley  and  Miss  Annie  Taylor.  The 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


667 


latter  was  born  in  England,  but  resided  in  Peoria 
from  the  age  of  seven  years  until  the  time  of  her 
marriage.  The  only  child  born  of  this  union  is 
Annie  B.,  wife  of  Dr.  S.  D.  Lowe,  formerly  of  Pe- 
kin,  but  now  a  resident  of  Chicago. 


ENRY  W.  LACKMAN,  a  young  gentleman 
);  of  acute  business  ability,  is  the  present  rep- 
resentative of  the  Peoria  <fe  Pekin  Union 
Railway  Company  at  Pekin,  and  occu- 
pies a  prominent  position  in  railroad  circles.  He 
was  born  in  the  city  where  he  now  resides,  Oc- 
tober 21,  1859.  The  family  of  which  he  is  a  mem- 
ber have  long  been  residents  of  Germany,  where 
was  born  William,  father  of  our  subject.  Emi- 
grating to  America  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  he 
came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Pekin,  where  for 
a  number  of  years  he  was  occupied  as  a  teamster. 

For  twenty  years  William  Lackman  was  em- 
ployed as  stationery  clerk  for  the  Peoria,  Pekin 
&  Jacksonville  Railroad,  which  was  the  first  rail- 
road in  Pekin.  At  the  expiration  of  twenty  years 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Peoria.  Lincoln  & 
Decatur  Railroad  (now  known  as  the  Peoria,  De- 
catur  &  Evansville),  and  was  stationery  clerk  in 
Pekin  until  the  office  of  the  company  was  re- 
moved to  Peoria.  He  then  removed  to  the  latter 
city,  but  after  a  short  sojourn  returned  to  Pekin. 
He  married  Miss  Mary  Linnenbaum,  a  native  of 
Germany  and  the  daughter  of  M.  Linnenbaum, 
who  is  still  living  in  Washington  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five  years. 

Henry  W.  Lackman  was  one  of  a  family  con- 
sisting of  four  sons,  but  at  the  present  time  only 
two  survive,  himself  and  Rudolph,  the  latter  being 
bookkeeper  for  Lucas  &  Ruhaak.  Our  subject 
attended  the  public  schools  of  Pekin  until  reach- 
ing his  sixteenth  year,  when  he  accepted  the  po- 
sition of  check  clerk  for  the  Peoria,  Lincoln  & 
Decatur  Railroad,  and  after  one  year  became  agent 
and  telegraph  operator  for  that  company  in  Wes- 
ley City.  After  filling  that  position  a  twelve- 
month, he  went  to  Peoria  and  accepted  the  posi- 
tion of  chief  clerk  in  the  freight  department  of 


the  Peoria  <k  Springfield  Railroad  (now  known  as 
the  Peoria  &  Pekin  Union). 

When  eight  months  later  the  company  sold  out 
to  the  Wabash  System,  Mr.  Lackman  became  agent 
at  Washington  on  the  old  Chicago,  Pekin  <fe  South- 
western Railroad,  now  owned  by  the  Santa  Fe. 
After  five  years  thus  spent,  he  came  to  Pekin  as 
chief  clerk  and  operator  for  the  Wabash,  now  the 
Jacksonville  South-eastern.  March  4,  1893,  he 
was  appointed  agent  for  the  Peoria  &  Pekin  Union, 
which  position  he  has  since  filled  with  credit  to 
himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned. 

In  May.  1883,  Mr.  Lackman  married  Miss  Min- 
nie Pfeiffer,  a  native  of  this  county,  and  one  child 
has  blessed  their  union,  a  daughter  named  Viola 
May.  In  social  affairs  Mr.  Lackman  is  a  charter 
member  of  the  National  Union,  and  is  also  iden- 
tified with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and 
the  Order  of  Railway  Telegraphers.  He  is  a  val- 
ued member  of  the  German  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  is  a  generous  contributor  to  religious 
causes.  In  political  opinions  he  favors  the  Re- 
publican party,  but  his  time  being  devoted  closely 
to  his  business  duties,  he  has  never  desired  office. 
Among  railroad  men  he  is  very  popular,  while  by 
the  citizens  of  Pekin  he  is  highly  respected  as  a 
man  of  enterprise  and  integrity. 

•••  =HB^SP^^I§B^iK-- , 

<X*  -7  •  x.  AXi  -vi«»  —  r^*rt  •!  ^  •  N_  «X/ 

ELI  AS  HULL.     Located   on    section    34,  in 
Salt  Creek  Township,  there  lies  one  of   the 
best  rural  homes   in  Mason  County.     Here 
Mr.  Hull  has  two  hundred  and  seventy-three  acres 
of  land,  on  which   first-class  buildings  have  been 
erected  and  other  substantial  improvements  intro- 
duced, which  prove  his  thrift  and  enterprise  as  an 
agriculturist. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Mahoning  County, 
Ohio,  where  his  birth  occurred  February  4,  1838. 
Ilis  father.  Elias  Hull,  Sr.,  was  born  in  New  Jersey, 
where  he  was  reared  and  followed  farm  pursuits. 
When  emigrating  to  the  Buckeye  State  he  made 
the  journey  overland  with  an  ox  team,  and  pur- 
chased property  in  Mahoning  County,  where  he 
was  residing  at  the  time  of  his  decease,  when 


668 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


thirty-eight  years  of  age.  His  father  was  born  in 
Germany,  and  on  emigrating  to  the  New  World 
when  a  young  man  made  settlement  in  New 
Jersey. 

Mrs.  Anna  (Helderbrandt)  Hull,  the  mother  of 
our  subject,  was,  like  her  husband,  born  in  New 
Jersey,  where  she  was  reared  on  her  father's  farm. 
The  latter  came  from  German}'  to  America,  and 
made  his  home  for  the  rest  of  his  life  in  New  Jer- 
sey. Mrs.  Hull  reared  a  family  of  seven  daugh- 
ters and  six  sons,  and  departed  this  life  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-four  years. 

Elias,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  ninth  in  order  of 
birth  in  the  above  family,  and  was  sent  to  school 
during  his  earlier  years  in  his  native  county.  He 
started  out  in  life  for  himself  when  eighteen 
years  of  age,  and  at  that  time  came  alone  to  this 
state  and  located  in  Menard  County.  This  was  in 
1856,  and  on  arriving  here  he  found  employment 
in  a  woolen  factory  in  Petersburg,  by  which  he  was 
employed  for  three  years. 

December  4,  1859,  Mr.  Hull  and  Miss  Maria  J. 
Lloyd  were  united  in  marriage.  The  lady  was  the 
daughter  of  William  Lloyd,  and  was  born  in 
Menard  County,  this  state,  October  23,  1842.  Her 
father  was  also  a  native  of  Illinois,  while  her 
mother,  prior  to  her  marriage,  Miss  Narcisa  P. 
Cogdell,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky.  Mrs.  Hull  is 
the  eldest  of  twelve  children  born  to  her  parents, 
and  considering  the  limited  advantages  which 
were  given  her,  is  a  lady  of  good  education. 

Soon  after  his  marriage  our  subject  located  in 
Mason  County,  and  purchased  a  farm  in  Salt  Creek 
Township,  where  he  has  ever  since  been  engaged 
in  farm  pursuits.  His  landed  possessions  include  two 
farms,  one  containing  one  hundred  and  fifty-three 
acres,  and  the  other  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres. 
He  has  met  with  good  success  in  his  chosen  voca- 
tion, and  may  be  truly  called  a  self-made  man,  for 
he  has  worked  his  way  upward  from  an  humble 
position  to  one  of  affluence. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hull  have  been  born  six  sons, 
viz.:  James  R.,  Harry  A.,  Thomas  S.,  Charles  L., 
Fred  R.  and  Alonzo  D.  In  his  political  prefer- 
ences, our  subject  is  a  stalwart  Democrat,  and  held 
the  position  of  Township  Treasurer  for  ten  years. 
He  has  also  been  the  incumbent  of  various  other 


positions  of  trust,  having  been  Cle  rk  and  Com- 
missioner of  Highways  for  many  terms.  With  his 
wife  he  is  a  devoted  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  in  which  they  are  classed  among  the  most 
active  workers. 


HILIP  IIERGET.  The  gentleman  whose 
sketch  now  claims  our  attention,  is  one  of 
the  most  successful  malsters  of  Tazewell 
County,  owning  and  operating  two  malt 
houses  in  Pekin.  He  was  born  in  Hesse-Darm- 
stadt, Germany,  February  24,  1848,  which  country 
was  also  the  birthplace  of  his  father,  Philip  Her- 
get,  Sr.,  who  was  a  wagon-maker  by  trade.  In 
1868  the  latter  emigrated  to  America  with  his  fam- 
ily, and  located  in  Pekin,  where  he  spent  the  rest 
of  his  life. 

Mrs.  Anna  (Kline)  Herget,  the  mother  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  the  same  place  in  Germany  as 
was  her  husband,  by  whom  she  became  the  mother 
of  eight  children:  John  and  George,  wholesale 
liquor  dealers;  Philip,  Mary,  Gretta  Mary  and 
Kate  living  in  this  city;  and  Lena,  who  resides  in 
Peoria. 

Our  subject  accompanied  his  parents  on.  their 
removal  to  the  New  World,  and  having  learned 
the  wagon-maker's  trade  in  his  native  land,  on  lo- 
cating in  Pekin,  found  work  in  the  factory  of  the 
T.  &  H.  Smith  Co.,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
about  eight  months.  His  brothers  running  a  gro- 
cery store  in  the  city,  he  then  entered  their  em- 
ploy, and  in  1869  was  taken  into  the  firm  as  a 
partner.  This  connection  did  not  last  long,  how- 
ever, as  our  subject  the  following  year  purchased 
the  interest  of  Mr.  Hirsh,  of  the  firm  of  Hirsh  <fe 
Ray,  and  changed  the  name  of  the  company  to 
Ray  &  Heiget.  They  began  the  manufacture  of 
malts,  and  continued  in  partnership  for  one  year, 
when  Mr.  Ray  died,  and  our  subject  then  pur- 
chased his  interest  from  his  famity,  and  has  since 
continued  to  carry  on  the  business  alone.  The 
malt  house  was  built  in  1867,  and  remodeled  and 
enlarged  in  1881.  It  is  now  40x60  feet  in  dimen- 
sions, three  stories  in  height,  and  conveniently  lo- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


(Kill 


cated  on  Front  Street,  near  the  Illinois  River.  It 
is  run  by  water-power,  and  has  a  capacity  of  one 
hundred  bushels  of  barley  a  day.  In  1880  he  pur- 
chased the  brewery  owned  by  Siedler  &  Bender, 
which  he  also  converted  into  a  malt  house.  This 
building  is  located  near  his  other  establishment, 
and  consumes  one  hundred  and  fifty  bushels  of 
barley  per  day.  Mr.  Herget  is  a  practical  malster 
and  gives  his  personal  attention  to  the  carrying  on 
of  his  business. 

In  1878  our  subject  was  married  in  this  city  to 
Miss  Sophia,  daughter  of  Carsten  Becker,  who  was 
a  farmer  of  this  locality.  Mrs.  Herget  was  born 
in  Indiana,  and  by  her  union  with  our  subject  has 
become  the  mother  of  six  children,  who  are  all  at 
home,  namely:  Otto,  Dora,  Amelia,  Alfred,  Harry 
and  Walter.  Mr.  Herget  is  truly  a  self-made  man, 
and  by  his  industrious  efforts  and  strict  attention 
to  business  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward  to 
a  position  of  wealth  and  affluence.  Politically  he 
is  and  always  has  been  a  stanch  Republican. 


-JRTHUR  STUBBS,  one  of  the  enterprising 
(@/LI|i  business  men  of  Delavan,  is  the  senior 
member  of  the  firm  of  A.  Stubbs&Son,  of 
the  Young  America  Milling  Company. 
He  was  born  in  Sheffield,  Yorkshire,  England,  on 
the  llth  of  December,  1837,  and  is  the  son  of 
George  Stubbs,  who  was  an  edged-tool  maker  by 
trade,  and  came  to  this  country  in  1847,  having 
been  previously  reduced  to  poverty  by  free  trade 
prices  in  his  native  land.  His  home  and  other 
property  was  sold  for  rent,  and  in  this  desperate 
state  of  affairs  he  determined  to  seek  a  home  in 
America.  He  had  not  money  enough  to  bring  his 
family,  consisting  of  a  wife  and  six  children,  but 
it  was  decided  that  he  should  come  alone,  and  as 
soon  as  he  could  earn  enough,  send  for  the  wife 
and  children.  After  two  years  of  striving  and 
earnest  toil  this  was  accomplished,  in  1849.  In 
the  meantime  he  worked  at  his  trade  in  St.  Louis, 
and  in  1850  he  entered  land  in  Scott  County,  111., 


and  embarked  in  farming,  but  liis  tastes  and  talents 
were  in  the  direction  of  mechanical  work, and  his 
agricultural  ventures  did  not  prove  successful. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  died  in  1852,  after 
which  Mr.  Stubbs  again  worked  at  his  trade  in  St. 
Louis.  He  was  twice  married  after  that  time,  and 
his  death  occurred  in  February,  1872.  Mrs.  Stubbs 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Harriet  Parks  and  was  born 
about  eight  miles  from  Sheffield,  England.  The 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record  was  one 
of  twelve  children,  five  of  whom  grew  to  mature 
years,  he  being  third  in  order  of  birth.  His  eldest 
brother,  John,  is  now  employed  in  the  Young 
America  Mill.  His  sister  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of 

B.  II.    Ironmonger,  a   miller    of  Mason  City,  111. 
Hattie  is  the  wife  of   P.  II.  McSherry,  a  grocery 
merchant  of  Springfield. 

When  our  subject  was  only  ten  years  old  he 
began  to  earn  his  own  livelihood  and  to  aid  in  the 
support  of  the  family.  He  secured  a  position  as 
errand  boy  in  a  drug  store  in  Sheffield  and  was 
later  employed  in  a  silversmith's  establishment, 
where  he  remained  until  he  came  with  the  family 
to  America.  He  was  then  a  youth  of  thirteen 
years.  After  his  mother's  death,  in  1852,  he  went 
on  the  Mississippi  River  and  became  an  engineer. 
In  1855  lie  went  to  Jacksonville,  111.,  where  he  was 
employed  as  engineer  in  a  (louring  mill,  but  in 
1858  returned  to  the  river.  In  1860  he  returned 
to  Jacksonville,  111.,  and  secured  employment  in  a 
flouring  mill. 

During  his  residence  in  the  city  last  named 
Mr.  Stubbs  was  married  to  Celia  A.  Sanford,  of 
Girard,  111.,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Luc3r  San- 
ford.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Culpeper 
County,  Va.  Her  father  is  now  deceased,  but 
her  mother  is  living  in  Delavan,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-two.  Mrs.  Stubbs  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky. Their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1861,  and  has  been  blessed  with  ten  chil- 
dren, but  two  died  in  infancy.  Alice  A.  is  the 
wife  of  Frank  Starz,  of  the  firm  of  Starz  &  Sons,  of 
the  City  Roller  Mills;  Hattie  Eva  is  the  wife  of 

C.  II.  Ball,  a  clerk  in  Delavan;  Charles  W.  is  in- 
terested in  his  father's  mill,  but  resides  in  Minne- 
apolis, Minn.,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  insurance 
business;  Earnest  A.  is  employed  in  the  mill;  Nellie 


670 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


May,  Edwin  L.,  Bertha  B.  and  Harry  R.  are  still  at 
home. 

In  1863  Mr.  Stubbs  removed  with  his  family  to 
Pekin,  where  he  had  charge  of  a  flouring  mill. 
In  1868  he  came  to  Delavan,  and  in  company 
with  Fred  Starz  built  the  City  Mill,  with  which 
he  was  connected  two  years.  He  then  sold  out, 
and  in  1870  built  the  mill  with  which  he  has  since 
been  connected.  It  has  a  capacity  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  barrels  per  day,  and  they  are  doing 
a  good  business,  for  the  products  of  the  mill  are 
of  the  best,  and  therefore  a  liberal  patronage  is 
received. 

Mr.  Stubbs  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and 
warmly  advocates  the  principles  of  that  party.  He 
has  served  as  a  member  of  the  City  Council,  and 
is  ever  interested  in  what  pertains  to  the  welfare 
of  the  community.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows'  society,  in  which  he  has  filled  all  the 
chairs,  and  for  twenty  years  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Grand  Lodge.  He  belongs  to  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  in  which  he  has  long  served  as  Elder, 
and  has  lived  an  upright,  honorable  life  in  har- 
mony with  his  professions. 


LARIMORE,  who  is  numbered 
among  the  representative  agriculturists  of 
Tazewell  County,  is  now  engaged  in  general 
farming  in  Elm  Grove  Township.  As  he  is  both 
widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  community, 
we  feel  assured  that  the  record  of  his  life  will 
prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers.  A 
native  of  Virginia,  he  was  born  on  the  14th  of 
March,  1830,  and  was  one  of  a  large  family  of 
children  born  unto  William  and  Nancy  Larirnore. 
His  parents  were  both  natives  of  the  Old  Dominion, 
in  which  state  they  resided  until  the  autumn  of 
1832,  when  they  emigrated  westward  to  Illinois. 
A  location  was  made  in  Elm  Grove  Township, 
upon  land  which  Mr.  Larimore  entered  from  the 
Government.  He  at  once  began  its  development 
and  to  its  further  cultivation  and  improvement 
devoted  his  energies  throughout  his  remaining 
days.  He  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading 


and  influential  citizens  of  the  community  who 
always  bore  his  part  in  public  works.  His  death 
occurred  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  and  his  wife 
passed  away  many  years  previous. 

Thomas  Larimore  was  only  eighteen  months 
old  when  brought  by  his  parents  to  this  state. 
Since  that  time  he  has  always  made  his  home  in 
Illinois,  with  the  exception  of  four  years.  In  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  he  became  familiar 
with  all  the  details  of  farm  life.  Through  the 
winter  season  he  generally  attended  the  common 
schools,  where  his  education  was  acquired. 

Mr.  Larimore  has  been  twice  married.  In  1856, 
he  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Lucy  Welsh, 
a  native  of  Elm  Grove  Township,  and  a  daughter 
of  Hugh  Welsh,  who  came  of  an  old  Kentucky 
family.  She  was  called  to  the  home  beyond  in 
1858,  and  left  at  her  death  one  son,  Thomas,  who 
is  now  living  in  Dillon  Township,  Tazewell  Coun- 
ty. Mr.  Larimore  was  again  married  in  1859,  his 
second  union  being  with  Miss  Jane  Reed,  a  native 
of  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
and  Mary  (Aikens)  Reed.  This  worthy  couple 
were  parents  of  eleven  children, of  whom  nine  are 
yet  living.  The  father  was  a  farmer  and  through- 
out life  followed  that  occupation.  His  death 
occurred  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years,  and  his 
wife,  who  passed  away  many  years  previous,  died 
at  the  age  of  forty.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Larimore 
were  born  eight  children:  Belle,  wife  of  William 
Shea,  of  Kansas;  Sarah,  wife  of  D.  Richmond,  who 
also  resides  in  Kansas;  Carrie,  wife  of  Frank 
Miars,  of  Sand  Prairie,  111.;  Lou,  wife  of  N.  Suft, 
a  resident  farmer  of  Dillon  Township;  Daisy, 
Bertha  and  Benjamin,  who  are  still  with  their 
parents. 

Mr.  Larimore  is  one  of  the  extensive  land- 
owners of  this  locality,  his  possessions  aggre- 
gating nine  hundred  acres.  In  connection  with 
the  cultivation  of  his  land,  he  is  also  engaged  in 
stock-raising,  making  a  specialty  of  horses  and 
cattle.  His  business  career  has  been  one  of  pros- 
perity, and  his  success  is  well  merited.  In  politics 
he  has  always  been  a  supporter  of  Democratic 
principles,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office. 
He  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity, 
whose  many  excellencies  of  character  have  won 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


671 


for  him  high  regard,  and  gained  for  him  the 
confidence  and  good  will  of  all  with  whom  busi- 
ness or  social  relations  have  brought  him  in  con- 
tact. 


IJOHN  B.  MEIGS,  M.  D.,  since  1856  a  prac- 
ticing physician  of  Manito,  and  a  leading 
citizen  of  this  village,  was  born  in  Morgan 
County,  111.,  March  30,  1835.  His  father, 
William  D.  Meigs,  was  born  in  Logan  County, Ky., 
in  February,  1812,  and  in  youth  came  to  Illi- 
nois, sojourning  for  a  time  in  Madison  County, 
and  removing  thence  to  Morgan  County.  Later 
lie  settled  in  Sangamon  County,  where  he  con- 
ducted the  study  of  law  and  was  admitted  to 
the  Bar  at  Springfield.  During  the  latter  part  of 
his  life,  after  having  long  engaged  in  the  legal 
practice  at  Springfield,  he  came  to  Manito  and  here 
he  passed  away,  March  12,  1877. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  John 
S.  Meigs,  emigrated  from  Ireland,  his  native  land, 
to  America,  and  settling  in  Kentucky  remained 
there  until  his  death.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Susan,  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  Hope, 
of  Knox  County,  Tenn.  She  was  born  in  that 
county,  October  8,  1812,  and  was  married  in  Sanga- 
mon County,  111.,  in  1835.  The  union  resulted  in 
the  birth  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  three  are 
living,  John  B.;  Ruth,  who  is  married  and  lives 
in  Peoria,  111.,  and  Mrs.  Josephine  Freeman,  of 
Chicago. 

As  a  boy  our  subject  was  recognized  as  the  pos- 
sessor of  more  than  ordinary  ability,  and  although 
it  was  not  his  privilege  to  attend  school  regularly, 
he  studied  at  home  and  easily  kept  up  with  the 
school  children  in  his  studies.  When  but  fifteen 
he  began  the  study  of  medicine,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty  commenced  the  practice  of  the  profession 
at  Woodburn,  III.,  where  he  remained  one  year. 
The  year  1856  witnessed  his  advent  into  Manito, 
where  he  has  since  conducted  a  large  practice. 

During  the  late  war  the  Doctor  was  examined 
for  an  appointment  in  the  Eleventh  Illinois  Cav- 
alry, but  failed  to  receive  the  commission,  which 
was  forwarded  to  another  regiment.  However,  at 


the  request  of  his  comrades,  he  remained  with  them 
as  Assistant  Surgeon.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he 
was  discharged,  July  1,  1865,  and  returning  to 
Manito,  resumed  the  practice  of  medicine  here.  A 
Baptist  in  religious  belief,  he  has  served  as  an  El- 
der, and  since  the  age  of  twenty  has  preached  the 
Gospel  whenever  an  opportunity  was  presented. 

October  19,  1856,  Dr.  Meigs  married  Miss  Ze- 
linda  J.,  daughter  of  John  W.  Stevens,  a  cabinet- 
maker of  Mt.  Sterling,  Ky.  Nine  children  were 
born  to  them,  of  whom  seven  are  living,  namely: 
John  W.,  who  was  born  in  April,  1860,  and  is  a 
resident  of  Pekin;  Abner  Y.,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  August,  1864,  and  who  now  lives  in  St.  Louis; 
Nellie,  born  in  August,  1867,  who  is  married  and 
resides  in  Manito;  Fannie  (twin  of  Nellie),  who  is 
married  and  makes  her  home  in  Manito;  Hosmer 
R.,  born  in  1871;  James  S.,  in  1874,  and  Cornelia, 
in  1878.  Mrs.  Meigs  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

The  principles  of  the  Prohibition  party  are  sup- 
ported by  Dr.  Meigs.  In  earlier  life  he  held  a 
number  of  local  offices  and  has  kept  himself  intel- 
ligently posted  upon  the  important  issues  of  the 
age.  Formerly  he  owned  property  near  Manito, 
but  this  he  sold,  investing  in  western  lands,  and 
now  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Arkansas. 


S        EONHARD  HE1SEL.     Among   the  promi- 

I   (f§)  nent    business    men    of    Tazewell    County 
I   vc\ 
II I— ^Vs,   who  attained  to  the  highest  round   on   the 

ladder  of  success,  and  were  counted  among  its 
worthy  and  honored  citizens,  ma3r  be  mentioned 
Leonhard  Ileisel.  No  name  may  be  more  prop- 
erly placed  in  the  history  of  the  county  than 
his,  for  he  was  not  only  one  of  the  most  successful 
and  popular  business  men,  but  was  of  such  a  social 
and  genial  nature,  that  he  made  many  friends.  He 
was  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  the  county  and 
engaged  for  many  years  as  a  merchant,  and  later 
in  the  insurance  business  in  Pekin,  where  he  was 
classed  among  its  wealthiest  citizens. 

Our  subject  was  born  in   Hesse-Darmstadt,  Ger- 
many, March  26,  1819.     He  was  the  son   of  John 


672 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Heisel,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  a  farmer  and 
weaver.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the  Luth- 
eran Church,  and  died  in  his  native  land  when 
sixty-four  years  of  age.  His  wife,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
(Karg)  Heisel,  was  also  a  German  by  birth,  and 
reared  a  family  of  eight  children,  only  two  of 
whom  are  living. 

Leonhard  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth  in  the 
family,  and  attended  the  schools  of  Germany  until 
reaching  his  fourteenth  year,  when  he  helped  his 
father  in  his  business,  and  later  learned  the  tailor's 
trade.  In  1842  he  began  to  do  journeyman  work, 
traveling  through  Baden,  Prussia  and  Wurtem- 
berg.  Four  years  later,  at  Graefeldt-on-the-Rhine, 
a  silk  manufacturing  town,  he  married  Miss  Mary 
Charlotte  Wilhelmina  Saur,  who  was  born  in  Ber- 
lin. 

In  1848,  Mr.  Heisel  decided  to  come  to  America 
and  left  Antwerp  on  a  vessel  which  forty-two  days 
later  landed  him  in  New  York  City.  Thence  he 
went  to  Albany,  and  after  a  stay  there  of  three 
weeks,  came  to  Pekin  by  way  of  canal  and  river, 
when  this  now  prosperous  city  contained  but  six 
hundred  inhabitants.  He  immediately  opened  up 
a  merchant  tailoring  establishment,  which  he  car- 
ried on  for  four  years,  then  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business,  and  later  became  a  dry-goods  merchant. 
His  first  partner  in  the  latter  trade  was  Mr.  Reul- 
ing,  his  second  Mr.  Steinmetz,  and  the  last  gentle- 
man with  whom  he  did  business  was  C.  A.  Becker. 
He  was  very  successful  as  a  merchant,  and  had  one 
of  the  finest  establishments  in  the  city  until  1881, 
when  he  sold  out.  A  few  months  .later  he  took 
the  agency  for  many  of  the  principal  insurance 
companies. 

From  the  time  Mr.  Heisel  came  to  this  city  in 
1848,  nearly  everything  he  touched  turned  to 
money,  and  he  was  one  of  the  substantial  men  of 
the  county.  He  built  several  business  houses  in 
the  city,  owned  three  brick  stores,  and  consider- 
able valuable  residence  property.  His  good  wife 
departed  this  life  May  22,  1884,  after  having  be- 
come the  mother  of  eight  children,  of  whom  five 
are  living:  Rudolph,  living  in  Terre  Haute,  Ind.; 
Henry,  a  hardware  merchant  of  Stillwater,  Minn.; 
Martin,  a  prominent  grocer  of  this  city;  and  Eliza- 
beth and  Mary,  at  home.  Socially,  Mr.  Heisel  had 


been  a  Mason  since  1851,  and  was  Treasurer  of  the 
lodge  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  the  order 
in  Pekin.  He  also  belonged  to  the  Turner  society, 
and  in  politics  was  a  strong  Democrat.  His  death, 
December  15.  1893,  was  mourned  by  the  citizens 
of  Pekin,  with  whose  interests  his  own  had  so  long 
been  identified. 


UFUS  BLAKELEY.  It  is  a  well  established 
fact  that  a  man  of  natural  ability,  if  pos- 
sessed of  integrity  and  energy,  can  accom- 
i;  plish  almost  any  given  purpose  in  life. 
Ever}'  day  furnishes  examples  of  men  who  com- 
menced their  business  career  empty  handed,  and  in 
a  brief  period  of  time  accumulated  considerable 
fortune.  Our  subject,  who  is  one  of  the  shrewdest 
and  most  intelligent  agriculturists  of  Mason  Coun- 
ty, is  one  of  this  class  as  is  shown  by  the  success 
which  has  crowned  his  efforts.  His  home  is  on 
section  8,  Kilbourne  Township,  and  his  real  estate 
comprises  eight  hundred  and  thirty-two  acres  of 
the  very  best  land.  He  rents  a  portion  of  this 
property,  and  to  the  remainder  he  gives  his  per- 
sonal attention,  putting  in  the  crops  best  suited  to 
the  situation  and  the  soil  on  which  he  works. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  this  count}',  having 
been  born  in  Havana  Township,  December  15, 
1859.  He  is  the  eldest  sou  of  A.  S.  and  Sarah  Jane 
(Brown)  Blakeley,  whose  sketch  will  appear  on  an- 
other page  in  this  volume.  He  attended  school 
mainly  during  the  winter  months,  and  the  sum- 
mers were  devoted  to  work  on  the  farm,  in  which 
he,  as  the  oldest  of  the  family,  bore  a  prominent 
part.  Young  Blakeley  remained  at  home  until 
reaching  his  majority,  when  he  was  married,  Sep- 
tember 20,  1882,  to  Miss  Sarah  J.  Drake,  also  a  na- 
tive of  this  county,  having  been  born  in  Topeka 
Township  in  1862.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Piatt 
and  Julia  Drake,  early  settlers  and  well-to-do 
farmers  of  Mason  County. 

Immediately  after  his  removal,  Mr.  Blakeley  lo- 
cated on  the  old  Jones  place,  which  he  had  pur- 
chased in  Kilbourne  Township,  and  where  he  lias 
ever  since  engaged  in  farm  pursuits.  He  has  been 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


673 


very  successful  in  this  vocation,  and  has  been  an 
important  factor  in  the  present  prosperity  of  this 
section  of  the  country,  and  lias  accumulated  a 
handsome  fortune. 

To  our  subject  and  his  estimable  wife  was  bo'rn 
a  family  of  four  daughters  and  two  sons,  namely: 
Mabel,  deceased;  Cora,  Oscar,  Edith,  Daisy  and 
Aaron  Scott.  Mr.  Blakeley  has  worked  hard  in 
the  accumulation  of  his  property,  and  has  received 
valuable  aid  from  his  wife,  who  is  a  cheerful,  capa- 
ble and  willing  helpmate.  He  has  always  attended 
strictly  to  his  own  affairs,  letting  other  people's 
business  alone,  and  always  gets  along  well  with  his 
neighbors.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
thoroughly  identifies  himself  with  whatever  will 
best  promote  the  highest  interests  of  this,  his  na- 
tive county,  his  liberality  helping  forward  many 
schemes  for  its  improvement,  and  he  is  numbered 
among  its  most  loyal  citizens. 


ELWOOD  M.  GARLICK.  One  of  the  bright- 
est and  newsiest  papers  in  Tazewell  County 
is  the  Weekly  Review,  which  is  published  at 
llopedale,  and  of  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  the  editor  and  proprietor.  It  was  established  in 
1886,  and  since  that  time  has  enjoyed  a  steady  in- 
crease in  circulation  and  prosperity,  numbering 
among  its  subscribers  many  of  the  citizens  of  Hope- 
dale  as  well  as  the  residents  of  the  surrounding 
country.  In  its  editorials  it  has  adopted  and 
closely  follows  the  motto,  "Independent  in  all 
things  and  neutral  in  nothing."  All  measures 
projected  for  the  benefit  of  the  people  or  the  de- 
velopment of  the  material  resources  of  the  commu- 
nity receive  the  support  of  the  paper  and  the  co- 
operation of  the  editor. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Mortimore  A. 
and  Martha  (Gilmore)  Garlick.  The  father,  who 
was  an  attorney  by  profession,  served  in  the  Mex- 
ican War  and  there  contracted  the  disease  which 
resulted  in  his  death  when  Elwood  was  nine  months 
old.  The  mother  was  again  married  six  years 
later,  her  second  husband  being  J.  W.  Curd,  and 
she  now  resides  at  Sidney,  Ohio.  Elwood  M.  was 


born  in  Plain  City,  Clarke  County,  Ohio,  Septem- 
ber 19,  1849,  and  spent  his  boyhood  years  prin- 
cipally in  Xenia  and  London,  that  state.  He  has 
been  self-supporting  since  a  lad  of  fifteen  years, 
when  he  entered  a  printing  office  and  began  to 
learn  the  trade.  As  may  be  imagined  his  educa- 
tional privileges  were  few,  but  by  extensive  read- 
ing he  has  become  well  informed. 

After  coming  to  Illinois  Mr.  Garlick  was  em- 
ployed in  the  composing  room  of  the  Delavan 
Advertiser  for  fifteen  years  and  five  months.  Upon 
resigning  from  his  position  with  that  paper  he  took 
charge  of  the  Review,  of  which  he  has  been  the 
editor  for  the  past  three  j'ears.  He  still  owns  his 
residence  property  in  Delavan,  where  he  now 
makes  his  home,  going  from  there  to  llopedale  each 
morning  and  returning  at  night.  His  political 
views  bring  him  into  affiliation  with  the  Democratic 
party,  the  principles  of  which  he  has  supported 
since  attaining  his  majority.  His  first  vote  was 
cast  in  1872,  when  lie  supported  Charles  O'Connor, 
the  candidate  of  the  straight  Democratic  ticket, 
against  General  Grant,  Republican,  and  Horace 
Greeley,  the  candidate  of  the  liberal  Democrats. 

On  the  9th  of  April,  1875,  at  Delavan,  Mr. -Gar- 
lick  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth 
Keefe,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children, 
Minnie  M.  and  Mattie  E.  They  were  bereaved  by 
the  death  of  their  younger  daughter  November 
27,  1877,  in  infancy.  Minnie  M.  was  graduated 
with  high  honors  from  the  Delavan  High  School 
June  12,  1894.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence 
in  the  social  circles  of  Delavan,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Garlick  enjoy  the  esteem  of  a  host  of  warm  personal 
friends. 


OHN  F.  KREILING.  Situated  on  section 
26,  Forest  City  Township,  lies  one  of  Mason 
County's  fine  farms.  It  consists  of  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  of  well  improved 
land,  upon  which  may  be  noticed  a  suitable  com- 
plement of  buildings.  This  is  the  property  of  Mr. 
Kreiling,  who  has  here  spent  his  entire  life.  He 
was  born  on  this  place  Christmas  Day,  1858,  and 


674 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


was  here  reared  to  manhood,  receiving  his  educa- 
tion in  the  neighboring  schools. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  B.  II.  Kreiling,  was 
born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  and  thence  accompan- 
ied by  his  family  came  to  America  about  forty-five 
years  ago.  Proceeding  westward  to  Illinois,  he 
settled  in  Butli  Township,  Mason  County.  After 
the  death  of  his  first  wife  he  married  Helen  C. 
Witte,  a  native  of  Oldenburg,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  seven  children.  Four  are  now  living: 
Lydia,  wife  of  Fred  Myers;  John  F.;  August  II.  and 
George  W.  The  father  died  in  1879  and  the 
mother  in  1891. 

The  original  purchase  of  land  made  by  Mr.  Kreil- 
ing, Sr.,  consisted  of  one  hundred  acres,  to  which 
he  afterward  added  eighty  acres.  At  the  time 
of  purchase  the  land  was  open  prairie  and  wholly 
unimproved,  but  in  time  lie  placed  the  land  under 
good  cultivation  and  erected  substantial  buildings. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat.  He  was  an  official 
member  of  the  Lutheran  denomination  and  assisted 
in  the  erection  of  St.  John's  Church. 

April  26,  1883,  ouix  subject  married  Miss  Lena 
Theis,  who  was  born  in  Hanover  in  1863,  and  came 
to  America  in  1882.  Their  seven  children  are  all 
living,  viz.:  Johanna  Helene,  Louis  August,  Har- 
mon Frederick,  Mary  Maggie,  Carrie  Catherine 
Maggie,  Minnie  Louise  Augusta  and  an  infant.  In 
religious  belief  the  family  is  connected  with  the 
Lutheran  Church,  in  which  Mr.  Kreiling  is  Trustee, 
and  he  is  also  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  is  the  present  in- 
cumbent of  the  office  of  Highway  Commissioner, 
to  whicli  he  was  recently  elected.  At  present  he 
is  also  serving  as  School  Director.  Sociall}'  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  at 
Topeka. 


J"~  OHN  J.  FLETCHER.     Within  the  limits  of 
Mason    County  there  is  probably  no  man 
whose   lauded    possessions  are  larger  than 
those  belonging  to  Mr.  Fletcher,  a  prosper- 
ous and  popular  citizen  of  Lynchburg  Township. 
Since   settling   there    he    has    from   time  to  time 
added  to  his  property  until  he  now  owns  fourteen 
hundred  and  eighteen  acres,  of  which  the  greater 


portion  is  improved.  He  is  also  the  owner  of 
about  one-third  the  real  estate  included  within  the 
corporate  limits  of  Bath,  and  has  valuable  prop- 
erty in  Havana. 

Of  English  birth  and  parentage,  our  subject  is 
the  son  of  James  Fletcher,  who  came  to  this  coun- 
try about  1854,  and  made  his  home  with  John  J. 
until  his  death.  Here  also  occurred  the  death  of  the 
mother  about  1884.  The  paternal  grandfather,  a 
native  of  England,  bore  the  name  of  William 
Fletcher;  he  was  born  in  1780  and  died  in  1856. 
Our  subject  is  the  eldest  of  eight,  children,  of 
whom  the  other  survivors  are:  William,  a  resident 
of  Mason  City;  Charlotte,  who  is  married  and  lives 
in  Easton,  111.,  Joseph,  of  Bath,  who  is  married  and 
has  four  children;  Mrs.  Martha  Hawkins,  living  in 
Franklin, 111.;  and  T.  M.,  of  Lynchburg  Township. 
In  Yorkshire,  England,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  born  on  the  28th  of  April,  1820,  and  early 
in  life  he  became  self  supporting.  When  a  lad 
of  twelve  years  he  began  to  earn  his  livelihood, 
and  for  one  year  worked  in  the  employment  of 
a  farmer,  who  paid  him  £2  10s.  The  following  year 
his  wages  were  increased  to  £3.  In  the  spring  of 
1844,  dissatisfied  with  the  prospects  offered  in 
England,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  landing  in  New  Orleans,  whence  he  pro- 
ceeded to  St.  Louis.  After  a  short  sojourn  there 
he  went  to  Iris  Landing,  in  Scott  County,  I II., and 
soon  afterward  entered  the  employ  of  R.  South- 
well, a  farmer  living  near  Winchester,  that  county. 
His  salary  was  $9  per  month  during  that  summer, 
but  in  1845  he  received  an  advance  in  wages  of 

i    $2,  working   in   the  employ  of  John    Thompson. 

j   In  1846  he  worked  on  the  farm  of  James  Cotton, 
near  Winchester,  who  paid  him  $16  per  month. 

In  the  fall  of  1856  Mr.  Fletcher  was  employed 
in  husking  corn  for  Mrs.  Hannah  (Kay)  Briggs, 
and  the  acquaintance  thus  formed  ripened  into  an 
esteem  and  affection  resulting  in  their  marriage  at 
Carrollton,  111.  Mrs.  Fletcher's  father  was  a  car- 
penter and  cabinet-maker  of  Ilomefui'th,  England. 
She  was  married  in  that  country  to  a  Mr.  Briggs, 
whom  in  1835  she  accompanied  to  America,  set- 
tling in  St.  Louis,  where  he  died  soon  afterward. 
By  that  union  she  had  six  children,  while  her  mar- 
riage to  Mr.  Fletcher  resulted  in  the,  birth  of  one 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


675 


son,  James  J.,  now  a  resident  of  Bath,  who  mar- 
ried a  daughter  of  William  Patterson,  of  that 
city. 

Settling  near  Winchester  in  1856,  Mrs.  Fletcher 
there  bought  fort}-  acres,  but  two  years  later  dis- 
posed of  the  property  and  with  her  husband  came 
to  Lynchburg  Township.  After  cultivating  a 
rented  farm  for  two  years,  they  purchased  forty 
acres,  upon  which  they  made  a  cash  payment  of 
$300,  the  remaining  amount  being  paid  on  the  in- 
stallment plan.  This  was  the  nucleus  of  the  pres- 
ent possessions  of  Mr.  Fletcher.  The  farm  is  finely 
improved,  contains  large  and  substantial  build- 
ings, and  is  surrounded  with  a  neat  hedge  fence. 

A  Democrat  in  political  views,  Mr.  Fletcher  has 
served  as  Supervisor  for  two  terms,  County  Sur- 
veyor one  year,  and  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  a 
period  of  sixteen  years.  He  has  been  identi- 
fied with  Lynchburg  Township  from  the  early 
days  of  its  settlement.  He  enjoys  the  distinction 
of  having  operated  the  first  horse  corn  shellerever 
used  in  this  township,  the  machine  shelling  fifteen 
hundred  bushels  the  first  day.  He  has  worn  out 
three  Alton  threshing  machines,  three  flag  reapers, 
two  hodger  headers,  two  McCormick  reapers  and 
two  corn  shelters,  which  proves  that  he  has  been 
a  very  active  and  busy  man. 

When  Mr.  Fletcher  came  to  this  county  game  was 
plentiful,  and,  as  he  was  an  unerring  shot,  many  a 
fine  day's  sport  did  he  enjoy,  usually  accompanied 
by  Colonel  West,  Doc  O'Neil  and  John  Connover. 
On  his  place  were  always  to  be  found  several  hun- 
ting dogs,  as  well  as  a  number  of  fine  guns.  One 
time  during  the  '50s  he  was  out  on  a  nine  days' 
hunt,  killing  six  deer,  with  a  double  barreled  gun. 
About  the  same  time  a  herd  of  six  deer  was  noticed 
on  the  island  opposite  Bath,  and  our  subject, cross- 
ing on  the  ice,  killed  five  of  the  herd  in  a  few  days. 
Though  now  past  his  seventy-fourth  year  he  still 
goes  on  an  occasional  hunting  expedition,  and  his 
enjoyment  of  the  sport  is  almost  as  keen  as  it  was 
forty  years  ago.  Failing  sight,  however,  renders 
his  aim  less  unerring  than  formerly,  but  he  is  still 
considered  one  of  the  best  shots  in  the  county. 
At  present  he  has  three  rifles  and  four  double- 
barreled  shot  guns,  one  breach  loading  that  cost 
$200  and  another  $65.  He  takes  great  pride  in 


keeping  his  guns  in   good  order  and  has  a  fine 
glass  front  case  in  which  they  are  kept. 

In  addition  to  the  elegant  residence  in  which  he 
lives  Mr.  Fletcher  owns  several  tenement  houses, 
one  a  brick  structure.  He  has  two  wind  mills  on 
the  home  place,  and  the  improvements  he  has  added 
to  the  farm  have  cost  $5,000.  Six  hundred  acres 
are  cultivated  under  his  direct  supervision,  and 
in  his  agricultural  affairs  he  has  been  most  success- 
ful. In  the  spring  of  1894  he  sold  four  thousand 
bushels  of  corn,  which  he  put  on  board  the  cars 
two  miles  east  of  his  place.  Two  days  later  he 
loaded  in  the  cars  at  the  same  place  fourteen  hun- 
dred bushels  of  wheat,  using  eight  teams.  A  man 
of  great  energy  and  tireless  perseverance,  he  is  still 
as  active  as  when  in  life's  prime.  He  is  held  in 
high  esteem  by  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances,  and 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of  the 
county. 


IEUT.  THOMAS  B.  BRIGGS,  an  honored 
veteran  of  the  late  war,  was  born  in  Kent 
County,  R.  I.,  November  16,  1825,  and 
now  makes  his  home  in  Delavan,  being  one  of 
its  highly  respected  citizens.  His  father,  Samuel 
Briggs,  was  a  native  of  Dighton,  Mass.,  and  for 
more  that  half  a  century  followed  teaching  in  the 
Bay  State  and  in  Rhode  Island.  In  1840,  he 
came  west,  locating  near  Atlanta,  in  Logan  Coun- 
ty, 111.,  and  a  few  years  later  he  came  to  Delavan, 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days.  His  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Bunn,and  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  one  of  the  Revolutionary  heroes  who  served 
as  body  guard  to  Gen.  George  Washington.  His 
brother  was  the  founder  of  the  city  of  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.  Mrs.  Briggs  died  in  1867,  and  a  few  years 
later  Mr.  Briggs  passed  away  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-three.  In  their  family  were  twelve  chil- 
dren, five  sons  and  seven  daughters,  of  whom 
two  sons  and  two  daughters  are  yet  living.  A 
brother  of  our  subject,  E.  M.  Briggs,  was  a  soldier 
of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifteenth  Illinois  Infan- 
try during  the  Civil  War,  and  now  follows  farm- 
ing near  Delavan.  A  sister  is  the  wife  of  Hon. 


676 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Ira  B.  Hall,  Vice-President  of  theTazewcll  County 
National  Bank  of  Delavan;  and  Mary  A.  is  the 
wife  of  Samuel  Law  ton,  a  jeweler  of  Newton,  Kan. 

Lieutenant  Briggs  was  a  youth  of  fifteen  years 
when  the  family  came  to  Illinois.  He  secured  a 
liberal  education  under  the  direction  of  his  cult- 
ured father,  and  in  June,  1846,  entered  the  United 
States  service  as  a  member  of  Company  G,  Fourth 
Illinois  Infantry,  for  the  Mexican  War.  He  was 
present  at  the  landing  of  the  troops  at  Vera  Cruz, 
March  9,  1847,  and  participated  in  the  capture  of 
that  city.  He  was  a  member  of  the  squad  which 
had  the  honor  of  capturing,  at  the  battle  of  Cerro 
Gordo,  the  famous  fighting  leg  of  Santa  Anna. 
After  the  war,  Mr.  Briggs  returned  to  his  native 
state  and  was  engaged  in  the  bookbinding  busi- 
ness until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War.  On 
President  Lincoln's  first  call  for  troops  he  respon- 
ded, and  on  the  17th  of  April,  1861,  again  took 
up  arms  in  defense  of  the  Old  Flag.  He  had  be- 
longed to  the  militia  of  Rhode  Island,  Massachu- 
setts and  Connecticut,  and  was  appointed  First 
Sergeant  of  Company  A,  First  Regiment  Rhode 
Island  Volunteer  Militia.  He  went  to  Washing- 
ton under  Colonel  Burnside,  and  during  his  three 
months'  service  was  stationed  in  the  Capitol  City. 
On  the  2d  of  August,  1861,  his  term  expired,  and 
he  promptly  re-enlisted  in  the  Third  Rhode  Island 
Infantry,  being  mustered  in  on  the  20th  of  Aug- 
ust. The  regiment  afterwards  became  heavy  ar- 
tillery, and  Mr.  Briggs  was  commissioned  Captain. 
He  was  present  at  the  capture  of  Hilton  Head  and 
Port  Royal,  and  was  then  in  command  of  Ft. 
Wells  for  three  months,  and  later  had  command  of 
line  intrenchments  composed  of  six  batteries  on 
Beaufort  Island.  In  April,  1863,  while  making  a 
reconnoissance  around  the  island  and  on  the  river 
on  the  transport  "George  Washington,"  with  a 
detachment  of  his  company,  he  was  fired  upon  by 
the  enemy  about  day  break.  The  ammunition  was 
exploded  and  the  boat  was  blown  up,  killing 
fourteen  of  his  men  and  nearly  causing  him  to 
lose  his  life. 

On  the  22d  of  May,  Captain  Briggs  resigned 
his  commission  and  returned  to  civil  life,  but  it 
was  not  long  before  he  had  fully  recovered  from 
his  injuries,  and  again  entered  the  service,  as  First 


Lieutenant  of  the  Fourteenth  Rhode  Island  Artil- 
lery, subsequently  changed  to  the  Eleventh  Uni- 
ted States  Artillery.  On  the  1st  of  January,  1864, 
he  left  New  Orleans  for  Matta  Gorda  Island,  was 
made  ordnance  officer  at  Ft.  Espanronza,  Tex., 
and  subsequently  was  made  Ordnance  Officer  of  the 
First  Division,  Thirteenth  Army  Corps  on  the 
Staff  of  Brig.-Gen.  B.  S.  Roberts.  Later  he  was  or- 
dered by  General  Sherman  to  report  to  the  com- 
mander of  Ft.  Jackson,  La.,  where  he  received  the 
appointment  of  Assistant  Acting  Quartermaster 
a  position  he  held  until  October  2,  1865.  He  re- 
mained there  until  May  5,  and  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  Brasheor  City,  when  he  was  again  mus- 
tered out  of  the  United  States  service.  He  was 
discharged  October  25,  in  Rhode  Island,  but  army 
life  had  become  second  nature  to  him,  and  it  was 
not  long  before  he  decided  to  enter  the  regular 
service. 

On  the  20th  of  July,  1867,  Mr.  Briggs  received 
an  appointment  as  Second  Lieutenant  of  the  Third 
United  States  Infantry,  was  assigned  to  duty  at 
Ft.  Leaven  worth,  Kan.,  and  soon  after  sent  to  Ft. 
Lyon,  Colo.  For  sixteen  years  he  was  on  the 
western  frontier.  The  duties  of  an  officer  in  the 
regular  service  are  not  as  exciting  as  during  the 
time  of  the  Civil  War,  but  he  was  always  found 
faithful  to  his  trust,  and  was  universally  respected 
by  his  fellow-officers.  His  health  failing  him  in 
1883,  he  was  transferred  to  the  retired  list  as  in- 
capacitated for  active  duty,  and  given  an  annual 
salary  of  about  $1,500. 

When  Lieutenant  Briggs  left  the  army,  he  de- 
cided to  make  his  home  in  Delavan,  where  his  boy- 
hood days  were  passed  and  where  the  rest  of  the 
members  of  his  family  lived.  His  wife's  people 
also  lived  in  this  place.  He  was  married  May  31, 
1849,  to  Rebecca  Keech,  a  native  of  Windham 
County,  Conn.,  who  died  in  1873,  leaving  one  son, 
Walter  S.,  who  was  for  twelve  years  in  the  stock 
business  on  the  plains,  arid  is  now  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising in  Lusk,  Wyo.  Mr.  Briggs  was  mar- 
ried in  1874  to  Mary  Rhoads  Arnold,  who  died  in 
1876.  He  was  again  married  March  4,  1879,  to 
Carrie  A.  Hiscox,  who  was  born  on  Narragansett 
Bay  in  1852,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Edwin  Hiscox, 
who  came  to  Delavan  during  her  girlhood.  They 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


677 


now  have  two  children,  Thomas  B.,  Jr.,  and  Jo- 
sephine A. 

Lieutenant  Briggs  is  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  the  Loyal  Legion  and  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  The  most  of  his  life  has  been 
spent  in  military  service  and  he  has  made  a  record 
of  which  he  may  justly  be  proud. 


f  AMES  A.  HARPHAM.  The  history  of  any 
country,  state  or  county  must  depend  in  a 
great  measure  upon  the  lives  of  those  men 
who  by  industry,  natural  ability  and  perse- 
verance have  achieved  success.  For  the  interest 
with  which  it  inspires  the  general  reader  therefore, 
a  history  of  Mason  County  would  in  no  measure  be 
complete  without  a  description  of  him  whose  name 
heads  this  sketch,  and  who  is  now  living  retired  in 
the  city  of  Havana. 

Mr.  Harpham  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
September  14,  1815,  and  is  the  son  of  Jonathan 
Harpham,  whose  birth  took  place  in  England. 
The  latter  came  to  America  when  a  lad  of  fourteen 
years  of  age,  locating  in  Philadelphia,  where  he 
was  employed  in  merchandising.  When  ready  to 
establish  a  home  of  his  own,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  Bater,  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  She 
departed  this  life  a  number  of  years  ago  when 
living  in  Marion  County,  this  state.  Jonathan 
Harpham  also  passed  away  in  that  county  at  the 
age  of  seventy-three  years.  He  was  actively  inter- 
ested in  advancing  the  welfare  of  his  adopted 
county,  and  during  elections  never  failed  to  cast 
a  Whig  ticket. 

James  A.,  of  this  sketch,  was  only  three  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  removal  from  the 
east  to  Indiana,  in  which  state  they  located  in 
Dearborn  County,  and  engaged  actively  in  farming. 
In  1851,  our  subject  came  to  Mason  County,  where 
he  entered  a  quarter-section  of  land  from  the 
Government,  and  at  the  same  time  purchased  a 
considerable  amount  of  land  in  Havana  Township. 
He  immediately  set  to  work  to  improve  and  culti- 
vate his  property,  and  that  he  has  been  more  than 
ordinarily  successful  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that 
23 


he  is  now  living  substantially  retired  from  work  of 
any  kind,  devoting  himself  to  the  sale  of  his  city 
property,  owning  about  fifty  acres  in  the  central 
portion  of  Havana. 

September,  1841,  James  A.  Harpham  and  Miss 
Elizabeth  Linn,  were  united  in  marriage.  The 
lady  was  a  native  of  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  and 
the  daughter  of  Joel  and  Elizabeth  Linn,  both 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Harpham  departed 
this  life  May  18,  1889,  after  having  become  the 
mother  of  four  sons  and  three  daughters.  They 
bear  the  respective  names  of  Albert  S.,  who  is'loca- 
ted  in  Monroe  County,  Mo.;  Mary,  now  Mrs.  H. 
F.  Williams,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.;  Charles  L.,  a  farmer 
in  that  state;  Edwin  L.,  a  prominent  attorney  in 
Chicago;  Flora,  engaged  in  teaching  in  the  North- 
hampton  College  of  Massachusetts;  Anna,  Mrs.  L. 
Evurs,  residing  in  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  and  James  A., 
Jr.,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Monroe  County, 
Mo. 

Mr.  Harpham  is  an  active  worker  in  the  ranks 
of  the  Republican  party.  He  is  regarded  as  one 
of  those  men  of  progressive  ideas  who  endeavor 
to  keep  pace  with  current  affairs  and  his  popu- 
larity is  alike  great  in  both  business  and  social 
circles.  Ele  has  resided  in  Havana  since  1851,  and 
throughout  this  section  of  the  county  has  many 
warm  and  personal  friends  who  fully  appreciate 
his  worth  and  his  natural  kindness. 


R.  R.  W.  CROTHERS,  deceased,  was  born 
in  Mt.  Pleasant,  Ohio,  April  25,  1833,  and 
was  a  son  of  Noble  and  Rachel  Crothers. 
His  father  was  a  prominent  farmer  and 
stock  dealer,  but  we  have  little  information  con- 
cerning the  early  history  of  the  famil}'.  His 
brother,  Dr.  E.  K.  Crothers,  was  a  well  known 
physician,  who  died  in  Bloomington  in  April, 
1893.  Another  brother,  Rev.  Warren  Crothers,  is 
a  prominent  Methodist  preacher,  now  located  in 
the  far  west,  and  is  the  only  son  of  the  family  liv- 
ing. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
spent  his  early  life  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer 
lads,  and  after  attending  the  common  schools  was 


678 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


a  student  in  an  academy.  Desiring  to  enter  the 
medical  profession  and  make  its  practice  his  life 
work,  lie  entered  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College, 
and  graduated  from  the  Jefferson  Medical  College, 
at  Philadelphia,  in  the  spring  of  1855.  The 
following  year  he  came  to  Delavan  and  opened  a 
drug  store,  which  he  carried  on  in  connection  with 
his  extensive  practice.  He  became  one  of  the 
most  noted  physicians  and  surgeons  of  central 
Illinois,  received  a  very  liberal  patronage,  and  won 
an  enviable  reputation  among  his  professional 
brethren.  He  continued  in  active  practice,  and 
also  carried  on  his  drug  store  until  his  death. 

The  Doctor  was  united  in  marriage  on  the  12th 
of  July,  1864,  with  Miss  Minerva  Lillibridge,  a 
native  of  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  who  resided  in 
Detroit,  Mich.,  at  the  time  of  her  marriage.  She 
is  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  and  is  liv- 
ing a  quiet  life  in  the  beautiful  home  left  her 
by  her  husband.  The  Doctor  was  called  to  his 
final  rest  January  10,  1890,  and  his  death  was 
deeply  mourned,  for  he  had  won  many  friends 
throughout  the  community  and  was  held  in  the 
highest  regard  by  all. 


A.  ROSEBROUGII,  a  prominent  and  rep- 
resentative fanner,  and  well  known  citizen 
of  Mason  City  Township,  Mason  County, 
follows  agricultural  pursuits  on  section  14, 
and  claims  Ohio  as  the  state  of  his  nativity.  He 
was  born  in  Champaign  County,  April  16,1832, 
and  is  a  son  of  William  Rosebrough,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Kentucky,  November  11,  1799.  The 
father  removed  to  Ohio  when  eleven  years  of  age 
with  his  parents,  and  while  living  in  that  state 
learned  and  followed  the  trade  of  a  carpenter. 
On  coming  to  this  state,  however,  in  1849.  he 
located  in  Quiver  Township,  Mason  County,  on 
raw  land  which  he  entered  from  the  Government, 
and  thereafter  carried  on  farm  pursuits. 

The  father  of  our  subject  improved  and  lived 
upon  the  above  farm  until  the  spring  of  1865, 
when  he  made  his  advent  into  this  township  and 


lived  until  his  decease,  March  28,  1876,  in  his  sev- 
enty-seventh year.  He  was  an  active  member  of 
the  old  school  Baptist  Church,  and  led  an  honora- 
ble and  upright  life.  His  father,  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  James  Rosebrougli,  was  a  native 
of  Ireland,  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  New 
World  when  quite  young.  The  maiden  name  of 
our  subject's  mother  was  Hannah  Ayres;  she 
was  born  in  1804  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio, 
where  she  was  reared  to  womanhood  and  met  and 
married  William  Rosebrougli.  Her  father,  Ben- 
ajah  Ayres,  came  from  New  Jersey. 

He  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  was  the  sec- 
ond child  of  the  parental  family,  which  comprised 
two  daughters  and  three  sons.  He  came  to  this 
county  when  a  lad  of  seventeen  years,  and  ob- 
tained his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  the 
Buckeye  State.  Upon  leaving  the  school-room  he 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  occupation  he 
followed  until  1865,  when  he  was  elected  to  the 
responsible  office  of  County  Treasurer.  After 
serving  a  term  of  two  years  he  located  upon  the 
farm  where  he  is  at  present  residing,  and  in  the 
cultivation  of  which  he  is  making  a  success.  Five 
years  previous  to  being  elected  Treasurer,  he  held 
the  office  of  County  Commissioner,  of  which  he 
was  incumbent  for  a  short  time,  being  one  of  the 
last  commissioners  to  hold  that  office  prior  to  the 
township  organization.  For  thirteen  years  he  was 
Supervisor  of  Mason  City  Township,  during  nine 
years  of  which  time  he  was  chairman  of  the  board. 
He  is  identified  with  the  Democratic  party  in  pol- 
itics and  gives  his  support  to  every  enterprise  cal- 
culated in  any  way  to  upbuild  and  improve  the 
community. 

B.  A.  Rosebrougli  was  married  in  1856  to  Miss 
Maria  L.  Tomlin,  who  died  in  1872,  leaving  five 
children,  namely:  Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  Joseph 
Fisher,  residing  in  Elliott,  Iowa;  Cora,  the  wife  of 
George  D.  Coon,  of  Clinton,  Mo.;  B.  A.,  who 
makes  his  home  in  New  Holland,  this  state;  Frank, 
living  in  Quincy,  and  Bertha,  at  home  with  her 
father.  The  second  union  of  our  subject  oc- 
curred on  the  28th  of  September,  1876,  at  which 
time  Mrs.  Amelia,  daughter  of  Abraham  and 
Malissa  Swing,  widow  of  John  Sikes,  became  his 
wife.  To  them  were  born  two  children,  of  whom 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


679 


one  died  in  infancy,  and  the  other  bears  the  name 
of  James  Roy. 

Our  subject  owns  a  quarter-section  of  fine  farm- 
ing land,  which  he  has  placed  under  such  excel- 
lent tillage  that  it  now  ranks  among  the  finest  es- 
tates in  the  township.  In  social  affairs  he  is  a 
prominent  Mason,  belonging  to  Lodge  No.  403  in 
Mason  City. 

•  I  i 


OSEPH  J.  AND  RUN  YON  H.  VAIL,  constitu- 


J"~? 
ting  the   manufacturing  firm  of  Vail  Bros., 
of  Green  Valley,  'faze  well  County,  are  con- 
ducting one  of   the  most  extensive  indus- 
tries of  that  kind   in  this  part  of  the  state,  their 
main  article  being  washing  machines. 

Joseph  J.,  the  oldest  brother,  was  born  in  Somer- 
set County,  N.  J.,  September  7,  1843,  his  father 
being  Lewis  Vail,  who  was  born  in  the  same  county 
as  his  son,  February  11,  1812,  and  was  03'  trade 
a  hatter.  His  father,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, also  bore  the  name  of  Joseph,  and  was  like- 
wise a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  a  Quaker,  whose 
ancestors  came  from  England  long  before  the  Rev- 
olutionary War.  The  father  of  our  subject  was 
married  to  Hannah  Matilda  Harris,  who  was  born 
in  Middlesex  County,  N.  J.,  March  17,  1822,  and 
whose  ancestors  came  from  England  about  the 
same  time  as  did  the  Vail  family.  The  mother 
did  not  belong  to  the'  Friends'  Society,  so  the 
father  by  marrying  her  was  severed  from  that 
faith. 

In  1855,  the  Vail  family  came  west  and  located 
in  Racine,  Wis.,  and  one  year  later  went  to  EIow- 
ard  Count}',  Iowa,  where  the  father  engaged  in 
farming  until  1863.  After  making  his  home  in 
LaSalle  and  Logan  Counties  until  1865,  Mr.  Vail 
decided  to  take  up  farming  in  this  county  and 
hither  moved  with  his  family,  making  settlement 
south  of  Delavan,  where  his  death  occurred  No- 
vember 1,  1886.  The  good  mother  is  yet  living 
and  making  her  home  in  Green  Valley  with  her 
sons.  Only  one  of  the  five  boys  of  this  family 
has  ever  married,  he  being  Randolph.,  who  took 
to  wife  Miss  Elizabeth  Kirkman  and  is  now  in 
the  employ  of  his  brothers,  Joseph  and  Runyon 


H.  The  other  brothers  are  Andrew  H.  K.  and 
Lewis  D.  The  former  has  charge  of  his  aunt 
Margaret  V.  P.  Harris'  landed  estate  in  Logan 
County,  111.  The  latter  is  also  on  a  farm  in  Tre- 
mont  County,  Iowa. 

Joseph  J.,  our  subject,  is  socially  a  prominent 
Odd  Fellow  of  a  high  degree,  having  passed  all  the 
chairs  in  his  order,  and  is  now  entitled  to  a  seat 
in  the  Grand  Lodge.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen.  Politically  our  subject  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  as  are  also  his  brothers.  He  has  not 
held  any  offices  for  the  past  few  years,  preferring 
to  give  his  attention  to  his  business.  The  firm  is 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  washing  machines, 
and  are  carrying  on  a  successful  business  in  that 
line. 


URDON  F.  SA.LTONSTALL.  The  gentle- 
man whose  life  will  be  briefly  sketched  in 
these  paragraphs  is  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful lawyers  of  Pekin,  and  is  at  present  officiating 
as  State's  Attorney.  He  is  a  member  of  an  old 
and  prominent  eastern  family  that  dates  its  history 
back  to  the  Puritans  of  New  England.  The  first 
representative  of  the  family  in  America  was  Rich- 
ard Saltonstall,  who  settled  in  Massachusetts  in 
1830. 

The  fatiier  of  our  subject,  Dr.  G.  F.  Saltonstall, 
was  born  in  New  London,  Conn.,  and  was  a  grad- 
uate of  a  medical  college  in  Philadelphia.  Early 
in  the  '40s,  after  a  short  residence  in  Scott  Coun- 
ty, Ky.,  he  came  to  Tremont,  Tazewell  County,  111., 
and  here  engaged  in  practice.  In  1848  he  removed 
to  Missouri,  and  settled  at  Fayette,  Howard  Coun- 
ty, where  he  retired  from  the  profession  and  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  hemp  rope  and  bag- 
ging. In  1850  he  died  of  cholera  in  Marietta, 
Ohio.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Sarah  A.  Thompson,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  and 
died  in  Fayette,  Mo.,  in  1866. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  five  children, 
of  whom  three  are  now  living,  Gurdon  F.  being 
the  second  in  order  of  birth.  He  was  born  at  Tre- 
mont, then  the  county  seat  of  Tazewell  County, 
and  accompanied  his  parents  to  Fayette,  Mo.,  where 


680 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


his  education  was  conducted  under  private  teach- 
ers. In  1866  he  came  to  Pekin  and  commenced 
the  study  of  law  in  this  city.  The  following  year 
he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Ottawa,  this  state, 
since  which  time  he  has  conducted  an  extensive 
practice  in  Pekin.  For  a  few  years  he  was  engaged 
in  partnership  with  another  gentleman,  but  since 
1870  he  has  been  alone. 

As  an  attorney,  Mr.  Saltonstall  has  gained  an 
enviable  reputation,  and  his  councils  are  sought  by 
the  leading  men  of  this  section.  lie  is  thoroughly 
read  in  the  law,  and  skilled  in  the  management  of 
cases  submitted  to  him.  In  the  Democratic  party 
lie  wields  a  considerable  influence,  and  invariably 
gives  his  support  to  the  nominees  of  that  organi- 
zation. The  political  questions  of  the  age  have 
received  from  him  the  serious  consideration  which 
they  demand,  and  he  has  firm  convictions  upon  all 
subjects  of  general  importance.  In  1888  he  was 
elected  State's  Attorney,  and  four  years  later  was 
re-elected  to  that  position,  of  which  he  is  the  pres- 
ent incumbent.  He  gives  his  aid  to  all  public 
measures  having  for  their  object  the  promotion  of 
the  welfare  of  the  people,  and  may  be  relied  upon 
to  support  all  projects  that  are  beneficial  and  up- 
lifting in  their  influences. 


Si  SAAC  N.  MITCHELL,  Secretary  of  the  Havana 
Building  &  Loan  Association,  and  senior  ruem- 
/il  ber  of  the  firm  of  Mitchell  <fe  Son,  was  born  in 
Morgan  County,  111.,  February  13,  1829.  The 
family  is  of  Scotch  descent,  and  has  long  been  rep- 
resented in  this  country.  His  father,  Isaac  Mitch- 
ell, was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  in  1828  settled 
in  Morgan  Cqunty,  111.,  where  he  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  a  farmer,  lie  was  a  man  of  influence 
in  his  community,  and  advocated  the  principles  of 
the  Whig  party.  His  death  occurred  in  1864.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Frances  Strib- 
bling,  was  born  in  Virginia,  of  Welsh  ancestry,  and 
died  in  1836. 

In  Morgan  County  our  subject  spent  the  days 


of  boyhood  receiving  a  common-school  education 
in  the  home  locality.  With  his  father  he  came  to 
Mason  County  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  and 
for  four  years  thereafter  engaged  in  farming. 
When  twenty-one  years  old  he  accepted  a  clerk- 
ship in  the  general  mercantile  store  of  J.  M.  Bees- 
ley  at  Bath,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  In 
1857  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Morrow  Bros., 
under  the  firm  name  of  Mitchell  &  Morrow  Bros., 
in  which  connection  he  carried  on  the  mercantile 
trade  for  two  years.  lie  was  then  Cor  a  time  em- 
ployed as  clerk  on  a  steamboat  plying  between  La 
Salle  and  St.  Louis. 

Upon  the  Democratic  ticket  in  1867,  Mr.  Mitch- 
ell was  elected  to  the  office  of  County  Treasurer, 
for  a  term  of  three  years,  and  in  1869  he  was 
chosen  County  Clerk,  which  position  he  filled  for 
four  years.  Later  he  was  for  two  years  engaged 
in  the  drug  business.  His  connection  with  the  real 
estate,  loan  and  insurance  business  commenced  in 
1877,  and  in  1889  he  took  into  partnership  his  son 
Frank  J.,  since  which  time  the  firm  title  has  been 
Mitchell  &  Son. 

When,  in  1882,  the  Havana  Building  &  Loan 
Association  was  organized,  our  subject  was  one  of 
its  charter  members,  and  has  since  been  a  stock- 
holder. He  has  also  served  as  its  Secretary  from 
the  date  of  organization  to  the  present  time.  In 
February,  1893,  he  was  appointed  Master  of  Chan- 
cery, and  is  now  the  incumbent  of  that  office.  His 
political  affiliations  are  with  the  Democratic  party, 
and  upon  that  ticket  he  has  been  chosen  to  serve 
in  a  number  of  influential  positions.  In  1874  he 
was  elected  Mayor  of  Havana,  being  the  second 
one  to  occupy  that  position  after  the  organization 
of  the  city. 

Socially,  Mr.  Mitchell  is  a  member  of  Havana 
Lodge  No.  88.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Chapter  No.  86,  It.  A. 
M.,  Damascus  Commandery  No.  42,  K.  T.,  and 
Havana  Grove  Lodge  No.  40,  A.  O.  U.  D.  He  was 
one  of  the  Board  of  Directors  in  1875,  when  the 
public  school  building  of  Havana,  a  line  brick 
structure  accommodating  five  hundred  children, 
was  erected  at  a  cost  of  125,000.  In  addition  to 
his  other  enterprises,  he  is  also  interested  in  farm- 
ing. In  1856  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Ann  L.  Campbell,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


681 


daughter  of  P.  W.  and  Lucy  W.  Campbell.  Of 
this  marriage  two  sons  survive,  Frank  J.,  who  is 
in  partnership  with  his  father,  and  I.  E.,  who  is 
employed  in  the  office. 


A.  MARKERT.  Bath  Township, 
Mason  Count}1,  is  a  rich  agricultural  cen- 
ter,  and  the  men  who  conduct  its  farming 
interests  are  enterprising,  self-reliant  and  shrewd. 
Among  these  the  subject  of  this  sketch  occupies 
no  unimportant  place,  being  the  possessor  of  three 
hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  fine  land.  He  is  a 
native  of  the  kingdom  of  Bavaria  and  was  born 
February  23,  1831. 

Jacob  Markert,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
likewise  a  native  of  the  above  place,  his  birth  oc- 
curring August  12,  1800.  He  was  married  in 
1825  to  Miss  Eve  Funch  and  made  his  home  in 
the  village  of  Hafenlohr,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  buying  and  selling  oak  trees.  He  spent  his  en- 
tire life  in  that  place,  his  death  occurring  in  1889. 
Grandfather  Thomas  Funch  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation and  died  at  a  good  old  age  in  1844. 

George  A.  was  one  in  a  family  of  eight  children 
and  came  to  America  in  1850.  Having  learned 
the  cooper's  trade  in  his  native  land  he  followed 
it  for  six  years  prior  to  crossing  the  Atlantic,  and 
for  seven  years  worked  at  his  trade  in  Newark, 
N.  J.,  and  while  there  was  married,  August  13, 
1854,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Knabb.  They  continued 
to  reside  in  that  cit}'  until  1857,  when  they  came 
to  Illinois,  and  Mr.  Markert  found  employment  in 
making  barrels  for  the  Havana  Packing  House. 
After  being  thus  engaged  for  a  short  time  he 
rented  land  and  turned  his  attention  to  farm  pur- 
suits. A  few  years  later,  however,  in  April,  1865,  he 
purchased  ninety  acres  of  the  land  comprised  in 
his  present  estate,  to  which  he  later  added  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  in  1893  increased  it 
to  three  hundred  and  seventy  acres. 

The  three  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Markert 
are,  Frank,  Rosina  C.  and  Catherine.  The  wife 
and  mother  departed  this  life  February  24,  1876, 
firm  in  the  faith  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  Our 


subject  makes  his  home  at  present  with  his  son 
Frank,  who  was  married  October  2,  1877,  to  Miss 
Augusta  Henrietta  Caroline  Bohl,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred March  4,  1860,  in  Germany.  They  are  the 
parents  of  five  children,  Elizabeth  S.,  George  F., 
Bertha  M.,  August  J.  C.  and  William  C.  A.  Au- 
gusta Bohl  was  a  native  of  the  Island  of  Bergen 
and  the  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Sophia  M. 
Bohl,  both  born  in  Germany.  Her  parents  came 
to  America  in  1869,  locating  near  Havana,  where 
they  are  at  present  living.  Mrs.  Markert  is  a  de- 
voted member  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 

The  well  tilled  acres  included  in  our  subject's 
estate  are  devoted  to  raising  mixed  crops  and  the 
ordinary  amount  of  stock,  both  grains  and  animals 
being  of  good  quality.  A  home  like  dwelling  and 
various  outbuildings,  together  with  a  well  kept 
orchard  and  neat  fences,  indicate  to  the  passer-by 
that  the  land  is  owned  by  a  gentleman  of  enter- 
prise and  good  judgment.  Mr.  Markert  takes  no 
active  part  in  political  matters  except  to  deposit 
his  vote,  which  is  a  Democratic  one. 


AMES  HALL,  an  honored  veteran  of  the  late 
war,  who  for  three  years  wore  the  blue  and 
valiantly  aided  in  the  struggle  to  preserve 
the  Union,  is  now  successfully  engaged  in 
farming  on  section  35,  Sherman  Township,  Mason 
County.  He  was  born  in  Sangamon  County,  111., 
on  the  10th  of  September,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of 
James  Hall,  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  when  a  young 
man  came  to  the  New  World  and  cast  his  lot  with 
the  earl}7  settlers  of  Sangamon  County.  His  brother 
Andrew  had  previously  located  there  and  for  a 
short  time  lived  in  a  cave.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Daven- 
port, was  born  in  Kentucky,  and  at  an  early  day 
became  a  resident  of  DeWitt  County,  111.  After 
her  marriage  she  lived  in  Sangamon  County,  eight 
miles  northwest  of  Springfield.  There  Mr.  Hall 
carried  on  farming.  Their  remaining  days  were 
spent  in  that  locality  and  they  were  laid  to  rest  in 
the  cemetery  near  their  home.  Five  children  were 
born  to  them.  Andrew,  who  was  a  soldier  of  the 


682 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


late  war,  and  for  nine  months  was  held  a  prisoner 
by  the  Confederates,  is  now  living  in  Dallas  Coun- 
ty, Mo.;  James  is  the  next  younger;  Hugh  makes 
his  home  in  Texas;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Davenport  is 
living  in  Kansas;  and  Mrs.  Mary  Davenport  resides 
in  De  Witt  County,  111. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject,  for  he  lived 
quietly  upon  the  home  farm  until  his  enlistment 
in  the  Union  army  in  August,  1862,  as  a  private 
in  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Fourteenth  Illi- 
nois Infantry.  The  regiment  was  organized  at 
Camp  Butler,  and  he  was  there  taken  sick,  but  in 
February,  1863,  he  joined  his  command  at  Jackson, 
Tcnn.,  and  participated  in  the  sieges  of  Vicksburg 
and  Jackson.  He  also  did  scouting  duty  for  a 
time  and  then  went  to  Memphis,  where  he  did  pa- 
role dut}'  during  the  winter.  He  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Guntown  and  was  detailed  as  a  perma- 
nent guard  to  the  Provost  Marshal.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  Tupelo,  then  returned  to 
Little  Rock,  and  followed  General  Price  through 
Arkansas  and  Missouri  to  the  Kansas  border.  At 
St.  Louis  he  leceived  his  pay  and  supplies  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  battle  of  Nashville,  where  Hood 
was  defeated.  At  Mobile,  Ala.,  his  regiment  had 
charge  of  the  pontoon  bridges  and  in  protecting 
the  same  did  some  sharp  fighting.  They  took  part 
in  the  siege  of  Spanish  Fort,  and  afterward  went  to 
Montgomery,  Ala.  Our  subject  was  discharged  in 
the  rear  of  Vicksburg  in  August,  1865,  after  three 
years  of  faithful  and  meritorious  service. 

Mr.  Hall  at  once  returned  toSangamon  County, 
and  in  February,  1866,  came  to  Mason  County, 
and  located  upon  his  present  farm,  which  was  par- 
tially improved.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate 
on  life's  journey  he  chose  Isabel  Rocole,  a  native 
of  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of  John  C.  Rocole,  de- 
ceased. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hall  have  seven  children: 
Charles  F.,  Orlo  A.,  Archie,  John  Emery,  James  A., 
Bettie  Ann  and  William  Ervin. 

In  politics  Mr.  Hall  is  a  Democrat,  has  served  as 
Road  Commissioner,  and  is  now  serving  his  second 
term  or  fifth  year  as  Commissioner  of  the  Central 
Special  Drainage  District.  His  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Hall  has 
made  farming  his  life  work,  and  is  now  the  owner 


of  three  hundred  and  ninety-five  acres  of  valuable 
land,  of  which  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres  are 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  neat  and 
thrifty  appearance  of  the  place  indicates  his  care- 
ful supervision  and  also  tells  of  his  enterprising 
and  progressive  spirit. 


ACOB  MUSHBAUGH  is  the  proprietor  of  a 
boot  and  shoe  store  of  East  Peoria,  and  is 
a  wide-awake  and  enterprising  merchant, 
tl  in  whom  the  community  finds  a  valued  citi- 
zen. He  was  born  in  Berks  County,  Pa.,  August  21, 
1847,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Christina  (Kuhu) 
Mushbaugh,  natives  of  Bavaria,  Germany.  In 
1847  the  father  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Quebec,  Can- 
ada, and  thence  went  to  Berks  County,  Pa.,  where 
he  owned  and  cultivated  a  vineyard  until  1858. 
In  that  year  he  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Peru, 
where  he  carried  on  farming  and  stock-raising. 
Subsequently  he  removed  to  Fond  du  Lac  Town- 
ship, Tazewell  County,  where  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  five  years.  He  then  went  to  Minonk, 
and  afterward  made  his  home  for  a  time  in  Peoria. 
His  death  occurred  in  Peru  in  1893,  and  his  wife 
passed  awaj'  in  1885.  They  were  the  parents  of 
six  children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living:  Will- 
iam, now  a  resident  of  East  Peoria;  Henry,  who 
follows  farming  near  Princeville;  Jacob,  of  this 
sketch;  Fred,  who  is  engaged  in  mining  in  Missouri; 
Mary,  wife  of  Joseph  Lemer,  of  East  Peoria,  and 
Mrs.  Christian  Lowry. 

The  subject  of  this  record  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  childhood  and  youth  in  Tazewell  County. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  years  he  responded  to  the 
country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  in  1864  as  a 
member  of  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Forty- 
seventh  Illinois  Infantry.  Later  he  became  a 
member  of  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
sixth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  continued  in  the  war 
until  its  close.  On  account  of  the  injuries  sus- 
tained during  his  service  he  now  receives  a  pen- 
sion of  $6  per  month. 

When  the  south  had  laid  down  its  arms  and  the 
preservation  of  the  Union  was  an  assured  fact,  Mr. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


683 


Mushbaugh  returned  to  the  north  and  located  in 
East  Peoria,  where  he  followed  shoemaking.  This 
he  merged  into  his  present  business,  and  now  for 
four  years  he  has  dealt  in  boots  and  shoes,  build- 
ing up  a  good  trade.  His  fair  and  honest  dealing 
and  courteous  treatment  of  his  patrons  have  won 
for  him  a  liberal  patronage,  which  is  well  deserved. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Mushbaugh  is  a  Popu- 
list. He  lias  served  as  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the 
village  and  takes  an  active  part  in  everything 
pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  community  and 
its  upbuilding.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Odd  Fellows'  society  and  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic.  The  best  interests  of  the  commu- 
nity ever  find  in  him  a  friend  and  he  is  recognized 
as  a  valued  citizen. 


\  ACOB  KENNEL,  who  follows  farming  on 
section  3,  Morton  Township,  is  one  of  the 
worthy  citizens  that  Germany  has  furnished 
to  Tazewell  County.  He  was  born  in  Pa- 
vien,  near  the  River  Rhine,  November  16,  1821. 
His  parents,  John  and  Madeline  (Naffziger)  Ken- 
nel, and  his  grandparents  were  also  natives  of 
the  same  locality.  The  great-great-grandfather  of 
our  subject  was  a  member  of'  the  Mennonite 
Church  and  was  driven  from  Switzerland  on  ac- 
count of  his  religious  belief.  His  father  was  a 
member  of  the  nobility  of  Switzerland  and  occu- 
pied a  very  prominent  position,  but  when  he 
joined  the  Mennonite  Church  he  dropped  his  title 
and  went  out  into  the  world  as  a  common  man. 
It  is  supposed  that  a  large  estate  should  have  de- 
scended to  the  Kennel  heirs,  but  possession  of  the 
same  could  not  be  obtained.  The  grandfather  of 
our  subject  was  a  farmer  living  upon  rented  land. 
He  had  three  children,  Peter,  Ann  and  John. 

The  last-named  acquired    his  education   in  the 
common  schools  and  made  farming  his  life  work. 


He  carried  on  that  business  in  connection  with  his 
brother  for  a  few  years,  but  he  afterward  was  alone 
in  business,  and  in  1830  he  emigrated  with  his 
family  to  America,  taking  up  his  residence  in  But- 
ler County,  Ohio.  He  there  purchased  about  one 
hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  heavy  timber  land, 
but  was  not  long  permitted  to  enjoy  his  new  home, 
for  his  death  occurred  in  the  autumn  after  his  ar- 
rival. His  wife  survived  him  for  about  eighteen 
years.  Like  their  honored  ancestor,  they  were 
members  of  the  Mennonite  Church.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  six  children  who  grew  to  mature  years: 
Madeline,  now  the  wife  of  Joseph  Augspurger; 
Barbara,  deceased  wife  of  John  Oswelt;  John; 
Jacob;  and  Katie,  wife  of  Peter  Unzicker. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Jacob  Ken- 
nel we  present  to  our  readers  the  life  record  of  one 
who  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  local- 
ity. He  was  a  child  of  about  nine  years  when 
with  the  family  he  crossed  the  briny  deep.  He 
remained  with  his  mother  until  about  twenty 
years  of  age  and  later  came  to  Tazewell  County, 
111.,  where  he  spent  one  year  working  out  by  the 
month.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  re- 
turned to  Ohio  and  later  went  back  to  the  Father- 
land, where  he  also  spent  about  a  year.  In  1851, 
we  again  find  him  in  Illinois,  located  upon  the  farm 
which  is  now  his  home.  At  the  time  of  his  arrival 
he  had  about  11,600,  and  with  this  small  capital  he 
began  life  in  the  west.  His  possessions,  however, 
have  been  steadily  increased  through  his  own  well 
directed  efforts,  and  he  is  now  the  owner  of  five 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land  in  Tazewell 
County  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Kansas. 

Mr.  Kennel  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Catherine  Garber.  She  was  born  in  Ohio,  but  her 
father  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  her  mother 
was  born  in  the  Keystone  State.  By  this  union 
they  became  the  parents  of  thirteen  children: 
Mary,  George,  Lena,  Amelia,  Katie,  Berta,  Thomas; 
Emma,  who  died  in  January,  1894;  Anna,  Lucy, 
Peter,  John,  and  Lizzie,  deceased.  The  parents 
and  their  children  are  all  members  of  the  Mennon- 
ite Church,  and  the  family  is  one  of  prominence 
in  the  community.  The  household  is  noted  for 
its  hospitality,  its  doors  being  ever  opened  for  the 
reception  of  their  many  friends.  In  politics  Mr. 


684 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Kennel  is  a  Democrat,  and  lie  has  served  as  School 
Director  and  Road  Commissioner  for  several  terms. 


«.,,  ARON  S.  BLAKELEY.  In  giving  the  his- 
Ol  tory  of  Mason  County,  as  told  in  the 
lives  of  its  citizens,  mention  should  cer- 
tainly be  made  of  the  gentleman  above 
named,  who  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  agricul- 
turists within  its  bounds.  He  owns  one  thousand 
acres  of  land  in  Kilbourne  Township,  and  is  not 
only  a  substantial  and  progressive  farmer,  but  an 
intelligent  and  thoroughly  posted  man  in  all 
public  affairs.  He  has  had  a  vast  amount  of  ex- 
perience and  his  most  trivial  business  transactions 
are  characterized  by  good  judgment  and  strict  in- 
tegrity. He  is  a  prominent  citizen  and  one  who 
has  been  of  much  benefit  to  the  community. 

Mr.  Blakeley  was  born  October  2,  1836,  near 
Springfield,  this  state,  while  his  father,  James 
Blakeley,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey.  The  latter 
was  reared  in  his  native  state  and  located  iu  San- 
gamon  County,  111.,  about  1835.  Two  years  later 
we  find  him  in  this  county,  where  he  remained  un- 
til his  death,  which  occurred  in  1870,  when  in  his 
sixty-third  year.  His  wife,  the  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  prior  to  her  marriage  Miss  Hannah  Scott. 
She  too  was  born  in  New  Jersey  of  Scotch  parents, 
and  lived  to  reach  the  age  of  three-score  years  and 
ten. 

The  parental  family  included  nine  children,  of 
whom  six  are  now  living.  A.  S.,  of  this  sketch,  was 
the  third  in  order  of  birth,  and  was  an  infant  when 
his  parents  came  to  this  county.  He  received  his 
education  in  the  district  school,  and  here  attained 
a  stalwart  manhood.  In  1858  he  married  Miss 
Sarah  J.  Brown,  a  native  of  New  York  State,  who 
came  to  this  county  with  her  parents  when  eight 
years  of  age. 

After  his  union  our  subject  began  farming  on 
rented  land,  and  in  this  manner  cultivated  the 
soil  for  about  eight  years.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time  he  had  laid  by  a  sufficient  sum  of  money 
which  enabled  him  to  purchase  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  Kilbourne  Township,  to  which  he 


added  as  years  passed  by,  until  now  he  is  one  of 
the  largest  land  owners  in  the  county. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blakeley  have  been  born  four 
children,  of  whom  Rufus  is  a  large  land  owner  in 
this  township,  having  in  his  possession  eight  hun- 
dred acres;  Emma,  the  wife  of  Sylvester  Drake,  also 
makes  this  township  her  home,  as  does  also  Edwin; 
Nellie  is  at  home  with  her  parents.  Mr.  Blakeley 
is  a  member  of  the  Republican  party.  He  was  the 
second  man  to  hold  the  office  of  Supervisor,  and 
the  first  Road  Commissioner  of  the  township.  He 
enjoys  all  the  esteem  commanded  by  men  of  strict 
integrity  and  superior  strength  of  character,  and  is 
especially  respected  for  having  so  nobly  fought  the 
battle  of  life,  gaining  for  himself  prominence  with- 
out other  assistance  than  his  ability  and  excellent 
judgment. 


GEORGE  FREDERICK  RANKIN,  whocar- 

ries  on  general  farming  on  section  11, 
Manito  Township,  Mason  County,  is  the 
owner  of  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  which,  by  its  well  tilled  fields  and  neat  ap- 
pearance, indicates  the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  the 
owner,  who  is  justly  ranked  among  the  well-to-do 
farmers  of  the  community.  He  is  a  native  of  the 
township,  and  having  many  warm  friends  in  the 
neighborhood  we  feel  assured  that  this  record  will 
be  received  with  interest  by  many  of  our  readers. 
Our  subject  was  born  December  31,  1856,  and 
was  reared  to  manhood  in  the  usual  manner  of 
farmer  lads.  When  ready  to  establish  a  home  of 
his  own,  lie  was  married,  in  1879,  to  Miss  Singley, 
daughter  of  John  Singley,  and  the  young  couple 
commenced  life  on  the  old  home  farm.  There 
they  resided  until  the  spring  of  1885,  when  our 
subject  purchased  his  present  farm,  which  com- 
prises a  quarter-section.  When  it  came  into  his 
possession  it  was  devoid  of  improvement,  and 
whatever  success  Mr.  Rankin  has  achieved  is  due 
entirelj'  to  his  own  efforts.  His  labors  have  re- 
sulted in  bringing  him  a  competence,  and  he  is 
now  surrounded  with  all  that  goes  to  make  life 
comfortable.  In  1887  he  erected  on  his  farm  a 
good  dwelling  costing  $500,  and  a  barn  49x60  feet 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


685 


in  dimensions,  which  is  valued  at  $1,600.  Mr. 
Rankin  is  engaged  in  general  farming,  and  has 
upon  his  place  a  number  of  good  grades  of  horses, 
cattle,  etc.,  which  will  be  found  on  the  farm  of 
every  first-class  agriculturist. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  six 
children,  namely:  Emma  R.,  Edward  P.,  Daniel  R., 
Sarah,  Maude  E.  and  Charlie.  Mrs.  Rankin  was 
born  May  24,  1860,  in  Schuylkill  County,  Pa.,  of 
which  place  her  father  was  also  a  native.  She  was 
given  a  common-school  education,  and  her  broth- 
ers and  sisters  who  are  living  are,  Sue,  Mrs.  Ste- 
vens, who  makes  her  home  in  the  Keystone  State; 
William;  Emma,  Mrs.  Link,  also  residing  in  Penn- 
sylvania; Edward;  Charles  and  Frank,  living  in 
Peoria,  and  Minnie  and  Maude,  twins. 

Our  subject  is  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
Rankin,  natives  of  Germany,  the  former  of  whom 
is  deceased.  With  his  wife  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church,  which  he  served  as  Secretory 
and  Class-leader.  His  interest  in  school  affairs  has 
caused  him  to  be  placed  on  the  Board,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  for  about  five  years.  In  politics  he  is 
a  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party,  but  has  never 
been  an  applicant  for  political  honors,  preferring 
to  devote  his  time  and  attention  to  business  affairs 
and  the  enjoyment  of  home. 


Ji  OIIN   HENRY  KREILING   is  a  well  known 
farmer  of  Sherman  Township,  Mason  Coun- 
ty, now   living   on  section   4,  and   we  feel 
'    assured    that   this   record  of   his    life    will 

prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers.  His 
father,  Bernard  Henry  Kreiling,  was  a  native  of 
Germany,  born  in  Hanover  in  1813.  Having  at- 
tained to  man's  estate  he  married  Miss  Mary  Land- 
wehr,  who  was  also  born  in  Hanover.  In  1850 
they  bade  adieu  to  friends  and  native  land  and 
crossed  the  wide  Atlantic  to  the  New  World. 
They  landed  on  the  llth  of  January,  1851,  and 
coming  to  the  west,  Mr.  Kreiling  rented  a  farm  in 
Bath  Township,  Mason  County,  111.,  for  one  year. 
He  then  removed  to  another  farm  in  the  same 
township,  upon  which  he  lived  for  three  years. 


when  in  1855  he  took  up  his  residence  on  section  26 
Forest  City  Township,  the  farm  now  occupied  by 
his  son,  John  F.  He  at  first  purchased  one  hundred 
acres  of  raw  prairie  land,  but  to  this  he  added  from 
time  to  time,  as  his  financial  resources  were  in- 
creased, until  at  his  death  he  had  five  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  the  greater  part  of  which  was  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  improved. 

In  the  fall  of  1851,  Mr.  Kreiling  was  called  upon 
to  mourn  the  .loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  at  their 
home  in  Bath  Township.  On  the  22d  of  Novem- 
ber, 1852,  lie  was  united  in  marriage  with  Helene 
Catherine  Witte,  by  whom  he  had  four  children, 
three  sons  and  a  daughter,  who  are  yet  living. 
There  were  four  children  of  the  first  marriage. 
Harmon  G.,  of  Manito  Township,  was  born  April 
28,  1839,  and  wedded  Mary  Budke,  by  whom 
he  lias  five  children.  Mrs.  Justus  Pfetzing  is  men- 
tioned on  another  page  of  this  work.  John  II.  is 
the  next  younger,  and  Mrs.  George  Furrer  is  also 
represented  elsewhere.  The  parents  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  Mr.  Kreiling 
served  as  one  of  its  Trustees,  lie  was  interested  to 
some  extent  in  the  ditch  building  in  Forest  City 
Township.  His  life  was  a  busy  and  useful  one, 
and  his  earnest  and  industrious  efforts  overcame 
the  dilticulties  in  his  path  and  won  him  a  hand- 
some property. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  John 
Henry  Kreiling,  who  was  born  in  Hanover  on  the 
7th  of  September,  1845.  When  a  child  of  five 
summers  he  accompanied  his  father  to  America, 
with  him  remained  until  after  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  and  then  engaged  in  operating  a  part  of 
his  father's  land.  From  an  early  age  he  was 
inured  to  the  arduous  labors  of  the  farm,  and  soon 
became  familiar  with  the  work  in  all  its  depart- 
ments. 

In  1869  Mr.  Kreiling  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Hermiene  Christena  Aufdem-Brinke,  a  native 
of  Hanover,  Germany,  born  July  13,  1849.  With 
her  sister,  Annie,  who  is  now  deceased,  she  came 
to  America  on  the  9th  of  September,  1867.  An- 
other sister,  Dorothy,  is  now  the  wife  of  August 
Sasse,  a  resident  of  Harlan  County,  Neb.,  and  they 
have  eight  children.  Her  sister  Elizabeth  is  the 
wife  of  William  Ahland,  of  Oldenl>erg,  by  whom 


OSfi 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


she  has  three  children.  Her  husband  served  in  the 
German  army,  and  is  now  one  of  the  railway  offi- 
cials of  Germany.  The  parents  both  died  in  the 
Fatherland. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kreiling  has  been 
blessed  with  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  now 
living,  Lydia  Anna  Helene,  born  December  30, 
1869;  August  Carl  Henry,  born  Decembers,  1871; 
and  Edward  Herman  George,  born  May  20,  1888. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kreiling  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  the  farm  which  has  since  been  their  home, 
and  our  subject  has  given  his  entire  time  and  at- 
tention to  the  cultivation  of  his  land.  He  now  has 
two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  and  his  fields  are  well 
tilled,  yielding  to  the  owner  a  golden  tribute  in 
return  for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon 
them.  He  has  improved  his  farm  by  remodeling 
his  home,  and  in  1888  he  erected  a  fine  barn  at  a 
cost  of  $1,000.  He  has  also  built  other  outbuild- 
ings to  the  value  of  $400.  He  is  widely  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the 
community,  and  as  such  deserves  mention  in  this 
volume.  A  Democrat  in  politics,  he  has  served  as 
Road  Commissioner  of  his  township,  and  is  now 
School  Director.  Both  he  and  his  wife  belong  to 
the  Lutheran  Church,  and  throughout  the  commu- 
nity in  which  they  make  their  home  are  held  in 
the  highest  regard. 


ON.  WILLIAM  T.  EDDS.  One  of  the  most 
prominent  men  in  the  city  of  Pekin  is  the 
gentleman  whose  well  known  name  opens 
this  sketch.  He  has  represented  the  city  as 
Maj-or,  Marshal  and  Chief  of  Police,  and  is  now 
a  member  of  the  Pekin  Steam  Cooperage  Company. 
He  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  this  locality, 
having  come  here  as  early  as  1831,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  very  successful  in  his  business 
ventures. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Springfield,  this  state, 
November  25,  1827,  and  is  the  son  of  Bartlett 
Edds,  a  native  of  Virginia.  The  family  name  was 
originally  spelled  Eads,  but  was  changed  by  Grand- 
father Barnett  Eads,  who  was  of  Welsh  descent. 


Bartlett  Edds  was  an  infant  of  two  years  when  his 
parents  removed  to  Kentucky,  where  he  made  his 
home  until  1822,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  lo- 
cated in  Sangamon  County.  In  1831  he  came  to 
this  county,  and  was  engaged  in  farming  on  the 
Mackinaw  Creek  at  the  time  of  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  in  which  conflict  he  participated.  He  de- 
parted this  life  in  1873  in  this  county.  His  wife, 
Mrs.  Dianna  (Kemper)  Edds,  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  departed  this  life  in  Tazewell  County. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Kemper  and 
reared  a  family  of  nine  children,  of  whom  our 
subject  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth. 

William  T.,  of  this  sketch,  was  four  years  of  age 
when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal 
from  Springfield  to  Tazewell  County,  and  when 
old  enough  to  do  so  attended  school  in  the  log 
schoolhouse.  He  remained  at  home  on  the  farm 
until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  learned  the 
trade  of  a  cooper  under  the  instruction  of  an  uncle, 
and  worked  at  his  trade  in  Pekin  for  a  time.  He  then 
removed  to  Newark,  Ohio,  and  from  there  went  to 
Muskingum  County.  In  1853,  however,  he  re- 
turned to  this  city,  and  opening  an  establishment, 
here  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  pork,  lard  and 
whiskey  barrels.  He  was  very  successful  in  this 
venture,  and  five  years  later  found  him  the  pro- 
prietor of  four  shops  in  different  parts  of  the  city, 
and  at  the  same  time  he  was  engaged  as  a  whole- 
sale liquor  dealer  and  retail  grocer.  These  enter- 
prises he  abandoned  in  1873,  and  in  1889  he  organ- 
ized the  Pekin  Steam  Cooperage  Company,  of  which 
he  is  General  Superintendent.  The  President  of  the 
company  is  George  Herget,  and  the  Secretary  and 
Treasurer  is  J.  A.  Edds,  a  son  of  our  subject.  The 
factory  is  located  on  Twelfth  and  Margaret  Streets, 
within  a  convenient  distance  of  the  railroad,  and 
covers  an  area  of  60x240  feet.  They  give  employ- 
ment to  from  seventy-five  to  eighty  men,  and  have 
a  capacity  for  turning  out  one  hundred  thousand 
barrels  per  year. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Newark,  Ohio,  in 
1849,  to  Miss  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  James  Dewar, 
who  was  born  in  Virginia.  Her  father  was  also  a 
native  of  that  state,  but  removed  to  Ohio  in  an 
early  day  and  located  in  Newark.  The  three  chil- 
dren born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edds  are,  George  B., 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


687 


who  died  when  young;  Frances  E.,  the  widow  of 
David  VanAtta,  and  James  A.,  who  is  engaged  in 
business  with  his  father.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Abin*don  College,  and  was  engaged  in  the  grain 
and  feed  business  in  this  city  until  1889,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of 
the  Cooperage  Company.  He  was  married  in  this 
state  to  Miss  Lena,  daughter  of  Thomas  Payne, 
and  to  them  have  been  born  four  children.  He  is 
a  Mason  of  high  standing,  and  is  also  a  Modern 
Woodmen.  He  is  very  popular  and  prominent  in 
public  affairs  and  was  elected  Alderman  of  the 
First  Ward. 

Our  subject  has  been  interested  in  real  estate  in 
the  city,  and  in  1867  laid  out  Edds'  Addition.  He 
has  built  many  houses  which  he  has  sold,  but  still 
has  in  his  possession  much  valuable  property.  So- 
cially, he  is  a  prominent  Mason,  and  is  a  strong 
Democrat  in  politics.  For  eight  years  he  held  the 
office  of  Chief  of  Police,  and  was  Marshal  of  the 
city  for  some  time.  He  has  met  with  the  success 
attending  perseverance  and  industry,  and  is  now 
one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  this  city. 


\\!,  AMES  O.  JONES.  As  a  representative  of 
the  legal  fraternity  of  Tazewell  County, 
this  successful  attorney  of  Delavan  has  be- 
come widely  and  favorably  known,  and  his 
abilities  are  of  an  order  so  high  as  to  secure  for 
him  the  confidence  of  his  clients  and  the  regard  of 
the  people.  He  has  been  chosen  to  serve  in  a 
number  of  positions  of  a  responsible  and  honora- 
ble character,  in  all  of  which  his  discharge  of  du- 
ties and  obligations  has  proved  his  tact,  accurate 
judgment  and  high  talents. 

July  20,  1847,  the  subject  of  this  notice  was 
born  in  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y.,  not  far  f,rom  the 
city  of  Troy,  and  is  of  Welsh  descent.  His  father, 
Elias  O.  Jones,  was  born  in  that  county  July  21, 
1820,  and  in  youth  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpen- 
ter. In  1854  he  came  west  to  Delavan,  and  the 
following  year  returned  to  New  York  for  his  fam- 
ily. While  a  resident  of  the  Empire  State  he  was 
a  Captain  in  the  militia,  and  after  coming  west  en- 


listed in  the  Union  army,  becoming  a  member  of 
the  One  Hundred  and  Fifteenth  Illinois  Infantry. 
For  twenty-five  years  he  was  Justice  of  the  Peace 
in  Delavan,  where  he  now  lives.  One  of  his 
brothers,  James  A.,  a  prominent  physician,  was 
surgeon  of  the  Seventy-third  Illinois  Infantry  dur- 
ing the  late  war,  and  was  killed  at  the  front  in 
July,  1864. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mary  (Brockwav) 
Jones,  was  born  in  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y.,  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1823,  and  died  in  1872.  She  had  two 
sons,  James  O.  and  Harry  P.  The  former  was 
eight  years  old  when  the  family  came  to  this  city, 
and  here  he  received  his  education.  Learning  the 
trade  of  a  blacksmith,  he  and  his  brother  carried 
on  a  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop  for  fifteen  years. 
Meantime  he  employed  his  evenings  and  leisure 
hours  in  the  study  of  law,  and  in  March,  1890, 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  Opening  an  office  at 
Delavan,  he  hassince  followed  professional  duties, 
and  has  also  been  extensively  engaged  in  the  real- 
estate  business. 

Politically  a  loyal  Republican,  Mr.  Jones  takes 
an  active  part  in  local  affairs,  and  is  intelligently 
posted  in  the  questions  of  the  day.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  City  Council,  and  for  the  past 
three  years  has  served  as  Police  Magistrate.  So- 
cially, he  affiliates  with  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  has  passed  all  the  chairs  in  the 
lodge.  His  pleasant  home  is  presided  over  by  his 
wife,  whom  he  married  in  1874.  She  was  in 
maidenhood  Eliza  F.  Tripp,  and  was  born  in 
Rhode  Island,  coming  to  Delavan  in  1856.  They 
have  had  three  children,  but  lost  two  in  infancy. 
Henry  L.,  the  only  survivor,  is  a  bright  and  ener- 
getic youth,  who  is  being  trained  for  a  useful  and 
honorable  position  in  the  business  world. 


ELI  HAAS,  formerly  one  of  the  largest  land 
owners    of  Tazewell  County,   and    an   in- 
>  fluential  citizen  of  Spring  Lake  Township, 
but  now  deceased,  was  born  in   Pennsylvania  and 
was  a  son  of  Valentine   and    Mary  (Monk)  Haas. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State  and 
of  German  descent,  his  occupation  through  his  en- 
tire -life  being  that  of  a  farmer.     Eli  was  one  of 


688 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


nine  children,  and  in  youth  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  Illinois,  settling  in  Spring  Lake  Town- 
ship. Tazewell  County.  The  trip  to  this  state  was 
made  by  boat,  down  the  Ohio,  then  up  the  Missis- 
sippi and  Illinois  Rivers,  landing  at  Pekin. 

After  coming  to  this  township,  father  and  son 
entered  land  from  the  Government  and  soon  be- 
came well-to-do.  The  latter,  in  early  manhood, 
married  Miss  Anna  C.  Orr,  who  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia and  came  to  Tazewell  County  with  her  par- 
ents in  childhood.  After  his  marriage  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  a  brother,  and  entering  large 
tracts  of  land,  engaged  in  clearing  and  improving 
the  property,  thereby  gaining  a  handsome  fortune. 
At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  owner  of  about 
tifteen  hundred  acres  of  tillable  land  in  Spring 
Lake  Township,  in  addition  to  two  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  of  swamp  land.  He  was  by  far  the 
wealthiest  man  in  the  township,  and  yet  there  was 
no  resident  of  the  community  more  generous  and 
liberal-hearted  than  lie. 

Politically  Mr.  Haas  was  a  stanch  advocate  of 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  and 
his  wife  were  devoted  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  served  as  Trustee 
for  many  years.  He  assisted  in  the  erection  of  the 
church  in  Spring  Lake  Township,  and  was  a  cheer- 
ful giver  to  all  religious  and  benevolent  projects. 
When  he  passed  away  November  21,  1882,  it  was 
felt  that  the  township  had  lost  one  of  its  most 
able  and  public-spirited  citizens,  and  his  acquaint- 
ances, far  and  near,  mourned  his  death  as  that  of 
a  kind  friend.  His  widow,  who  still  survives  him, 
makes  her  home  on  the  farm  left  her  by  Mr.  Haas. 

The  only  son  of  our  subject  is  Edward  S.,  to 
whom  the  writer  is  indebted  for  the  above  facts 
relative  to  his  father's  life  career.  He  was  born 
December  1,  1862,  and  received  a  good  education 
in  the  common  schools.  Since  the  death  of  his 
father  he  has  managed  the  home  place,  and  with 
such  success  that  he  has  not  only  displayed  the 
possession  of  exceptional  ability,  but  has  also  en- 
hanced the  value  of  the  property.  The  home  is  a 
very  beautiful  one,  and  the  surroundings,  embrac- 
ing a  view  of  Spring  Lake,  are  as  charming  as  any 
to  be  found  for  miles  around. 

At  the  age  of   nineteen  years  Edward  S.  Haas 


was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lucy  L.  Patter- 
son, who  was  born  in  Morgan  County,  111.,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Frank  and  Catherine  Patterson. 
Twochildren  bless  the  union,  Eli  F.  and  Catherine 
G.  The  political  views  of  Mr.  Haas  bring  him 
into  connection  with  the  Republican  party,  the 
principles  of  which  he  supports  with  enthusiasm 
and  fidelity.  As  an  agriculturist,  he  is  progress- 
ive and  practical,  and  he  and  his  family  are  highly 
esteemed  by  all  who  know  them. 


OHN  WESLEY  SPEAR,  M.  D.  For  about 
twenty  years  this  gentleman  has  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  at 
Mason  City,  and  such  has  been  the  success 
with  which  his  labors  have  been  rewarded,  that  he 
has  attained  a  high  reputation  for  learning  among 
the  other  practitioners  of  this  section.  Progressive 
in  his  ideas,  he  keeps  abreast  with  modern  discov- 
eries in  medicine,  and  the  proper  application  of  the 
same.  His  practice  is  not  limited  to  Mason  City, 
but  extends  throughout  the  counties  of  Tazewell, 
Logan,  Menard  and  Mason.  He  is  a  careful  and 
thorough  student  of  his  protession,  arid  may  be  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  foremost  pli3rsicians  of  the 
state. 

The  Doctor  was  born  in  the  city  of  Petersburg, 
111.,  October  20,  1848,  and  is  the  son  of  E.  B.  and 
Ellen  (Wclb)  Spear,  natives  respectively  of  New 
York  and  England.  His  father,  who  was  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade,  became  an  early  settler  of  Peters- 
burg, and  died  in  that  city  in  1853.  The  mother 
accompanied  her  parents  to  America  at  the  age  of 
three  years,  and  was  reared  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  her 
deatli  occurring  in  Mason  County,  September  18, 
1892.  Our  subject  spent  the  years  of  boyhood  in 
Petersburg  and  Havana,  and  began  the  study  of 
medicine  under  the  tutelage  of  Dr.  J.  P.  Walker. 
Later  he  took  up  a  course  of  lectures  at  Rush  Med- 
ical College,  Chicago,  from  which  institution  he 
was  graduated  in  1875. 

Opening  an  office  in  Mason  City,  Dr.  Spear  for 
three  years  conducted  practice  in  partnership  with 
Dr.  Walker,  since  which  time  he  has  been  alone. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


689 


As  above  stated,  he  is  prominent  among  the  phy- 
sicians and  surgeons  of  Mason  County.  He  is 
identified  with  the  American  Medical  Society,  the 
Illinois  State  and  the  Brainard  Medical  Societies. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  surgeon  for  the 
Illinois  Central  Railway  Company,  and  still  holds 
that  position.  In  1887  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Ninth  International  Medical  Congress,  convened 
at  Washington,  D.  C. 

The  same  ability  that  lias  placed  Dr.  Spear  in  the 
front  rank  of  his  profession  is  always  at  the  ser- 
vice of  the  community  for  the  promotion  of  meri- 
torious enterprises.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  although  mainly  occupied  with  the  demands 
of  a  wide  practice,  he  is  intelligently  interested  in 
local  and  national  affairs.  He  has,  however,  no 
desire  to  enter  the  arena  of  political  life,  but  mani- 
fests a  commendable  interest  in  everything  per- 
taining to  the  advancement  of  the  community. 
In  his  social  relations  he  is  a  member  of  Wilfred 
Lodge  No.  219,  K.  P. 


,,.,:  BEL  L.  DARLING,  M.  D.    Success  in  any 
profession  can   only  be  obtained  through 


industry  and  study,  and  the  good  phy- 
sician must  necessarily  be  the  haidest  of 
workers  and  the  best  of  students.  Mason  Count}' 
is  proud  to  number  among  her  physicians  the  one 
with  whose  name  we  head  this  sketch.  He  is  a 
most  conscientious  man,  and  whatever  he  under- 
takes is  done  thoroughly.  He  keeps  apace  with 
every  onward  movement  made  in  his  profession 
and  presents  a  remarkable  example  of  what  may 
be  accomplished  by  unremitting  toil. 

Patrick  M.  Darling,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  1812,  in  Virginia,  and  is  the  son  of 
Abraham  Darling,  also  a  native  of  that  state;  the 
latter  in  turn  is  the  son  of  William  Darling, 
who  came  from  Ireland  and  became  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Virginia.  He  served  as  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolutionary  War,  in  which  conflict  he  lost 
his  leg  in  battle.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject 
removed  from  Virginia  to  Ohio  about  1814,  and 
made  location  on  a  wild  tract  of  land  on  Owl 


Creek,  Knox  County.  He  was  a  strong  Anti- 
slavery  man,  and  on  his  removal  to  the  Buckeye 
State  was  accompanied  by  many  of  his  negroes, 
who  remained  in  his  employ  for  years  afterward. 
Later  Abraham  Darling  engaged  in  the  banking 
business,  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Owl 
Creek  Bank  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio.  He  was  also 
County  Judge  at  one  time  and  lived  in  Ohio  until 
quite  an  old  man,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  and 
made  his  home  with  his  daughter  Mary,  then  Mrs. 
Dixon,  of  Fulton  County.  His  death  took  place 
in  1874. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mrs.  Jemimah 
(Strong)  Darling,  was  born  in  1814,  iu  Maryland, 
and  was  the  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Catherine 
Strong,  who  on  their  removal  to  Ohio  located  in 
Seneca  County.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were 
married  in  Cosliocton  County,  that  state, after  which 
they  moved  to  Knox  County,  where  the  father  died 
in  1857.  Mrs.  Darling  is  still  living  and  making  her 
home  with  her  son  Charles  in  that  county. 

The  parental  family  included  seven  children, 
three  of  whom  are  living:  Mrs.  Temperance 
Butler,  residing  in  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio;  Abel  L.,  of 
this  sketch,  and  Marion.  The  mother  of  these  chil- 
dren is  a  most  estimable  lady  and  a  devoted 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Our 
subject  was  born  April  4,  1849,  near  Mt.  Vernon, 
Knox  County,  Ohio,  and  remained  in  his  native 
place  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  in  the  meantime 
carrying  on  his  studies  in  the  New  Castle  Academy. 

Mr.  Darling  came  to  Illinois  in  1868,  and  for 
some  time  taught  school  in  Fulton  and  Mason 
Counties.  September  2,  1874,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Fannie  Clary,  a  native  of  Fulton  County,  and 
the  daughter  of  Henry  Clary,  who  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  who  was  an  early  settler  in  the  above 
locality.  Mrs.  Darling's  birth  occurred  in  1851, 
and  her  education  was  obtained  in  the  schools  of 
Lewiston,  this  state.  After  his  marriage  our  subject 
located  on  a  farm  in  this  county,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  short  time  and  then  moved  to 
Summum,  Fulton  County. 

When  enabled  to  carry  out  his  long  cherished 
destre  of  studying  medicine,  our  subject  went  to 
Cincinnati  and  took  a  three  years'  course  in  the 
Cincinnati  Eclectic  Medical  Institute,  from  which 


(illO 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


he  graduated  with  the  Class  of  '81.  After  re- 
ceiving liis  diploma  lie  came  to  Topeka,  where  he 
has  been  engaged  in  active  practice  since,  his  field 
of  operation  covering  a  large  territory. 

To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Darling,  have  been  born  four 
children:  Byron  C.,  Fred  L.,  Temple  B.  and  Lyle 
Henry.  Mrs.  Darling  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Christian  Church,  and  the  Doctor  socially  belongs 
to  the  State  Eclectic  Medical  Association,  and  also 
the  United  States  Eclectic  Medical  Association. 
He  is  likewise  connected  with  the  Railroad  Sur- 
geons Society,  and  is  widely  known  throughout 
the  county,  and  is  exceedingly  popular  in  his 
community.  Gifted  by  nature  with  high  endow- 
ments, he  has  cultivated  these  to  the  utmost,  and 
his  indefatigable  labor  has  brought  to  him  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow-men.  He  is  the  possessor  of 
a  fine  farm  in  Havana  Township,  which  is  occupied 
by  tenants. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Will- 
iam Strong,  married  Catherine  Boher,  a  native  of 
Germany,  who  lived  to  the  remarkable  age  of 
ninety-four  years.  He  died  when  in  his  eighty- 
fifth  year.  Abraham  Darling,  the  paternal  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  married  Rhoda  Shrimplen, 
who  lived  to  be  eighty-five  years  of  age,  while  he 
lived  to  be  ninetj'-four  years  of  age. 


OHN  GUMBEL,  a  successful  agriculturist  of 
Mason  County,  residing  on  section  16,  Man- 
ito  Township,  is  the  son  of  Carl  and  Sabina 
(Kilter)  G  umbel,  natives  of  Hesse-Cassel, 
Germany.  The  father  who  was  born  in  1808, 
came  to  America  in  July  of  1849,  and  proceeding 
direct  to  Illinois,  settled  in  Forest  City  Township, 
Mason  County.  There  he  continued  to  reside  un- 
til his  death  in  1884.  His  wife  passed  away  in 
1844,  prior  to  his  emigration  to  the  New  Worlrl. 

In  Hesse-Cassel  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  April  15,  1836,  and  there  he  spent  the  first 
thirteen  years  of  his  life,  receiving  an  excellent 
education  in  the  German  schools.  For  a  short 
time  after  coming  to  this  country  he  was  a  student 


in  the  subscription  schools  of  the  locality,  but  was 
early  obliged  to  become  self  supporting,  and  his 
educational  privileges  were  few.  He  was  hired 
out  to  work  upon  a  farm  for  $6  per  month,  the 
wages  to  go  to  his  father  until  he  was  twenty-one. 
He  then  began  to  work  for  himself,  and  engaged 
in  driving  an  ox-team,  breaking  prairie,  and  doing 
other  work  necessary  to  the  improvement  of  the 
land. 

On  establishing  domestic  ties,  Mr.  G  umbel  was 
united  in  marriage,  in  September,  1859,  with  Miss 
Leah  Zaneis,  who  was  born  in  Somerset  County, 
Pa.,  April  7,  1839.  Her  father,  Nicholas  Zaneis,  a 
native  of  Alsace,  emigrated  to  America  in  1840, 
and  settled  in  Penns3'lvania,  whence  he  came  to 
Illinois  in  1854,  locating  near  Washington  in  Taze- 
well  County.  There  he  died  in  1885.  His  widow 
still  survives,  and  is  now  (1894)  eighty-five  years 
of  age.  They  had  four  children,  Nicholas,  Jacob, 
Mrs.  Susannah  Wagh,  and  Mrs.  Leah  G  umbel. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Gumbel  lived  on  a  rented 
farm  in  Tazewell  County  for  two  years,  after  which 
he  operated  as  a  renter  in  another  part  of  the  same 
county  for  one  3'ear.  After  one  year  in  Iroquois 
County,  and  four  years  in  Woodford  County,  he 
came  to  Mason  County  and  for  three  years  rented 
the  J.  A.  Barnes  place.  In  1868  he  purchased  his 
present  farm,  upon  which  a  few  acres  had  been 
put  under  the  plow  and  a  shanty  had  been 
built.  The  other  improvements  have  been  placed 
there  as  the  result  of  his  own  efforts,  and  he  now 
has  one  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land.  Recently 
he  remodeled  the  residence  at  a  cost  of  $1,200. 
He  has  a  good  barn  that  cost  $600  and  has  set  out 
an  orchard  of  several  acres.  From  the  date  of 
coming  hither,  tiiis  farm  has  been  his  home  contin- 
uously, with  the  exception  of  four  years,  1881-85, 
when  he  resided  in  Spring  Lake,  Tazewell  County, 
for  the  purpose  of  giving  his  children  the  advan- 
tages of  the  excellent  schools  of  that  place. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gumbel  has  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  six  children.  The  eldest,  Samuel 
A.,  has  three  children,  one  by  his  first  union  and 
two  by  his  second  wife,  who  was  in  maiden- 
hood Sarah  Wamser;  Henry  C.  married  Amelia 
Woerner,  and  they  have  two  children;  Susan 
E.  is  the  wife  of  Solomon  Stansbury,  and  they 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL,  RECORD. 


691 


have  two  children;  Louisa  M.  is  with  her  par- 
ents; Ella  8.,  the  wife  of  Harry  Neikirk,  has  two 
children;  Emma  M.  married  John  Folkman,  and 
they  have  one  child.  The  children  are  all  well 
educated  and  they  have  a  special  talent  for 
music,  in  which  the  father  is  also  naturally  gifted. 
He  takes  an  active  interest  in  politics,  and  supports 
the  principles  of  the  Republican  party.  For  some 
time  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  School  Di- 
rectors of  District  No.  8.  The  family  is  connected 
with  the  United  Evangelical  Church,  to  the  sup- 
port of  which  they  contribute  liberally,  and  the 
good  works  of  which  they  aid  with  enthusiam  and 
earnestness. 


WILLIAM  L.  WOODROW.  What  honesty, 
hard  work  and  steadfast  determination 
will  accomplish  cannot  be  better  illustra- 
ted than  by  giving  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life  of  Mr. 
Woodrow,  who  is  now  one  of  the  well-to-do  farm- 
ers of  Sand  Prairie  Township,  Tazewell  County. 
He  is  a  native  of  this  place,  where  his  birth  oc- 
curred March  2,  1863.  Richard  Woodrow,  his  fa- 
ther, was  likewise  born  in  this  county,  in  March, 
1833.  lie  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  resided 
upon  the  property  which  he  purchased  in  1856  for 
twenty  years.  His  death  was  accidental,  resulting 
from  injuries  received  in  moving  a  building  in 
1876. 

The  maiden  name  of  our  subject's  mother  was  Su- 
san Robison.  She  was  married  to  Richard  Wood- 
row  in  the  year  1855,  and  on  his  decease  removed 
to  Normal,  this  state,  where  she  purchased  property 
and  is  now  living.  The  early  life  of  the  father  of 
our  subject  was  spent  in  going  to  school  during 
the  winter  season,  and  in  assisting  his  father  on  the 
farm  during  the  summer  months.  He  thus  re- 
ceived a  thorough  training  in  agriculture,  and 
when  ready  to  cultivate  property  of  his  own,  he 
was  fully  prepared  to  do  so  in  a  most  profitable 
manner. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  is  a  finely  educated 
lady,  being  a  graduate  of  Knox  College.  She  reared 
a  family  of  five  children,  of  whom  Charles,  the 


eldest,  died  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  in  1882; 
William  L.,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  next  in  order  of 
birth;  Howard  S.  married  Miss  Jeannie  Brawner, 
and  is  living  in  McLean  County,  where  he  has  a 
farm;  Frank  died  when  six  years  of  age;  and 
James  R.  makes  his  home  with  our  subject,  and 
will  graduate  from  the  Jacksonville  Deaf  and 
Dumb  College  in  June,  1894. 

When  choosing  a  life  companion,  William  L. 
Woodrow  was  married,  in  the  year  1886.  to  Miss 
Sallie  Burns.  Their  union  was  blessed  by  the  birth 
of  a  son,  Richard  L.  Mrs.  Woodrow  is  a  devoted 
member  of  the  Green  Valley  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  is  a  most  estimable  lady.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican,  the  party  with  which  he  has 
been  associated  for  many  years. 

Mr.  Woodrow  prosecuted  his  studies  first  in  the 
common  schools  and  later  attended  the  State  Uni- 
versity at  Champaign.  On  his  father's  side  he  is 
descended  from  Samuel  Woodrow,  who  was  a 
native  of  Ohio,  and  on  the  maternal  side  of 
the  house  his  grandfather  was  James  Robison.  who 
was  born  in  Scotland  in  1801.  His  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Isabella  Leslie,  was  also  born  in 
that  country  in  the  same  year.  The  grandpar- 
ents were  married  in  1821,  and  on  emigrating  to 
America  made  their  home  for  a  time  in  Michigan, 
when  they  moved  on  a  farm  in  this  county,  which 
was  located  near  a  station  which  was  named  in 
honor  of  the  grandmother.  They  resided  there  un- 
til 1881,  in  which  year  Grandfather  Robison  died, 
and  his  wife  then  removed  to  Peoria,  where  she 
made  her  home  with  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Mary  Cald- 
well,  until  her  death,  in  1892. 


HARLES  L.  BRERETON.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  is  a  man  of  much  influence  in 
the  city  of  Pekin,  where  he  is  the  proprie- 
tor of  a  fine  merchant  tailoring  establishment.  He 
is  the  son  of  Edward  P.  Brereton,  who  was  born 
on  the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland,  February  27, 
1826.  His  father,  Stephen  Brereton,  was  a  native 
of  Delaware,  while  the  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject,  who  bore  the  name  of  Henry,  came  from 


692 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


England  and  located  in   Delaware,    where   he  car- 
ried on  the  occupation  of  a  farmer. 

Stephen  Brereton  was  born  in  1792,  and  was  a 
millwright  in  his  native  state,  which  trade  he  also 
followed  in  Maryland  for  some  time.  In  1835  he 
came  with  his  family  to  Illinois,  making  the  trip 
by  boat  to  Pittsburgh,  thence  to  St.  Louis,  and  up 
the  Mississippi  River  to  Pckiu.  He  located  on 
Sand  Prairie,  where  he  erected  a  mill  and  was  en- 
gaged in  its  operation  until  his  decease,  in  1855. 
He  was  a  cousin  of  Benjamin  S.  Pretty  man,  Sr.,  a 
prominent  attorney  of  this  section,  whose  sketch 
is  also  to  be  found  in  this  volume.  The  grand- 
mother of  our  subject  was  Mrs.  Mary  (Warrington) 
Brereton,  a  native  of  Delaware,  and  the  daughter 
of  Stephen  Warrington,  who  was  born  in  England; 
she  departed  this  life  in  1850. 

Edward  P.  Brereton,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
came  with  his  parents  to  Sand  Prairie  in  1835,  and 
in  the  fall  of  1841  was  apprenticed  to  a  merchant 
tailor  in  Pekin  to  lea'ru  that  trade.  A  year  later 
he  went  to  Peoria,  where  he  completed  his  trade 
in  that  line,  and  in  1844  began  work  as  a  journey- 
man tailor.  Several  years  later  he  became  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  tailor  shop,  which  he  carried  on  for 
two  years  in  Pekin.  In  1853  he  sold  out  and  re- 
moved to  Peoria,  where  he  prosecuted  his  trade 
until  1859,  and  was  at  that  time  the  leading  mer- 
chant tailor  in  the  city.  That  year  he  decided  to 
abandon  further  work  in  the  city,  and  selling  out, 
rented  a  farm  in  Sand  Prairie  Township,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  funning  until  1861.  This  kind  of 
work  not  being  entiiety  satisfactory,  and  as  his 
services  were  greatly  in  demand,  he  removed  to 
Pekin,  and  was  employed  as  cutter  for  C.  B.  Cum- 
niings  &  Co.  until  1865.  In  February  of  that 
year  the  firm  of  Brereton  &  Rhoades  was  organized, 
which  was  dissolved  after  three  years. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  in  Pe- 
kin on  the  1st  of  October,  1849,  the  maiden  name 
of  the  mother  being  Mary  A.  Broadwell.  She  was 
born  in  Sangamon  County,  this  state,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Charles  Broadwell,  an  early  settler  and 
well-to-do  farmer  in  this  locality.  Their  union 
was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  four  children:  Stephen 
W.,  engaged  in  ranching  and  mining  near  Denver, 
Colo.;  Charles  L.,  of  this  sketch;  Clara,  a  teacher  in 


this  city,  and  Minnie,  a  graduate  of  the  high  school, 
who  are  at  home. 

Charles  L.  Brereton  was  born  in  Pekin  June  18, 
1860,  and  was  here  reared  and  educated.  In  1878, 
having  learned  the  trade  of  a  tailor,  he  engaged 
in  business  with  his  father  under  the  style  of  E. 
P.  Breretou  &  Son,  and  this  connection  lasted  un- 
til 1882.  when  our  subject  went  to  Colorado  on 
account  of  failing  health.  There  he  engaged  in 
mining  for  a  year,  and  on  his  return  entered  his 
father's  establishment,  where  he  was  employed  un- 
til 1887,  when  he  purchased  the  business.  He  car- 
ries a  full  line  of  domestic  and  imported  goods, 
and  gives  constant  employment  to  four  or  five 
men.  He  turns  out  some  of  the  finest  work  in  the 
city,  and  his  name  is  well  known  in  commercial 
circles. 

Mr.  Brereton  was  married  in  this  city  in  Decem- 
ber, 1892,  to  Miss  Minnette  Brants,  who  is  also  a 
native  of  this  place.  Socially  our  subject  is  a 
Knight  of  P3'thias. 


F  LBERT  EGGER.  The  following  biograph- 
ical  sketch  is  a  memorial  offered  as  a  lov- 
ing tribute  by  the  widow  who  was  for 
many  years  the  happy  companion  and 
helpmate  of  Albert  Egger,  and  is  intended  to  pre- 
serve a  few  facts  for  his  children  and  friends  that 
may  be  of  interest  in  the  3?ears  to  come.  Mr.  Eg- 
ger died  in  1877,  and  that  he  was  a  good  and  suc- 
cessful citizen,  whose  life  had  not  been  spent  in 
vain,  was  attested  by  the  fact  that  he  was  generally 
mourned  by  those  who  were  comparative  stran- 
gers to  his  personal  life,  as  well  as  by  the  members 
of  his  family. 

Mr.  Egger  was  born  in  Switzerland  December  7, 
1837,  and  was  there  reared  on  a  farm.  When  at- 
taining his  eighteenth  \'ear  he  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica, and  locating  in  Ohio  with  an  uncle,  remained 
there  for  some  years,  when  he  came  to  Pekin  and 
learned  the  trade  of  a  butcher,  which  business  he 
carried  on  in  connection  with  a  partner.  Later 
he  operated  alone,  and  at  the  time  of  his  decease 
was  the  proprietor  of  a  fine  market  on  Courl 
Street. 

The    lady   to  whom    our   subject    was   married 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


693 


March  22,  1866,  was  Miss  Barbara  Wild.  She  was 
born  in  Baden,  Germany, and  was  the  daughter  of 
Michael  Wild,  likewise  a  native  of  the  Fatherland, 
where  he  was  employed  in  preparing  flax  for  the 
weavers.  In  1857  he  came  to  America  with  his 
family,  which  consisted  of  his  wife  and  three  chil- 
dren. The  voyage  to  this  country  was  made  on 
the  sailing-vessel  "Tornado"  and  occupied  twenty- 
eight  days.  After  landing  in  New  York  the  father 
of  Mrs.  Egger  came  directly  to  Pekiu,  where  his 
brother  George  was  located,  and  found  work  in 
building  a  still-house,  in  which  lie  afterward  worked 
for  many  years.  Later  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
our  subject  in  the  butcher  business,  but  is  now  living 
retired,  making  his  home  with  his  son  Edward  in 
Sheldon.  His  wife  departed  this  life  in  1891,  after 
having  reared  a  family  of  four  children,  of  whom 
Mrs.  Egger  was  the  eldest.  The  latter  remained 
in  Germany  until  eight  years  of  age,  when  she  was 
brought  by  her  parents  to  the  New  World,  and 
here  met  and  married  our  subject. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Egger  was  born  a  family  of 
three  children:  Edward  A.,  at  home;  George  W., 
foreman  in  the  office  of  the  Courier  in  Elgin, 
this  state;  and  Fred  R.,  a  stenographer  and  type- 
writer in  Chicago. 


==31 


C.  BRENNEMANN,  one  of  the 
wealthy  farmers  of  Tazewell  County  and 
the  present  Supervisor  of  Boynton  Town- 
ship, was  born  near  Lebanon,  in  Warren  County, 
Ohio,  December  8,  1849.  He  is  of  German  de- 
scent, his  ancestors  for  several  generations  having 
been  residents  of  Hesse-Cassel.  There  his  grand- 
father, Jacob  Brennemann,  was  born  April  7,  1764, 
and  there,  June  20,  1788,  he  married  Miss  Anna 
Gingerich.  Four  of  his  sons  came  to  this  country. 
Michael,  who  first  settled  in  Ohio,  later  came  to 
Illinois,  and  died  several  years  ago.  Jacob  is  still 
living  in  McLean  County,  this  state. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Daniel  Brennemaun, 
was  born  in  Hesse-Cassel  in  1804,  and  came  to 
America  in  1832,  sojourning  for  a  time  in  Ohio 
and  thence  in  1854  coming  to  McLean  County, 
111.  The  year  1855  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Boyn- 
24 


ton  Township,  Tazewell  County,  where  he  settled 
upon  the  farm  now  owned  by  our  subject.  Prior 
to  leaving  Germany  he  was  united  in  marriage, 
September  26,  1826,  with  Miss  Elizabeth  lutzi,  and 
three  children  were  born  to  them  in  the  Old  Coun- 
try. Altogether  there  was  a  family  of  thirteen 
children,  nine  of  whom  attained  mature  years, 
while  six  are  now  living. 

Jacob,  the  eldest  of  the  family,  was  one  of  the 
most  prominent  men  of  Boynton  Township,  where 
he  died  in  1887.  He  had  filled  many  offices,  and 
for  several  years  served  as  Supervisor.  Marie 
married  Jacob  Hauter,  and  died  March  15,  1882, 
in  this  township;  Eliza  is  the  wife  of  Peter  D. 
Springer,  a  retired  farmer  of  Stanford,  McLean 
County;  Joseph  is  a  well-to-do  citizen  of  Repub- 
lic County,  Kan.;  Ellen  is  the  wife  of  T.  E.  Orn- 
dorff,  of  Hopedale  Township;  Jacobine  was  born 
in  Ohio  and  died  in  1836;  Christian  and  John 
died  in  childhood;  Anna,  residing  in  Delavan,  is 
the  widow  of  Philip  Tomm,  who  died  January  13, 
1876;  William  is  a  prosperous  citizen  of  Superior, 
Neb.;  Amelia  married  F.  A.  lutzi,  and  lived  upon 
a  farm  adjoining  that  of  our  subject  until  her  death, 
January  22,  1892. 

The  youngest  member  of  this  large  family,  E. 
C.,  was  in  his  fifth  year  when  his  father  came  to 
Illinois,  and  here  he  grew  to  manhood  upon  the 
farm  where  he  has  ever  since  resided.  His  mother 
died  July  26,  1879,  and  his  father  passed  away 
March  14,  1884,  leaving  a  large  fortune  accumu- 
lated after  coming  to  America.  In  1876  our  sub- 
ject married  Miss  Laura  Bender,  who  was  born  in 
Putnam  County,  this  state.  She  is  the  daughter 
of  Jacob  Bender,  a  German  by  birth,  and  now  a 
retired  farmer  of  Putnam  Count}'.  She  has  a 
brother  and  sister;  the  latter,  Ella,  married  Fred 
Sucher  and  lives  in  Putnam  County;  the  former, 
Victor  E.,  is  a  graduate  of  Knox  College,  and  now 
a  prosperous  newspaper  man  in  Omaha,  Neb.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Brennemann  have  had  eleven  children, 
Bertha,  Ella,  Alma,  Eliza  (who  died  at  the  age  of 
six  years),  Laura,  Ernst,  Marie,  Martha,  Edgar, 
Clara  and  Helen. 

Upon  the  ticket  of  the  Democratic  party  Mr. 
Brennemann  has  been  elected  to  various  local  posi- 
tions. For  one  year  he  was  Assessor,  for  ten  years 


694 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


officiated  as  School  Director,  and  is  now  serving 
his  second  year  as  Supervisor.  His  farm,  one  of 
the  finest  in  the  township,  consists  of  three  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres,  and  he  also  owns  one  hun- 
dred acres  in  Indiana.  In  religious  connections 
he  and  his  wife  are  Mennonites. 


REDERICK  KEITH.  This  gentleman  is 
numbered  among  the  successful  agricultur- 
ists of  Bath  Township,  Mason  County,  and 
has  by  dint  of  energy  and  prudent  management 
become  the  possessor  of  seven  hundred  acres  of 
the  fine  land  for  which  this  county  has  become 
noted.  Like  many  of  our  best  residents,  he  is  a 
native  of  Germany,  having  been  born  in  Wurtem- 
berg,  May  12,  1836. 

Frederick  Keith,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
also  born  in  the  above  kingdom,  in  the  village  of 
Durmonz,and  received  his  education  in  the  model 
schools  of  that  country,  after  which  he  worked  for 
his  father  until  becoming  of  age.  He  married 
Miss  M.  Barbara  Herman,  a  native  of  the  Father- 
land and  the  daughter  of  John  and  Katie  Herman, 
who  died  in  that  country  in  1841.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  a  day  laborer  and  was  thus  em- 
ployed until  his  decease  in  1861.  IILs  good  wife 
survived  him  many  years,  departing  this  life  in 
1886. 

Until  his  fourteenth  year  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  a  student  in  the  schools  of  Germany. 
In  the  spring  of  1851,  when  only  fifteen  years  old, 
he  set  sail  for  America,  embarking  on  a  vessel  at 
Rotterdam,  which  was  forty-two  days  in  crossing 
the  Atlantic.  As  his  parents  were  poor,  the  uncle 
whom  he  accompanied  paid  his  passage,  which 
money  he  repaid  two  years  later.  Arriving  in 
New  York  City  he  remained  there  for  a  short 
time  and  then  went  to  Bolivar,  Tuscarawas 
County,  Ohio,  where  he  obtained  work  on  a  farm, 
receiving  as  his  pay  $30  for  the  first  year,  and  for 
the  next  year  he  was  promised  $40.  He  re- 
mained one  and  a-half  years  in  that  locality,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1853  came  to  this  county,  stop- 
ping in  Havana,  near  which  city  he  worked  on  a 


farm  for  three  years.  During  the  first  summer  he 
received  $8  per  month,  and  afterward  his  wages 
were  increased.  Meanwhile  he  sent  money  home 
to  pay  the  passage  of  his  brother,  John,  who  came 
to  this  country,  and  died  in  1860,  near  Matanzas. 
Upon  another  farm  our  subject  was  also  emplo3'ed 
for  three  years,  and  thus  became  thoroughly  fitted 
to  manage  an  estate  of  his  own. 

On  April  15,  1858,  our  subject  married  Mrs. 
Margaret  Roloff,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  May 
7,1831.  Her  parents,  John  and  Mary  (Bishop) 
Beselbecke.  were  born  in  Hanover,  the  former  in 
1790  and  the  latter  in  1803.  They  are  both  now 
deceased,  the  father  dying  in  1856  and  the  mother 
in  1888.  Mrs.  Keith  came  to  America  in  1844 
with  her  parents.  Embarking  at  Bremen  in  Sep- 
tember of  that  year,  they  landed  in  New  Orleans 
forty-nine  days  later,  and  immediately  made  their 
way  to  St.  Louis,  and  thence  to  Schulte  Land- 
ing. After  their  marriage,  the  young  couple 
commenced  housekeeping  on  a  rented  farm  near 
Matanzas,  which  they  operated  for  one  year,  and 
then  purchased  property  of  their  own  in  Bath 
Township.  Our  subject  was  employed  in  its  cul- 
tivation until  the  spring  of  1866,  when  he  sold  it 
and  purchased  the  estate  upon  which  he  is  residing 
at  the  present  time,  and  which  includes  seven  hun- 
dred broad  acres. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frederick  Keith  have  been  born 
six  children,  of  whom  we  make  the  following 
mention:  Maria  L.  is  now  the  wife  of  Martin 
Herman,  and  makes  her  home  in  Nebraska;  George 
L.  married  Miss  Katherine  Herman,  and  is  living 
in  Lynchburg  Township,  this  county;  J.  H.  first 
married  Miss  Alice  Black,  who  died  in  1883;  he 
afterward  married  her  sister,  Miss  Mira  Black, 
who  passed  away  in  1888,  and  his  present  com- 
panion bore  the  maiden  name  of  Arizona  Welsh; 
Louis  F.  married  Miss  Laura  Morrow,  and  makes 
his  home  in  Bath;  Margaret  M.  is  the  wife  of 
Frank  Friend,  and  is  living  in  Kilbourne  Town- 
ship; Sophia,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  still  lives 
at  home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frederick  Keith  are  members  in 
good  standing  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church  at 
Chandlerville.  While  he  is  what  is  commonly 
designated  as  a  self-made  man,  Mr.  Keith  is  well 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


695 


educated  and  keeps  himself  thoroughly  posted  on 
public  affairs.  lie  is  public-spirited  and  delights 
to  advance  both  his  own  interests  and  those  of  his 
neighbors.  To-day  he  ranks  among  the  wealthy 
and  influential  agriculturists  of  Mason  County, 
and  is  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  of  life, 
proving  the  truth  of  the  old  assertion  that  "indus- 
try will  win  in  the  race  for  fortune  and  position." 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  for  fifteen 
years  has  held  the  office  of  School  Director.  He 
has  also  served  his  township  three  terms  as  Com- 
missioner of  Highways  and  Treasurer,  and  many 
years  as  Road  Overseer.  At  present  he  rents  his 
farm  to  neighbors,  but  retains  the  residence,  thus 
enabling  himself  and  wife  to  live  incase  and  com- 
fort. It  has  been  his  aim  to  improve  his  farm  as 
much  as  possible,  so  that  he  need  not  be  ashamed 
of  it  hereafter,  and  also  to  furnish  to  the  people 
of  the  locality  an  example  of  a  well  improved 
estate. 


L- I1UFTY' M- D-' for  the  past  flft>' 

a  practicing  physician  and  surgeon  of 
Delavan,  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Pa., 
July  4,  1823.  He  is  the  son  of  John  Hufty,  a 
native  of  the  same  county,  born  September  23, 
1793,  and  a  brick  and  stone  mason  by  trade.  The 
grandfather,  Jacob  Hufty,  was  born  in  Bucks 
County,  Pa.,  November  5,  1751,  and  had  two  sons, 
John  and  James,  the  latter  having  been  a  farmer 
and  distiller  by  occupation. 

May  11,  1820,  John  Hufty  married  Miss  Mary 
Craft,  a  native  of  Greene  Count}',  Pa.,  who  died 
August  13,  1868.  lie  was  a  prominent  man  in  his 
community,  and  for  a  time  served  as  a  Captain  of 
the  militia,  afterward  becoming  Captain  of  volun- 
teers. His  death  occurred  November  21,  1866, 
at  the  age  of  about  seventy-three  years.  He  and 
his  wife  were  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  of  whom  the  Doctor  is  the  next  to  the 
oldest.  John  C.,  who  was  born  September  9,  1821, 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil 
War,  and  now  lives  in  Greene  County,  Pa.,  where 
the  value  of  his  farm  is  largely  increased  by  a 
valuable  oil  well  thereon,  Minerva  M.,  whose 


birth  occurred  June  29,  1825,  is  the  wife  of 
William  Bailey,  a  farmer  of  Fairbuiy,  Livingston 
County,  111.  Minor  was  born  December  22,  1826, 
and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years.  Phebe 
A.,  who  was  born  November  29,  1828,  married 
Joseph  Guynn,  and  in  1890  removed  from  Greene 
County,  Pa.,  to  Iowa,  where  they  now  live.  Mary 
was  born  December  8,  1834,  and  married  Parker 
Covert,  of  Pennsylvania. 

After  completing  an  academic  education,  our 
subject  studied  medicine  under  Dr.  Samuel  Culver 
and  Dr.  A.  G.  Richardson,  of  Jefferson,  Pa.,  in 
which  city  he  commenced  practice  in  the  spring  of 
1844.  Afterward  he  followed  his  profession  in 
various  cities  of  that  state  until  the  spring  of* 
1861,  when  he  came  to  Delavan,  and  here  he  has 
since  remained  in  charge  of  an  extensive  and 
profitable  practice.  He  was  first  married  March 
12,  1846,  his  wife  being  Elizabeth  C.  Davidson,  of 
Fayette  County,  Pa.  She  died  in  1865,  after 
having  become  the  mother  of  four  children.  The 
eldest,  John  Thomas,  was  boru  August  9,  1848,  and 
is  now  a  railroad  conductor,  living  at  Hannibal, 
Mo.  Maiy  Agnes,  who  was  born  June  15,  1851, 
married  Joseph  Regur  and  lives  in  Iowa.  Joseph 
N.,  born  September  25,  1855,  is  now  deceased. 
William  J.  was  born  December  12,  1858,  and  is 
now  a  resident  of  Missouri.  In  the  fall  of  1893, 
the  Doctor  married  his  present  wife,  Elizabeth 
Hogan,  who  was  born  seven  miles  east  of  La  Porte, 
Ind.  They  have  a  pleasant  home  in  Delavan  and 
are  highly  esteemed  among  their  many  acquaint- 
ances. 


ZRIAH  ENGLAND.  There  is  always  more 
or  less  curiosity  to  know  the  true  and 
III  li  inner  history  of  a  man  who  has  been  long 
and  favorably  identified  with  the  social 
and  business  interests  of  any  community,  and 
undoubtedly  the  biography  of  Mr.  England  will 
prove  interesting  alike  to  old  and  young.  Brought 
up  to  a  knowledge  of  farm  duties,  he  naturally 
chose  the  avocation  of  a  farmer  in  early  life, 
which  calling  he  prosecuted  fora  number  of  years, 


696 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


but  since   1874  has  been   engaged   in   the  manu- 
facture of  brick  in  Havana. 

Our  subject  was  the  son  of  George  England, 
who  was  born  in  Tennessee,  and  after  coming  to 
this  county  in  an  early  day,  made  his  home  here 
until  his  decease,  in  March,  1875.  He  was  married 
to  Miss  Susan  Lewis,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who 
departed  this  life  when  our  subject  was  an  infant. 
The  latter  was  born  in  this  county  in  1847,  and 
spent  the  years  of  his  life  here  until  his  twenty- 
second  birthday,  when  he  went  to  Fulton  County, 
this  state,  and  for  two  years  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing pursuits.  Previously,  however,  in  May,  1864, 
he  became  a  Union  soldier,  enlisting  in  Company  I, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-ninth  Illinois  Infantry, 
under  the  command  of  Capt.  W.  II.  Colwell,  of 
Havana,  and  was  mustered  out  of  service  in  No- 
vember of  that  year  in  Peoria. 

As  before  stated,  Mr.  England  has  been  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  brick  since  1874,  and  turns 
out  each  year  in  his  yard  over  eight  hundred 
thousand  brick,  which  are  well  burnt  and  of  a 
very  superior  quality.  lie  furnished  the  brick 
which  were  used  in  the  erection  of  the  Court 
House,  in  the  Methodist  Church,  Wahlfeler's  gro- 
cery, Myers  Opera  House,  Masonic  Temple,  the 
McFadden  Block,  First  National  Bank,  Myers  dry- 
goods  house,  and  many  more  of  the  brick  buildings 
in  Havana. 

In  September,  1868,  A.  England  and  Miss  Lottie 
M.,  the  daughter  of  Charles  Bcidleman,  were 
united  in  marriage.  Mrs.  England  is  a  native  of 
this  county,  and  has  become  the  mother  of  six  chil- 
dren, Charles  R.,  engaged  with  his  father  in  the 
brick  business;  George  II.,  Lewis  A.,  Lottie  A., 
Grace  M.  and  Annie  May.  Mr.  England  is  Presi- 
dent of  the  Illinois  River  Bridge  Company,  to 
which  position  he  was  elected  in  May,  1893.  He 
has  served  as  Alderman  of  the  First  Ward  in 
Havana;  he  was  elected  on  the  Republican  ticket, 
although  that  part  of  the  city  has  a  Democratic 
majority  of  ninety.  In  1894,  he  was  elected  Super- 
visor of  Havana  Township,  by  a  majority  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty-four,  while  the  township  has  a 
Democratic  majority.  Socially  he  is  an  Odd  Fel- 
low and  a  Knight  of  Pythias,  and  takes  great  in- 
terest in  the  workings  of  the  Grand  Army  Post  in 


the  city  of  which  he  is  a  resident.  He  discharges 
the  duties  of  citizenship  in  a  most  reliable  man- 
ner, and  as  an  honest,  upright  man  is  well  known 
throughout  the  county,  and  is  well  liked  by  his  ac- 
quaintances. 

In  1863,  Mr.  England  made  a  trip  across  the 
plains  to  Pike's  Peak,  during  the  gold  excitement. 
The  part}'  left  Havana  in  wagons  on  the  2d  of 
April,  and  arrived  at  the  Peak  July  15  of  the  same 
year,  and  on  the  trip  enjoyed  the  antelope  and 
buffalo  hunts,  and  also  had  some  amusements  with 
the  Indians. 


'RED  W.  SOADY.  Although  quite  a  young 
I— '**•  man,  this  gentleman  already  has  consider- 
able weight  in  the  community  where  he  re- 
sides, a  fact  which  is  easily  accounted  for  by  his 
strong  principles,  his  active  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  all  around  him,  and  his  pleasant  manners,  which 
are  the  crowning  charm  of  a  fine  nature. 

Mr.  Soady  was  born  in  Farmington,  Fulton 
County,  this  state,  September  5,  1867,  and  is  the 
son  of  Zephaniah  Scad}',  a  native  of  England. 
The  latter  came  to  America  when  a  young  man, 
and  locating  in  Pekin,  carried  on  his  trade  of  a 
tailor.  Later  he  removed  to  Farmington,  but  in 
1868  returned  to  this  city,  and  is  now  the  Super- 
intendent of  the  Pekin  Lake  Ice  Company.  He 
has  been  very  prominent  in  local  affairs,  and  has 
served  as  Alderman. 

The  maiden  name  of  our  subject's  mother  was 
Susan  R.  Jones.  She  was  born  in  Zanesville, 
Ohio,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Robert  Jones,  who 
later  became  a  resident  of  Farmington,  this  state, 
where  he  was  the  proprietor  of  a  blacksmith  shop. 
Mrs.  Soady  departed  this  life  in  1883,  leaving  a 
family  of  three  children,  of  whom  Fred  W.,  of  this 
sketch,  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth. 

Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  this  city,  and  when  ready  to  earn 
his  o«n  living,  became  Collector  for  the  Farmers' 
National  Bank,  and  was  thus  employed  for  three 
years.  September  1,  1883,  he  accepted  the  posi- 
tion of  baggageman  in  this  city  for  the  Wabash 
Railroad  Company,  but  which  is  now  the  Jackson- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


697 


ville  South-eastern  Road,  and  eighteen  months 
later  was  promoted  to  be  clerk  of  the  freight  de- 
partment. It  was  during  this  time  that  the  road 
changed  hands,  and  in  1887  Mr.  Soady  was  ap- 
pointed agent  for  the  Jacksonville  South-east- 
ern Railroad,  which  position  he  is  still  holding. 

The  lady  to  whom  Mr.  Soady  was  united  in 
marriage  in  this  city  September  12,  1888,  was  Miss 
Laura,  daughter  of  James  Mclntosh.  Socially,  our 
subject  is  a  Mason  of  high  standing,  and  in  politics 
is  a  strong  Republican.  As  a  business  man  he  has 
been  quite  successful  and  enjoys  the  reputation  of 
being  clear-headed.  He  is  deliberate  in  his  judg- 
ments, is  a  good  judge  of  men,  and  is  univer- 
sally esteemed  for  his  integrity  and  social  quali- 
ties. Notwithstanding  his  success  while  yet  young, 
he  has  none  of  the  pretense  of  a  vain  man,  and 
none  of  the  hesitancy  of  a  weak  one,  but  moves 
about  his  business  with  the  fullest  consciousness  of 
his  ability  to  manage  and  conduct  in  detail. 


WILLIAM  STANBERY,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Pekin,  dates  his  residence  here 
from  1847.  He  was  born  in  Newark,  Ohio, 
January  1,  1816,  and  is  a  son  of  William  Stanbery, 
a  native  of  New  York  City.  The  grandfather,  Dr. 
Jonas  Stanbery,  was  a  physician  of  New  York, 
whence  he  went  to  Zanesville,  there  passing  his  last 
days.  The  family  is  of  English  origin.  The  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  was  a  lawyer,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  Bar  in  his  native  city.  In  1808  he  became 
a  practitioner  of  Newark,  Ohio,  and  won  a  fore- 
most place  among  the  lawyers  of  the  west.  He 
also  served  as  State  Representative  and  Senator, 
and  for  six  years  was  a  Member  of  Congress.  In 
politics  he  was  first  a  Whig,  and  afterward  a  Re- 
publican. He  held  membership  with  the  Episcopal 
Church,  and  died  in  Newark,  Ohio,  in  1873.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Shippy, 
died  just  three  weeks  from  that  time.  They  had 
eight  children  who  grew  to  mature  years,  while 
five  are  yet  living. 

After  attending  the  common  schools,  William 
Stanbery    entered    Miami  University,  of   Oxford, 


Ohio,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1837  with 
the  degree  of  A.  B.  He  then  studied  law,  and  in 
1840  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  For  some  years  he 
served  as  Master  in  Chancery  in  Newark,  and  in 
1847  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early  settlers  of  Pekin. 
Here  he  purchased  four  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  land,  and  for  about  ten  years  engaged  in  the 
cultivation  and  improvement  of  his  farm. 

Mr.  Stanbery  was  married  in  Newark,  Ohio,  in 
1839,  to  Emma  J.  Woodbridge,  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, and  in  1889  their  golden  wedding  was 
celebrated.  In  1891  the  lady  who  had  been  to 
him  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  for  fifty- 
two  years  was  called  to  her  final  rest.  They  had 
three  children,  two  yet  living:  Mrs.  Ella  Barber, 
and  Frank  II.,  of  Pekin. 

In  1857  Mr.  Stanbery  bought  the  Cit}'  Mills, 
having  learned  the  milling  business  in  the  Buck- 
eye State,  and  in  1866  the  firm  of  Stanbery  & 
Stoltz  was  formed.  In  1873  he  became  President 
of  the  Gas  Light  Company,  which  was  organized 
in  1865,  and  of  which  lie  had  been  a  Director  since 
1866.  In  1873  he  was  made  President  and  man- 
ager, and  by  careful  management  and  methodical 
efforts  he  greatly  enlarged  its  business  until  it  be- 
came one  of  the  leading  industries  of  the  place. 
With  it  Mr.  Stanbery  was  connected  until  April, 
1893,  when  he  sold  out.  He  is  the  only  charter 
member  now  living  of  the  Episcopal  Church  of 
this  place,  and  since  its  organization  in  his  own 
home  in  1849  he  has  been  Senior  Warden.  The 
present  house  of  worship  was  erected  in1  1872.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Stanbery  was  a  Whig  in  early  life, and 
on  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  joined 
its  ranks. 


L.  CHAMPION.  Among  the  representa- 
live,  thorough-going  and  efficient  officials 
of  Tazewell  County  there  is  probably  no 
one  more  deserving  of  mention  than  Mr. 
Champion,  who  holds  the  responsible  position  of 
Count\- Clerk  and  Recorder  and  lives  in  Pekin. 
Although  retiring  and  unpretentious  in  manner, 
he  has  always  been  a  strong  factor  in  the  city, 
promoting  the  community's  welfare  in  whatever 
way  he  could,  and,  honorable  and  upright  in  all 


698 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


his  relations  with  the  public,  the  confidence  in  him 
has  not  been  misplaced. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Green  Valley,  this 
county,  May  30, 1860,  and  is  the  son  of  Abraham 
Champion,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  where  his 
father  was  a  farmer  and  spent  his  entire  life. 
Abraham  Champion  was  a  millwright  by  trade, 
which  he  followed  in  his  native  state  and  also 
after  coming  to  this  county  in  1838.  At  the  same 
time  he  followed  farm  pursuits  and  operated  a 
sawmill  on  the  Mackinaw,  and  was  very  prominent 
in  township  affairs.  His  farm  property  consisted 
of  a  section  of  land,  on  which  he  made  his  home 
until  his  death  in  1862. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mrs.  Catherine  Haw- 
kins, was  born  in  West  Virginia  and  was  the 
daughter  of  William  Hawkins,  also  a  native  of 
that  state,  who  came  to  Illinois  in  1836,  and  lo- 
cated in  Center  Township,  this  county.  He  was  a 
blacksmith  by  trade,  but  after  locating  here  gave 
the  greater  part  of  his  time  to  farm  pursuits,  own- 
ing several  hundred  acres  of  land.  He  lived  to  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety  years,  dying  in  1881.  He 
served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  lived 
an  honorable  and  upright  life.  His  wife,  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  Champion,  is  still  living,  making 
her  home  on  the  old  farm. 

Of  the  three  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Abraham  Champion,  Belle  married  Mr.  Copes,  and 
John  M.  is  deceased.  A.  L.,  of  this  sketch,  was 
reared  to  man's  estate  on  the  farm  in  this  county, 
and  obtained  a  high  school  education  at  Delavan. 
When  only  seventeen  years  of  age  he  received  a 
certificate  which  enabled  him  to  teach,  and  for 
thirteen  years  he  was  one  of  the  prominent  edu- 
cators of  the  county.  While  residing  in  Green 
Valley  he  was  Postmaster  from  1885  to  1889,  and 
for  eleven  consecutive  years  was  Assessor  of  Sand 
Prairie  Township. 

Mr.  Champion  and  Miss  Clara  Darling,  who  was 
born  in  Iowa,  were  united  in  marriage  in  1881. 
The  two  children  born  of  their  union  are  May  B. 
and  Anna  P.  In  1892  our  subject  was  nominated 
on  the  Democratic  ticket  for  Circuit  Clerk  and 
Recorder  of  Tazewell  County,  and  received  the 
largest  vote  ever  accorded  a  candidate  for  that 
office.  He  has  always  taken  a  prominent  part  in 


politics  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  a  member 
of  the  County  Central  Committee.  Socially  he  be- 
longs to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
in  whicn  order  he  has  passed  all  the  chairs  and 
has  been  a  delegate  to  the  National  Encampment. 
He  is  also  a  Modern  Woodman,  and  a  charter 
member  of  the  lodge  at  Green  Valley.  He  is  a 
man  whose  career  has  been  above  reproach  and 
whose  honesty  and  uprightness  have  never  been 
questioned. 


M.  BROWN,  who  is  living  on  section  16, 
Little  Mackinaw  Township,  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  wide-awake  and  highly  re- 
^spected  fanners  of  Tazewell  County.  He 
was  born  in  Morton  Township,  this  county,  on  the 
1st  of  November,  1837,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and 
Permelia  (Cullom)  Brown,  natives  of  Kentucky. 
His  mother  is  an  aunt  of  Senator  Cullom.  In  1830 
the  father  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Morton 
Township,  where  he  entered  land  from  the  Gov- 
ernment and  began  transforming  the  wild  prairie 
into  rich  and  fertile  fields.  He  was  also  a  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  preacher  and  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neer ministers  of  this  locality.  In  politics  he  was 
a  Whig.  His  farm  comprised  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,and  thereon  his  death  occurred  about 
1845.  His  wife,  who  was  also  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  passed 
away  February  27,  1891.  These  worthy  people 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children,  J.  W., 
a  resident  of  Sedgwick  County,  Kan.,  T.  J.,  a  farmer 
of  Oklahoma;  Levi,  who  is  living  in  Morton,  111.; 
Alvin,  an  agriculturist  of  South  Dakota;  R.  M.,  of 
this  sketch;  by  a  former  marriage,  Mrs.  W.  Brown 
had  a  child  named  Susan  Ayres. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  childhood  and  youth  of  our  subject.  He  was 
quietly  reared  upon  the  home  farm  and  was 
early  inured  to  the  arduous  task  of  developing 
new  land.  On  the  1st  of  November,  1859.  he 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia  McBride, 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Will)  McBride, 
a  native  of  Lee  County,  Ohio.  In  18C7,  within 
a  period  of  eight  days,  he  lost  his  wife  and  two 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


699 


of  his  children  with  diphtheria.  The  daughters 
bore  the  names  of  Ida  Jane  and  Caroline.  Two 
daughters  survived  their  mother,  Hattie  Belle  and 
Ltiella,  the  latter  of  whom  is  now  the  wife  of  Her- 
man Sweeney,  of  Minier. 

After  his  murriage  Mr.  Brown  located  on  the 
old  homestead,  where  he  resided  until  1865.  In 
1871  he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  has  made 
his  home  since  the  spring  of  1872.  In  the  former 
year  he  married  Miss  Providence  McBride,  a  half- 
sister  of  his  first  wife.  The  present  wife's  mother 
was  in  her  maidenhood  Julia  Will,  and  was  a 
half-sister  to  Mr.  MeBride's  first  wife,  Mary  Will. 
To  our  subject's  second  marriage  were  born  seven 
children:  Josephine,  wife  of  Rodney  Johnson,  of 
Little  Mackinaw  Township;  Cassie,  Hulda,  Myrtle 
Delia  and  two  who  died  unnamed. 

Mr.  Brown  is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm 
comprising  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  rich 
land,  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation 
and  well  improved.  Its  neat  appearance  indicates 
the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner,  who  now 
successfully  follows  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Brown  is  a  Re- 
publican, but  has  never  sought  or  desired  political 
preferment,, desiring  rather  to  give  his  entire  time 
and  attention  to  his  business  interests. 


eLEMENT  C.  DARE  has  met  with  more  than 
ordinary  success  as  one  of  the  most  skillful 
and    wide-awake  farmers  and  stock-raisers 
of  Mason  County,  and  while  far  from  being  an 
old  man,  he  has  been  enabled  to  practically  retire 
from  business.     He  has  a  fine  estate  consisting  of 
five    hundred    and   seventy   acres  in    Salt   Creek 
Township,  upon  which  he  has  erected  a  comfortable 
residence,  and  has  also  fitted  out  his  farm  with  all 
the  improved  machinery. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Cumber- 
land County,  N.  J.,  December  7,  1830,  and  is  the 
son  of  Ludlem  Dare,  who  also  hailed  from  that 
state,  where  he  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  The 
lady  to  whom  he  was  married  was  Miss  Mary  Shin- 
ner,  who  was  also  born  in  the  above  state,  where 
she  lived  and  died.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was 


of  German  descent  and  reared  a  family  of  whom 
he  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth,  and  is  the  only 
son  now  living. 

C.  C.  attended  school  in  his  native  place,  and 
remained  there  until  1853,  when  he  came  to  this 
county  and  began  making  his  own  way  in  the 
world  by  working  out  on  farms  by  the  month.  He 
was  thus  occupied  for  three  years  when  he  found 
he  had  laid  by  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  to  pur- 
chase property  of  his  own,  and  soon  was  the  posses- 
sor of  eighty  acres  included  in  his  present  fine 
estate.  When  he  bought  the  land  it  bore  no  im- 
provements whatever,  unless  five  acres  partially 
broken  and  a  little  log  house  could  be  called  such. 
He  added  to  this  tract  at  various  times  until  now 
he  has  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  county,  and 
Ms  justly  considered  a  self-made  man,  as  he  virtually 
commenced  his  career  with  nothing  but  his  strong 
hands  and  a  determination  to  succeed. 

October  4,  1864,  C.  C.  Dare  was  married  to  Miss 
Comfort  Garrison,  who  was  born  in  Cape  May 
County,  N.  J.,  May  25.  1842.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  Garrison,  also  a  native  of  that  state, 
where  his  birth  occurred  in  Salem  County,  Decem- 
ber 31,  1809.  He  was  a  sailor,  which  occupation 
he  followed  till  his  removal  to  Illinois  in  1849. 
The  maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Dare's  mother  was  Mary 
A.  Long.  She  was  also  born  in  New  Jersey,  in 
which  state  she  received  her  education  and  was 
married.  Our  subject's  wife  came  to  Illinois  with 
her  parents  when  only  seven  years  of  age,  and  at- 
tended school  until  completing  her  education.  Af- 
ter her  union  with  Mr.  Dare,  she  located  with  him 
on  a  portion  of  the  farm,  were  they  are  at  present 
residing.  Their  home  has  been  brightened  by  the 
advent  of  nine  children,  the  eldest  of  whom, 
David  L.,  is  engaged  in  farming  in  this  county; 
Robert  G.  is  deceased;  Mary  A.  will  graduate  from 
the  Westfield  College  in  1894;  Albert  N.  will 
also  receive  a  diploma  from  that  institution  in 
June,  1894;  Franklin  H.  is  at  home  with  his  par- 
ents; Comfort  died  in  childhood;  Clement  G.  is 
next  in  order;  and  two  infants  died  unnamed. 

Mr.  Dare's  agricultural  ventures  have  brought 
him  money,  and  his  estate  of  five  hundred  and 
seventy  acres  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  and 
highly  productive  in  central  Illinois.  He  sustains 


700 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


a  most  enviable  reputation  for  strict  integrity  and 
firmness  of  purpose,  and  has  the  good  will  of  the 
community  at  large.  He  takes  great  interest  at  all 
times  in  politics,  and  is  a  strong  supporter  of  the 
Republican  part}-.  He  has  served  some  time  as 
School  Director,  and  with  his  wife  is  a  consistent 
and  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  in  which  he  lias  been  both  Trustee  and 
Steward. 


E  z.  BARNES,  n.  v.  M.  in  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  we  have  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  and  successful  men  in  Pekin, 
and  the  fact  that  he  commenced  life  with  a  small 
capital  speaks  well  for  his  subsequent  career  of 
perseverance,  industry  and  good  management.  He 
is  the  proprietor  of  a  veterinary  hospital  located 
in  this  city,  and  in  his  business  evinces  rare  ability 
and  good  judgment. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Sheffield,  this  state, 
September  10,  1866,  and  is  the  son  of  M.  J.  Barnes, 
a  native  of  New  York, and  where  also  Grandfather 
Orlando  Barnes  was  born.  The  latter  came  to  Ill- 
inois and  made  his  home  in  Bureau  County,  whence 
he  later  removed  to  State  Centre,  Iowa,  where  he 
is  now  living  the  life  of  a  retired  farmer.  M.  J. 
Barnes  was  a  harness-maker  in  Sheffield,  whither 
he  had  removed,  and  during  the  Civil  War  served 
as  a  soldier  for  nine  months;  he  received  his  dis- 
charge on  account  of  having  lost  a  leg  while  in 
battle. 

Our  subject  was  the  only  child  born  to  his 
mother,  Mrs.  Weltha  (Brasted)  Barnes,  a  native  of 
Cuba,  Allegany  County,  N.  Y.  George  Z.  was 
reared  in  State  Centre,  Iowa,  and  after  complet- 
ing a  high-school  education  learned  the  art  of 
telegraph}',  which  he  followed,  however,  only  a 
short  time.  In  1884  he  entered  the  State  Agri- 
cultural College  at  Ames,  where  he  took  the  scien- 
tific course  one  year.  He  afterward  spent  two 
years  in  the  veterinary  department  of  that  col- 
lege, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1887  with 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Veterinary  Medicine.  He 
then  took  charge  of  a  stock  farm  in  Nonchalanta, 
Ness  County,  Kan.,  and  after  running  it  for  two 
years  spent  the  winter  of  1889-90  in  Chicago, 


where  he  took  a  post-graduate  course  under  Dr. 
Billings. 

In  the  spring  of  1890,  Dr.  Barnes  came  to  Pekin, 
where  he  established  a  veterinary  hospital  and 
livery  business.  This  year  (1894)  he  built  the  Pal- 
ace Livery,  the  most  complete  establishment  of 
the  kind  in  the  city.  He  is  still  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  his  services  being 
greatly  in  demand  throughout  Tazewell,  Peoria 
and  Mason  Counties.  He  is  the  owner  of  several 
fine  horses,  among  which  are  "Charles  Wood,  sired 
by  "Fairy  Gift,"  one  of  the  most  famous  trotters 
in  the  state:  "Louisa  Medium;"  "Unhappy  Me- 
dium," half-sister  to  the  great  "Nancy  Hanks," 
and  several  other  high-bred  brood  mares. 

While  residing  in  Kansas  in  the  spring  of  1889, 
Dr.  Barnes  was  married,  in  Woodson  County,  to 
Miss  Hattie  Brown,  a  native  of  Knox  County,  this 
state,  and  to  them  has  been  born  a  son,  Fred  Lee. 
Socially  our  subject  is  a  Mason  and  a  member  of 
the  National  Union.  He  belongs  to  the  State 
Veterinary  Society,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican. 
He  invented  and  is  a  patentee  of  the  Barnes 
Mouth  Speculum,  and  since  it  has  been  placed  upon 
the  market  he  has  received  complimentary  letters 
from  surgeons  throughout  this  country  and  Eu- 
rope. 


ENRY  HAHN.  Reference  to  the  agricult- 
ural interests  of  Mason  County  would  be 
incomplete  were  no  mention  made  of  Mr. 
Hahn,  among  others  engaged  in  tilling  the 
soil.  The  farm  of  which  he  is  the  owner  and  pro- 
prietor is  pleasantly  located  on  section  31,  Havana 
Township,  and  has  been  embellished  with  all  the 
improvements  of  a  model  estate.  A  portion  of 
the  land  has  been  planted  to  fruit  trees,  while  the 
remainder  is  devoted  to  the  raising  of  cereals,  in 
which  Mr.  Ilahn  has  met  with  flattering  success. 

Our  subject  is  one  of  our  German-American  citi- 
zens who  have  contributed  so  largely  to  the  growth 
and  development  of  the  United  States.  He  was  born 
in  Hanover.  October  21,  1844,  and  is  the  son  of 
Ludwig  and  Fredrika  Zelle  Hahn,  who  with  their 
family  came  to  America  in  1851  and  settled  two 
miles  east  of  Havana.  Later  the  family  settled 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


701 


on  section  5,  Havana  Township,  where  the  father 
passer!  away  in  1874.  The  mother  survived  him 
for  a  number  of  years,  dying  in  July,  1893.  They 
were  the  parents  of  five  children,  of  whom  four 
now  survive,  namely:  Regena,  a  widow,  has  four 
children  and  resides  on  section  5,  Havana  Town- 
ship. Louis  is  a  resident  of  Mason  County;  he  is 
married  and  has  eight  children.  Louisa  was  the 
wife  of  John  McConnie,  of  Havana;  he  is  now  de- 
ceased. Henry  is  our  subject.  The  parents  were 
members  of  the  Lutheran  Church  and  were  sincere 
'Christian  people,  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew 
them. 

Of  the  land  of  his  birth,  Henry  Halm  retains 
little  recollection,  as  he  was  but  seven  years  of 
age  when  brought  to  the  United  States.  In  the 
schools  of  this  township  he  received  a  good 
English  education,  while  his  knowledge  of  the 
German  language  has  been  increased  througli  the 
conversation  in  the  home  circle  as  well  as  by  self- 
culture.  He  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of 
farmer  lads,  and  throughout  his  entire  life  has 
followed  the  occupation  with  which  he  became 
familiar  in  his  youth.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
gave  his  father  the  benefit  of  his  services,  and 
upon  starting  out  for  himself  settled  upon  his 
present  farm. 

In  1865  Mr.  Halm  married  Miss  Hannah, 
daughter  of  John  H.  and  Mary  (Heye)  Dierker, 
a  native  of  Hanover,  German}',  who  emigrated  to 
the  United  Statei  in  1839  and  settled  in  Mason 
County,  111.  After  one  year's  sojourn  in  the 
vicinity  of  Havana  he  came  to  section  31,  where  he 
was  residing  at  the  time  of  his  daughter's  marriage. 
Mr.  Hahn  cultivated  his  father-in-law's  farm  fora 
time,  and  since  then  has  acquired  the  ownership 
of  one  thousand  acres,  mostly  improved.  He  is 
also  the  owner  of  a  farm  consisting  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  in  Logan  County,  for  which 
he  paid  $11,000.  While  he  makes  a  specialty  of 
corn  and  wheat,  he  also  engages  in  stock-raising 
and  lias  upon  his  place  a  large  number  of  cattle 
and  hogs. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hahn  have  been  born  three 
children,  namely:  Louis,  who  married  Miss  Lizzie 
Buerman  and  lives  on  section  29  of  this  township; 
Marj',  deceased,  and  Fred,  who  is  at  home.  The 


family  is  identified  with  the  Lutheran  Church,  of 
which  Mr.  Hahn  is  an  official  member.  The  two 
boys  are  also  prominent  in  the  church  and  are 
popular  in  social  circles;  both  are  practical,  ener- 
getic farmers  and  intelligent  young  men.  Polit- 
ically our  subject  was  formerly  an  advocate  of 
Democratic  principles,  but  is  now  independent  in 
his  views.  As  School  Director  he  lias  rendered 
efficient  service  since  1875,  but  with  that  excep- 
tion has  refused  to  accept  office. 


LI  C.  CLEVELAND,  a  retired  farmer  re- 
siding  in  Mason  City,  was  born  in  Cortland 
County,  N.  Y.,  August  2,  1828.  The 
Cleveland  ancestry  originated  in  England,  and  the 
family  was  represented  in  America  at  an  early 
period  of  its  settlement.  The  paternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  Benjamin  Cleveland,  was  a  native 
of  New  Jersey,  and  his  brother  Henry  was  one  of 
the  oldest  trappers  in  the  vicinity  of  the  present 
site  of  the  city  of  Cleveland. 

Brain ard  Cleveland  was  born  in  New  York,  and 
became  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Seneca  County, 
Ohio.  Later  he  came  to  Illinois,  where  his  death 
occurred  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years.  His 
wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Sophia  Church, 
was  born  in  New  York,  being  a  daughter  of  Eli 
and  Elizabeth  (Chaddock)  Church,  natives  of  New 
Jersey,  the  former  a  wheelwright  by  trade.  At  the 
age  of  two  years  our  subject  accompanied  his 
parents  to  Ohio,  and  there,  four  years  later,  he  was 
orphaned  by  the  death  of  his  mother.  In  early 
boyhood  he  was  a  pupil  in  the  common  schools, 
and  at  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  started  out  in 
life  for  himself,  and  was  afterward  variously  em- 
ployed until  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade. 

In  the  fall  of  1856  Mr.  Cleveland  came  to  Mason 
County,  settling  in  Havana,  and  in  1857  was  ap- 
pointed Deputy  Sheriff  for  a  term  of  two  years. 
Upon  retiring  from  that  office  he  settled  upon  a 
farm  in  Crane  Creek  Township,  where  he  success 
fully  engaged  in  farming  pursuits  for  many  years. 
In  1885  he  came  to  Mason  City  and  embarked  in 
the  livery  business,  which  he  conducted  for  three 
years.  Since  that  time  he  has  lived  retired  from 


702 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


active  business.  As  a  farmer  he  was  energetic,  as 
a  business  man  efficient  and  capable,  while  as  a 
citizen  he  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in 
public  affairs. 

For  several  years  Mr.  Cleveland  served  as  School 
Director  in  Crane  Creek  Township,  and  was  the 
prime  factor  in  the  election  of  Walker's  Grove 
School  House,  which  was  constructed  at  a  cost  of 
$5,000.  In  his  political  belief  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
is  always  ready  to  give  his  support  to  the  measures 
advocated  by  that  part}'.  Socially  he  is  identified 
with  Mason  City  Lodge  No.  337, 1.  O.  O.  F. 

April  14,  1852,  Mr.  Cleveland  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Mefford,  a  native  of 
Knox  County,  Ohio,  and  a  descendant  of  French 
ancestors.  Her  father,  John  H.  Mefford,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of 
1812,  and  became  an  early  settler  of  Ohio,  where 
he  died  in  1844.  Her  mother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Abigail  Mitchell,  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  a 
daughter  of  W.  T.  Mitchell,  and  died  in  Ohio  in 
186C.  In  the  Buckeye  State  Mrs.  Cleveland  spent 
the  years  of  girlhood,  and  in  Republica,  Seneca 
County,  she  became  the  wife  of  our  subject.  They 
have  had  two  children  of  whom  May  is  deceased; 
Blanch  is  the  wife  of  J.  H.  Riggs,  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  and  now  a  resident  of  Mason  City.  In 
religious  belief  Mrs.  Cleveland  is  identified  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  the  good  works 
of  which  she  takes  an  active  part. 


§AMP  SPEAKER.  A  man's  life  work  is  the 
measure  of  his  success,  and  judged  by  this 
standard  Mr.  Speaker  may  be  called  a  most 
successful  man,  for  through  his  own  exertions  he 
has  attained  a  prominent  position  among  the  busi- 
ness men  of  Pekin.  He  is  a  native  of  Germany 
having  been  horn  in  Ostfriesland,  October  5,  1846. 
His  father,  Gart  Speaker,  a  native  of  the  same 
place  as  himself,  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  In 
1847  he  brought  the  family  to  the  United  States, 
and  located  in  Kenosha,  Wis.,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed at  his  trade.  His  death  occurred  some  time 
during  the  '50s.  His  wife,  who  died  in  Wisconsin, 


was  a  sister  of  Habbe  Velde,  of  whom  see  sketch 
on  another  page. 

Our  subject  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth 
among  three  children.  He  was  reared  in  Kenosha, 
and  coming  to  Illinois  was  employed  on  a  farm 
near  Antioch.  In  1863  he  came  to  Pekin,  and 
worked  at  the  blacksmith's  trade  in  the  employ  of 
T.  &  H.  Smith  Co.  Though  only  in  his  teens  at 
the  time  of  the  Civil  War,  his  enthusiasm  was 
kindled  in  behalf  of  the  Union,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1864  he  volunteered  in  the  service,  becoming  a 
member  of  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
ninth  Illinois  Infantry.  The  company  was  mus- 
tered into  service  at  Peoria,  and  thence  proceeded 
to  Paducah  Station  at  Cairo.  In  the  fall  of  1864 
they  were  ordered  to  Missouri  in  pursuit  of  Price's 
army,  but  as  that  General  had  transferred  his  sol- 
diers to  other  quarters  before  the  arrival  of  the 
Union  troops,  the  latter  returned  to  Peoria.  In 
September,  1864,  they  were  mustered  out  of  the 
service  and  honorably  discharged. 

Upon  returning  to  Pekin  Mr.  Speaker  served  a 
three  years'  apprenticeship  at  the  carriage-maker's 
trade  in  the  shops  of  the  T.  &  H.  Smith  Co.  He 
continued  in  the  employ  of  that  firm  until  1884, 
meantime  occupying  various  positions  of  impor- 
tance. In  1868  he  became  foreman  of  the  wood 
department,  and  as  such  continued  until  1876,  after 
which  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  wagons. 
The  capacity  of  the  works  was  about  one  hundred 
wagons  per  week,  and  employment  was  given  to 
one  hundred  or  more  men.  From  1882  until  1884 
Mr.  Speaker  had  entire  charge  of  the  business,  but 
during  the  latter  year  he  embarked  in  the  grocery 
and  provision  business,  and  has  since  carried  on  a 
lucrative  trade  in  that  line.  He  occupies  three 
floors  in  the  Smith  Row,  22x95  feet  in  dimensions, 
and  is  numbered  among  the  successful  grocers  of 
the  place. 

In  1872  Mr.  Speaker  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Kate  Albertson,  a  native  of  Germany. 
Four  children  were  born  of  that  union,  of  whom 
the  only  survivor  is  Carape  George.  Socially  Mr. 
Speaker  holds  membership  with  the  Knights  of 
Honor  nnd  the  Mutual  Aid  of  Workmen,  and 
aided  in  the  organization  of  the  latter  society. 
He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Bay  State  Bene- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


703 


ficiary  Association,  and  is  serving  as  one  of  the 
Councilmen.  In  his  religious  belief  he  is  identi- 
fied with  the  German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
He  believes  in  the  principles  laid  down  by  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  therefore  votes  the  straight 
ticket.  As  a  business  man  he  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful, and  his  prosperity  is  the  result  of  his  un- 
aided exertions.  A  liberal  and  public-spirited  cit- 
izen, he  is  always  ready  to  contribute  of  his  time 
and  means  for  the  advancement  of  the  enterprises 
calculated  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  people. 


GEORGE  F.  SCOTT,  the  owner  of  a  valua- 
ble farm  in  Boynton  Township,  Tazewell 
County,  was  born  in  Delavan,  111.,  on  the 
2d  of  May,  1850.  He  is  the  son  of  John  Scott,  a 
native  of  Warwick,  England,  and  of  Scotch  par- 
entage, the  grandparents,  George  T.  and  Sarah 
Ann  Scott,  having  been  born  in  Annan,  Scotland, 
December  8,  1797,  and  December  5,  1797,  respec- 
tively. The  family  came  to  the  United  States  about 
1830  and  settled  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  whence  they 
removed  to  Massachusetts  and  from  there  came  to 
Illinois,  October  18,  1843,  and  established  their 
home  near  Atlanta,  in  Logan  County.  Grand- 
father Scott  died  May  25,  1882. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  the  third  in  a  fam- 
ily of  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  and  he  was 
the  youngest  of  the  three  born  in  England,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Warwick,  September  22, 
1827.  By  trade  a  blacksmith,  he  followed  that 
occupation,  together  with  farming  throughout  the 
most  of  his  life.  He  was  a  quiet,  unassuming 
Christian  gentleman  and  was  highly  regarded  by 
his  associates.  Socially,  he  was  identified  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  in  relig- 
ious belief  held  membership  in  the  Christian 
Church.  He  had  resided  at  Atlanta  for  a  time,  and 
from  there  came  to  Delavan,  but  returned  to  Logan 
County  and  finally,  in  1868,  settled  in  Delavan, 
where  his  death  occurred  March  15,  1894. 

Of  the  brothers  and  sisters  of  John  Scott  we 
note  the  following:  Richard,  a  soldier  in  Company 
B,  Seventy-third  Illinois  Volunteers,  was  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  and  afterward  at 


the  battle  of  Franklin,  November  30,  1864,  from 
the  effects  of  which  he  died  on  the  22d  of  Decem- 
ber following.  Simon  is  now  a  retired  merchant 
of  Atlanta;  George  is  a  physician  at  Sedalia,  Mo.; 
William  is  in  business  in  Chicago;  Frank  is  a  farmer 
in  South  Dakota;  Lizzie  is  the  wife  of  Allen  Per- 
rin,  a  farmer  in  South  Dakota;  Sarah,  who  lives  in 
Chicago,  is  the  widow  of  Harvey  Pratt;  Christiana 
married  John  Phillips,  now  a  retired  farmer  in 
Delavan,  where  she  died.  Of  this  family  Simon 
and  George  were  born  in  Annan,  Scotland;  Lizzie, 
Christiana  and  John  at  Warwick,  England,  and 
the  others  in  the  United  States. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mary  Jane  Rook,  and  was  born  near 
Trey,  Ohio,  March  18,  1832.  Her  parents  were 
natives  of  Germany.  She  removed  witli  the  fam- 
ily to  La  Fayette,  Ind.,  and  from  there  came  to 
Illinois  in  1846.  On  the  2d  of  August,  1849,  she 
was  married  to  John  Scott,  whom  she  preceded 
in  deatli,  passing  away  November  7,  1869.  Her 
children  were  eight  in  number,  viz.,  George  F., 
M.  Isahclle,  John  A.,  William,  Kate,  Mary  A.,  Jen- 
nie E.  and  Charles  R.  Four  are  now  living,  as 
follows:  George  F.,  the  eldest;  Kate;  Jennie  E., 
the  wife  of  Gilman  Waltmire,  Assistant  Cashier  of 
the  Tazewell  County  National  Bank,  of  Delavan; 
and  Charles  R.,  who  is  bookkeeper  for  a  wholesale 
house  of  Chicago. 

Our  subject  received  an  excellent  education  in 
the  schools  of  Delavan  and  is  a  well  informed 
man.  In  1874  he  married  Alice  C.  Paul,  who  was 
born  in  Logan  County.  Her  father,  H.  A.  J.  Paul, 
of  Indiana,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Logan 
County,  and,  with  his  wife,  is  now  living  near  the 
north  line  of  that  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott  have 
had  six  children,  of  whom  the  following  survive: 
Cora  B.,  Charles  II.,  M.  Pearl,  Eflie  A.  and  Grace 
L.  Cora  was  married  in  November,  1893,  to  Allen 
Short,  a  farmer  residing  two  and  one-half  miles 
southeast  of  her  father's  farm. 

Mr.  Scott  dates  his  residence  on  his  present  farm 
from  the  ye.ar  1877.  The  land  was  the  first  he 
ever  purchased  and  is  now  well  improved  and 
placed  under  good  cultivation,  the  farm  now  being 
one  of  the  best  in  the  locality.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  upon  that  ticket  was  elected  to 


704 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  office  of  Township  Treasurer,  which  he  now 
holds.  He  has  also  been  Tax  Collector  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Education  for  many  years. 
With  his  wife  he  holds  membership  in  the  Chris- 
tian Church. 


D.  CLARK,  printer  and  publisher  of 
the  Mackinaw  Enterprise,  of  Mackinaw,  has 
the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  Illinois,  for 
he   was  born   in  Moultrie  County,  on    the 
10th   of    October,   1856.     His  father,  Dr.  Sumner 
Clark,  was   born   in   Ohio,  October   22,   1830,  and 
with  his  parents  removed  to  Moultrie  County.   He 
is  a  self-educated  and  self-made  man.     His  father 
died  soon  after  coining   to   Illinois,  and  upon   the 
Doctor  devolved  the  care  and  support  of  the  fam- 
ily.    Having    prepared   himself    for   teaching,    he 
followed  that  profession  for  a  few  years.     On  the 
10th  of  September,  1855,  in  Shelhyville,  he  married 
Margie  A.  Harris,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  April  23, 
1836.     For  a  short  time   he  rented   a    farm,  but 
soon  removed  to   the  town  of  Sullivan,  where  he 
carried  on  a  drug  store   and   engaged  in  the  study 
of  medicine.     Subsequently  he  began   practice  in 
Ramsey,    Fayette    County,   and    continued    until 
1870,  when   he  entered  Rush  Medical   College,  of 
Chicago,  and    the  following  year   was  graduated 
from  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College.     He  then  re- 
turned to  Ramsey,  where  he  continued  in  practice 
for  several  years  longer.     He  is  now  one  of  the 
most    successful    physicians   of    southern    Illinois, 
and    makes  his    home  in    Effingham.       He    keeps 
abreast  with  everything  connected    with   the  sci- 
ence of  medicine,  and  by  his  skill  and  ability  has 
won  a  high  reputation.     He  is  a   member  of   the 
National  and   State  Medical  Associations  and  the 
Wabash  Valley  Medical  Association,  has  been  City 
Physician  of  Ellingham,  and   was  also  surgeon  for 
the  Ohio  &   Mississippi,  the  Illinois  Central  and 
the  Vandalia   Railroads.     He   has  gained  a  hand- 
some competency,  and  is  now  the  owner  of  several 
large  farms  in  different  parts  of  the  state. 

To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  were  born  five  children, 
but  Charles  died  in  early  life.  Those  still  living 
are  Dora,  wife  of  J.  T.  Potter;  John  D.;  Ida,  at 
home;  and  Albert  II.,  who  is  associated  with  his 


brother  in  the  newspaper  business.  Dr.  Clark  re- 
moved his  family  to  Eureka,  III.,  and  educated  his 
children  in  the  college  of  that  place.  His  wife  and 
children  are  all  members  of  the  Christian  Church. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  a 
stalwart  advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  but  at  local  election  votes  independ- 
ently. 

The  genial  and  popular  editor  of  the  Mackinaw 
Enterprise  completed  a  course  of  study  in  the  Ram- 
sey High  School,  and  in  1874  became  a  student  in 
Eureka  College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  on 
the  9th  of  June,  1879.  He  carried  off  the  honors 
and  was  valedictorian  of  his  class.  He  was  also 
one  of  the  leaders  of  the  literary  society,  and  his 
work  along  that  line  fitted  him  for  his  present  la- 
bors. In  compliance  with  the  wishes  of  iiis  father, 
he  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  Wesleyan  Uni- 
versity, and  in  the  spring  of  1881  passed  an  ex- 
amination before  the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois  at 
Springfield.  On  the  15th  of  June,  of  that  year  he 
completed  his  course  of  law  study  in  school,  and 
received  his  diploma.  He  then  located  in  Ramsey 
and  was  at  once  appointed  City  Attorney,  but  his 
profession  proving  somewhat  distasteful,  in  1882 
he  bought  out  an  independent  paper  and  began 
publishing  the  Ramsey  Democrat,  a  strong  party 
organ. 

On  removing  to  Tazewell  County,  Mr.  Clark  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  a  short  time,  and  then  again 
engaged  in  the  newspaper  business  with  Mr.  Brock, 
of  Mackinaw.  Later  he  successfully  followed 
school  teaching  for  several  years,  and  in  July, 
1890,  he  purchased  the  Mackinaw  Enterprise.  His 
office  was  burned  in  November  following,  but  with 
characteristic  energy  he  started  anew,  and  to-day 
is  the  owner  of  a  fine  office,  equipped  with  all  the 
latest  machinery  and  improvements.  The  Enter- 
prise is  published  in  the  interest  of  the  Democracy, 
and  is  well  worthy  the  large  patronage  it  receives. 
On  the  9th  of  November,  1882,  Mr.  Clark  was 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Maggie  H.  Puterbaugh, 
(laughter  of  D.W.  and  Sarah  J.  Puterbaugh,  whose 
sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Their 
home  has  been  blessed  with  two  children,  Mabel 
and  Clark  P.  The  parents  are  both  members  of 
the  Christian  Church,  and  Mr.  Clark  is  a  member 


PORTRAIT    AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


705 


of  Mackinaw  Lodge  No.  455,  I.  O.  O.  F.;  the  Re- 
becca Lodge;  and  Diamond  Lodge  No.  309,  K.  of 
P.  He  is  a  public  spirited  and  progressive  citizen, 
ever  alive  to  the  best  interests  of  the  community, 
and  throughout  Tazewell  County  he  has  the  high 
regard  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in 
contact. 


jr=BpRANCIS  M.  SNYDER.  There  is  always 
ilr^©  moi'e  or  less  curiosity  to  know  the  true  and 
lib  inner  history  of  men  who  have  been  long 
and  favorably  identified  with  the  social  and  business 
interests  of  any  community,  and  undoubtedly  the 
biography  of  Mr.  Snyder,  who  is  one  of  the  prom- 
inent grain  merchants  of  llopedale,  will  prove  in- 
teresting alike  to  old  and  young.  It  is  expected 
that  he  will  remove  to  Bloomington  ere  long, 
where  he  will  engage  in  track  buying  of  grain  and 
the  real-estate  business,  leaving  the  management 
of  his  elevator  in  this  place  to  his  two  sons. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio, 
February  3, 1844,  and  is  the  son  of  Jonathan  Sny- 
der, whose  birth  occurred  in  Warren  County,  that 
state,  in  1818.  He  in  turn  was  the  son  of  John 
Snyder,  a  native  of  Virginia  and  an  early  settler 
of  the  Buckeye  State,  where  he  was  living  at  the. 
time  of  his  enlistment  in  the  War  of  1812.  He 
was  a  prominent  man  in  his  locality  and  lived  to 
attain  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-six  years. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  the  youngest  of 
nine  brothers,  all  of  whom  were' born  in  Ohio  and 
there  lived  to  attain  mature  years.  He  was  a 
weaver  by  trade,  at  which  he  served  an  appren- 
ticeship of  five  years  before  reaching  his  majority. 
He  followed  this  line  of  work  during  the  greater 
part  of  his  life  and  died  in  Ohio  in  1871.  His  wife 
was  Martha  Seeds,  a  native  of  Pickaway  County, 
Ohio,  and  the  daughter  of  John  Seeds,  also  born 
in  this  state  and  of  Scotch  ancestry.  Mrs.  Snyder 
is  still  living  in  her  native  place  and  has  attained 
the  age  of  seventy-five  years. 

Francis  M.  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  of  the 
parental  family,  including  seven  sons  and  two 


•  daughters,  of  whom   those  living  besides  himself 
are:   Hiram,  residing  on  the  homestead   in  Picka- 
way County;  Emily,  the  wife  of  James  Braskct,  a 
farmer  of  Grant  County,  Ind.;  John  N.,  an  agri- 
culturist of  Pickaway  County;  Je^e.  owning  a  farm 
in  Fayette  County,  Ohio;  and  Augustus  P.,  who  is 
engaged  in   the  grain  business  in  McLean  County. 
Our  subject  received  a  common-school  educa- 
tion near  his  home  and  was  engaged  in  farm  pur- 
suits until  the  outbreak  of  the  late  war.     He  en- 
listed in  Company  A,  Eighty-eighth  Ohio  Infantry, 
in    1862,  and  after  nine  months' faithful  service 
was  honorably  discharged  for  disability.     In  1865 
he  made  a  visit  to  this  state,  and  on  his  return  to 
Ohio  lived   there  for  three  years,  when   he  made 
permanent  location  in,  Illinois  and  was  engaged  in 
farm  pursuits  in  McLean  County.     In  1870  he  was 
united   in   marriage  with  Miss  Anna  Rowe,  also  a 
native  of  Pickaway  County,  and  to  them  was  born 
a  son,  Jasper  L.,  who  married  Georgia  B.  Dunavan 
and  occupies  his  father's  residence,  also  succeeding 
him   in  the  management  of  the  elevator  at  Hope- 
dale.     The  wife  and  mother  died  in  1872,  and  the 
lady  whom   Mr.  Snyder  chose  as  his  second  com- 
panion  and  whom  he   married  in    1873  was  Miss 
Martha  A, a  daughter  of  John  Armstrong.  She  was 
a  native  of  McLean  County,  this  state,  where  her 
father  was  an  early  settler  and  is  still  living.     Mr. 
Armstrong  is  a  man  of  influence  in  his  communit3' 
and  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  many  years 
and  served  as  a  member   of  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors.    His  father,  the  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Snv- 
der,  is  living  at  the  age  of  ninety-six  years  in 
Posey  County,  Ind. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snyder  includes 
seven  children,  of  whom  William  O.,  who  assists 
his  half-brother,  Jasper  L.,  in  the  grain  business  in 
this  place,  was  born  April  8,  1874.  He  is  a  rising 
young  business  man,  and  during  the  time  he  has 
been  connected  with  the  grain  business  has  dis- 
played marked  ability  in  the  management  of  affairs. 
Ira  B.,  the  second  son,  was  born  October  25,  1876; 
L.  J.,  July  20,  1879;  Ima  E.,  July  29,  1882;  Hazel 
V.,  January  18,1884;  Ernest,  January  8,  1889;  and 
Francis  M.,  Jr.,  March  2,  1891. 

Mr.  Snyder  was  engaged  in  farming  in  McLean 
County  for  about  twelve  years,  and  then  finding 


706 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


a  good  opening  in  the  grain  business  in  Stanford, 
that  county,  removed  there  and  still  has  an  inter- 
est in  the  business  in  that  place.  For  five  years 
he  was  a  grain  merchant  in  Delavan,and  two  years 
ago  came  to  llopedale  and  built  one  of  the  finest 
residences  in  the  county,  expecting  to  make  this 
place  his  permanent  home.  Since  then,  however, 
it  has  been  decided  that  he  will  conduct  the  busi- 
ness in  Bloomington,  where  his  children  can  re- 
ceive better  advantages  for  an  education. 

While  living  in  McLean  County  Mr.  Snyder 
served  his  fellow-townsmen  as  Clerk  and  also 
taught  school  for  one  term.  He  always  votes  the 
Democratic  ticket  but  takes  no  other  active  part 
in  political  work.  He  has  accumulated  a  hand- 
some fortune,  which  has  been  the  result  of  his  own 
exertions  and  loses  no  opportunity  for  contribut- 
ing to  the  general  welfare  of  the  community  where 
he  is  held  in  high  esteem. 


<J 


w 


H.  BURLING AME,  who  has  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits  throughout  the  greater 
part  of  his  life,  has  resided  for  forty-three 
years  upon  a  farm  in  Delavan  Township, 
and  therefoie  is  numbered  among  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Tazewell  County.  He  was  born  in  Meigs 
County;  Ohio,  not  far  from  the  Ohio  River,  July 
13,  1824.  His  father,  Edwin  Burlingame,  was  born 
in  Marietta,  Washington  County,  Ohio,  November 
21,  1796,  probably  In  old  Ft.  Harmon-.  The  grand- 
father, Christopher  Burlingame,  was  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  served  as  an  Ensign  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  He  married  Susanna  Putnam, 
daughter  of  Gen.  Rufus  Putnam,  of  Revolutionary 
fame,  and  the  founder  of  the  Marietta  (Ohio) 
colony. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  one  of  a  family  of 
eleven  children.  He  reached  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety-two  years,  and  died  at  the  home  of  one  of 
his  sons  in  Delavan,  January  10,  1888.  He  has  no 
sister  and  but  one  brother  living,  the  latter  being 


Rufus  Putnam  Burlingame,  who  was  born  August 
7,  1805,  and  now  resides  in  Iowa.  On  the  1 1th  of 
March,  1819,  Edwin  Burlingame  married  Jane 
P>ans,  daughter  of  Dr.  Joseph  Evans,  and  they 
traveled  life's  journey  together  for  fifty-six  years. 
Her  death  occurred  in  1875.  In  their  family  were 
five  sons  and  five  daughters,  and  with  the  excep- 
tion of  one  who  died  in  infancy  all  reached  mature 
years.  The  eldest,  Mary  Evans,  was  born  April 
28,  1820,  and  married  William  Stockard,  of  Phila- 
delphia, but  both  are  now  deceased;  Susan,  born 
November  8,  1821,  is  the  widow  of  Henry  Pratt, 
and  resides  in  Larned,  Kan.;  William  Rufus,  born 
in  August,  1826,  came  to  Illinois  with  our  subject 
and  died  in  this  state;  Maria  M.,  born  December 
15,  1828,  died  in  infancy;  Emeline,  born  January 
4,  1832,  is  the  wife  of  Abner  Deaver,  of  Ohio; 
Caroline  Elizabeth,  born  July  15,  1834,  died  in 
Ohio;  James  C.  is  a  merchant  of  Delavan;  Edward 
M.  was  born  April  9,  1840;  George  A.,  born  March 
17,  1845,  is  a  Methodist  preacher  of  Plants,  Ohio. 

In  the  state  of  his  nativity,  Mr.  Burlingame  of 
this  sketch  was  reared,  and  in  its  public  schools 
was  educated.  He  remained  with  his  father  on  a 
farm  until  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  but  during 
that  time  made  several  trips  with  an  uncle  who 
owned  a  boat  on  the  Ohio  River.  He  also  had 
charge  of  one  of  his  boats  for  a  time.  In  April, 
1851,  he  came  to  Illinois  and  has  since  followed 
farming. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1852,  Mr.  Burlingame 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jane  Allison, 
who  was  born  near  Zanesville,  Ohio,  January  31, 
1832,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Moore)  Allison.  Her  parents  died  during  her 
childhood.  Her  sister,  Rebecca,  is  the  wife  of 
Reuben  Parschal,  but  little  is  known  of  the  family. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burlingame  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  are  living,  Thomas  Edwin,  a 
farmer  of  Tazewell  County;  Mary  S.,  wife  of  J. 
Bradly  Foot,  a  dairyman  of  Delavan;  Sarah  E.,  a 
teacher  of  Chicago;  Fannie  P.,  who  graduated 
from  the  Female  Seminary  of  Oxford,  Ohio,  and 
is  now  a  teacher  of  Ashland,  Neb.;  Louisa  E.,  who 
graduated  from  the  Oxford  Seminar}',  and  is  now 
a  teacher  of  Chicago,  and  Charles  H.,  a  farmer  of 
Delavan  Township,  who  married  Gertrude  Trollop, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


707 


and  has  two  children.  Jane  Evans  died  at  the  age 
of  two  and  a-half  years,  and  Robert  C.  died  at  the 
age  of  one  year. 

Mr.  Burlingame  is  one  of  the  highly  respected 
citizens  of  Tazewell  County.  He  has  successfully 
carried  on  farming  for  many  years,  and  has  become 


the  owner  of  a  valuable  property.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican,  but  has  never  aspired  to  office. 
His  father  was  for  fifty  years  an  Elder  in  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  and  he  has  been  a  life-long  mem- 
ber of  that  church,  in  which  he  has  served  both  as 
Deacon  and  Elder. 


INDBX 


kjpnj&rsT 


Abbott,  William «6l 

Adams,  J.  Q 39 

Adams,  John 2H 

Agin,  George 279 

Agnew,  L.  0 476 

Albertsen,  L.  J 664 

Albright,  Michael 382 

Allen,  John 232 

Allen,  Lemuel 418 

Allensworth ,  B.  C •.  .333 

Altgeld,  J.  P 187 

Anderson,  Robert.. 621 

Andrews,  J.  A.,  Sr 263 

Anthony,  Hon.  J.  H 312 

Arnott,  L.  M 259 

Arthur,  Chester  A  99 


B 


Bailey,  D.  G 221 

Baily ,  W.  V 648 

Bale.J.H 598 

Ball,  A.  W 239 

Barger,  R.  N.,  M.  D 517 

Barkdoll.J.  W 848 

Barnes,  A.  H 481 

Barnes,  G.  E 209 

Barnes,  «.  Z.,  D.  V.  M 700 

Barnes,  J.  B 849 

Barton,  Clark 431 

Barton,  T.  J 384 

Bayne,  W.  M 847 

Beatty,  Capt.  R.  J 341 

Beatty.S.  H 614 

Becker,  Frederick 889 

Becker,  Herman 313 


>- 


BIOGRAPHICAL, 


Becker,  R.  H 598 

Beckley,  Daniel 353 

Beckwith,  H.  C 428 

Bellas,  Isaac 581 

Bennet,  William 319 

Benscoter,  G.  W 5S2 

Berry,  John 579 

Beveridge,  John  L 171 

Biggs,  Samuel 538 

Bishop,  J.  H 496 

Bissell,  William  H 151 

Blackburn,  G.  M.,  M.  D 329 

Blair,  Samuel 372 

Blakeley,  A.  S 684 

Blakeley ,  Kuf  us 672 

Bland,  William 207 

Boley,  W.  A 666 

Bond,  Shadrach Ill 

Bowser,  E.  J 499 

Bradfield.S 609 

Brennemann,  E.  C 693 

Brereton,  C.  L 691 

Briggs,  Lieut.  T.  B 676 

Brooner,  Peler 390 

Brown,  Daniel 399 

Brown,  D.  M 288 

Brown,  Edward 501 

Brown,  Milner 500 

Brown,  R.  M 698 

Buchanan,  James 75 

Bunn,  J.  M 537 

Burlingame,  J.  H 706 

Burnham,  Hon.  H.  C 287 

Burns,  J.  T .....566 

Burns,  L.  H 274 


C 


Callender,  Hon.  W.  A 389 

Campbell,  J.M 819 

Campbell,  J.  B 688 


Carlin,  Thomas 136 

Cattron,  W.  O.,M.  D 444 

Champion,  A.  G 589 

Champion,  A.  L 697 

Clark,  J.D 704 

Ulark,  Nathan 381 

Clements,  J.  T 223 

Cleveland,  E.  C 701 

Cleveland,  8.  Grover 103 

Cogdal,  W.  H 484 

Cohagan,  Prof.  A.  C 434 

Cohenour,  Jacob 281 

Coles,  Edward 116 

Conibear,  W.  H.,  M.  D 267 

Conzelman,  W.  J 210 

Uooney ,  W.  B 369 

Cooper,  J.  B 242 

Cooper,  J.  M 240 

Cooper,  Mark 563 

Corey,  Wells 289 

Covert,  W.C 230 

Covington,  Thomas 438 

Crabb,  Hon.  J.  W 463 

Cress,  G.  W 207 

Crihfield  R.  C 824 

Cross,  S.  B 573 

Crothers,  Dr.  R.  W 677 

Culbertson,  E.  C 529 

Culbertson,  John 632 

Cullom,  Shelby  M 176 

Cummings,  C.  B 268 


D 


Dare,  C.  C. 699 

Darling,  A.  L. ,  M.  D «89 

Dean,  Albertus 639 

Dean,  James 620 

Dempsy.  D.  8 633 

Dicks,  John .690 


Dirkson,  J.  G 620 

Dix,  Henry 570 

Donaldson,  J.  J M8 

Donavan,  Frank 580 

Donavan ,  Jefferson 372 

Donavan,  Robert 464 

Duisdieker,  C.  H 311 

Duisdieker,  Henry 208 

Duncan,  Joseph 131 

Duncan,  J.  C 554 

Dunham,  R.  A 250 

Durham,  Lorenzo 339 


E 


Eckard,  W.  H 253 

Edds,  Hon.  W.  T 686 

Edwards,  Ninian 119 

Egger,  Albert 692 

Ellerbusch,  H.  H 508 

Ellmore,  Da.vid 482 

Ellsworth,  J.  C 251 

Emmitt,  G.  E 658 

England,  Azriab 696 

Ewing,  Bl  N 304 

Ewing,  W.  L.  D 127 

Eyrse,  S.  G 211 


Farischon,  Wendel 353 

Faulkner,  W.  P 401 

Field,  Franklin 281 

Flfer.J.  W 183 

Fillmore,  Millard 67 

Fibk.E.C 637 


710 


INDEX. 


Fitzgerald,  John 477 

Fitzpatrick,  William 292 

Fletcher,  J.  J 674 

Ford.B.S 340 

Ford,  Thomas 139 

French,  A.  C 143 

Froebe.H.F 342 

Furrer,  Andreas 610 

Furrer,  Diebold 461 

Furrer,  George 553 


G 


Gaines,  E.C 330 

Ganson,  W.  M 576 

Garfleld,  James  A 95 

tlarlick,  E.  M 673 

Gollon,  M.  H 254 

Goodheart,  Miss  Josephine.  .272 

Grant,  Ulysses  S 87 

Greeley.G.  W 541 

Green,  W.  H 229 

Griffln,C.  A 542 

Griffin,  S.  Y 542 

Gumbel,  Adam 393 

Gumbel,  John 690 


H 


Haas, Eli 687 

Hahn,  Henry 700 

Hahn,  H.  L 483 

Haines,  James 376 

Hainline,  Green 619 

Hall,  Hon.  I.  B 388 

Hall,  James 681 

Hall.J.  N 587 

Hall.O.  C 218 

Hamilton,  J.  M 179 

Hamilton,  T.  B 352 

Harl,  H.C 650 

Harmel,  J.  W 274 

Harpham,  J.  A 677 

Harris,  B.  H.,  M.  D 449 

Harris,  Rev.  W.  B 505 

Harris,  W.  H 394 

Harrison,  Benjamin 107 

Harrison,  William  Henry 51 

Hart,  J.  M 520 

Harvey,  Hon.  W.  B 310 

Haybarger,  J.  0 346 

Hayes,  Rutherford  B 91 

Heisel,  Leonhard 671 

Hellemann,  Christian 238 

Hellemann,  Christian,  Jr. . .  .211 

Henninger,  John 665 

Herbert,  James 381 

Herget,  George 384 

Herget,  Hon.  John 217 

Herget,  J.  H 415 

Herget,  Philip 668 

s,8.R 478 


Hierony  mus,  Enoch 443 

Hieronymus,  William 622 

Hiett,  R.  C -. 291 

Hiffh,  F.  A 493 

Hild,  Michael 508 

Hill,  Thomas 523 

Hilst,  Jasper 586 

Hilyard,  D.  W 607 

Hodgson,  J.  B 390 

Hoffman,  H.  N 564 

Hofmann,  Jacob 402 

Hole,  T.  A 569 

Hole,  W.  H 476 

Holland,  T.  L 326 

Hopping,  E.  N 437 

Hovey ,  D.  W 601 

Howard,  W.  F 576 

Howell.B.  F 662 

Hufty,  N.  L..M.  D... 695 

Hull,  Ehas '. 667 

Hurley.E.H 206 

Husmann,  Gerhard 512 


Ingersoll,  A.  D 535 

Ingersoll,  J.  L 493 

Ironmonger,  B.  H 422 

Irwin.J.B 254 


Jackson ,  Andrew 43 

Jellerson.  Thonr.as 27 

Johnson,  Andrew 83 

Johnson,  P.  F 433 

Jones,  J.  0 687 


K 


Keith,  Frederick 694 

Kelch,  F.  J 271 

Kennel,  Jacob 683 

Kennelly,  J.  S.,  M.  D 649 

Kinsey ,  B.  W 270 

Kinsey,  John 627 

Knuppel.  H.  J 536 

Krebaum,  Adolph 363 

Krebaum,  C.  G 630 

Kreiling,  J.  F 673 

Kreiling,  J.  H 685 

Kroell ,  John,  Sr 596 

Kroll,  G.  P 205 

Kumpf ,  Adam 212 


Lacey,  Hon.  Lyman 203 

Lackland,  W.  R 264 

Lackman.H.  W 667 

Lampitt,  E.  F 279 

Lancaster,  John 297 

Larimore, Thomas. 670 

La  Rosh,  S.  D 354 

Lascelles,  Thomas 640 

Lauterbach,  William 228 

Lemm ,  Henry 302 

Leonard,  Allen 371 

Leonard,  L.  Q ..+72 

Leonard,  T.  H 414 

Le  Sourd,  W.  G 559 

Lilly,  William 331 

Lincoln,  Abraham 79 

Lindsey,  William 432 

List,  Adam 647 

Lorenz,  Franz 272 

Lorimer,  John 269 

Lucas,  George 427 

Lucas,  Jacob 628 

Luick,  Louis 294 

Luppen,  Conrad 227 


M 


Madison ,  James 31 

Markert,  G.  A 681 

Marquardt,  Philip 213 

Marshall,  J.  A .428 

Mathers,  J.  H 513 

Matteson ,  Joel  A 147 

Maltheesson,  J.  W 224 

May, Christian 314 

May,  E.  M.,M.  D 261 

McCarty ,  John 531 

McClintick,  M.  S 649 

McFall,  John 281 

McGinnis,  William 659 

McHarry ,  H.  C 566 

McHose.G.  E 387 

McKinstry,  W.  V 284 

McLean,  D.  B 249 

McReynolds,  J.  M 408 

Meeker,  D.  B 511 

Meigs,  J.  B.,  M.  D 671 

Meireis,  Peter 421 

Meisinger.G.  G 369 

Melton,  R.  A 45K 

Meyer,  J .  L 366 

Meyers,  F.  E 426 

Meyers,  J.  A 365 

Miars,  William 597 

Minier,  Rev.  G.  W 237 

Minier,  T.  L 301 

Mitchell,  I.  N 686 

Monroe,  James 35 

Mooberry,  J.  S „ 345 


Mooberry.S.  R 307 

Mooberry,  William 467 

Moore,  C.  W 644 

Morris,  A.  J,  M.  D 502 

Moschel,  Louis 358 

Moslander,  James 543 

Mount,  J.I) 585 

Muller.J.  B 378 

Murrel,  C.  F 420 

Mushbaugh,  Jacob 682 


N 


NalTziger,  Peter 331 

Neikirk,  G.  W 487 

Neikirk,  J.  A 418 

Neikirk,  J.  E 490 

Nichols,  A.  A 655 

Nolte.J.  W 3S6 


o 


O'Brien ,  Edward 278 

Oglesby ,  Richard  J 163 

Onstot,  T.  G 615 

Orendorff,  D.  W 656 

Osborn,R.N 638 


Palmer,  J.  M 167 

Parker,  W.  E 302 

Paul,  J.  B. ,  M.  D 643 

Pawson,  Thomas 631 

Pf etzlng,  Justus 663 

Pierce,  Franklin 71 

Pierce,  J.  F 332 

Pierson,  George 526 

Pittsf ord,  Prof.  D.  B 364 

Polk,  James  K 59 

Pollard,  W.  P 440 

Porter,  Lyman S20 

Powell,  David 603 

Pratt,  Edward 547 

Pratt,  Robert 507 

Pratt,  W.  L 322 

Prettyman,  B.  S.,Sr 457 

Prettyman,  B.  S.,  Jr 560 

Prettyman,  Jacob 519 

Prettyman,  W.  L 376 

Proctor,  Richard 625 

Pugh,  Hon.  J.  W 466 

Pulling.  Charles 574 

Puterbaugh,  L>.  W 416 

Puterbaugh,  Solomon 231 

Puterbaugh,  S.  H 321 


Q 


Quigg.J.F 303 


ItfMKI 


INDEX. 


711 


R 


Railsback.B.  T 591 

Railsback.J.  E 290 

Randolph,  I.  F 405 

Rankin.G.F  684 

Rankin.P.  F 855 

Rapp,  Hon.  Jacob 243 

Reason,  H.  F 244 

Reed,  Isaac 653 

Reed,  Joseph 309 

Beichel,  J.  G 003 

Reid.J.  L 665 

Reinheimer,  S.  M .555 

Reuling,  Fred 377 

Reynolds,  John 123 

Ringhouse,  Peter 495 

Ripper,  P.  S 654 

Koat,  Jacob 608 

Robinson,  Allen 674 

Robison,  A.  L 334 

Robison.M.  M 323 

Roelfs.J.  A ."257 

Roll,  A.  P 616 

Rosebrough,  B.  A 678 

Rust ,  H.  J 440 


Saal,  Adam 214 

Baltonstall,  G.  F «79 

Samuell,  J.  M.,  Sr 550 

Sapp,  Daniel 335 

Sawyer.J.M 299 

Scheidel,  J.  P 300 

Schember,  Phi  lip 663 

Schenck,  W.  E.,M.  D 308 

Scherer,  Wendel 474 

Schipper,  J.  F 247 


Schurman.C.  R 597 

Scott,  G.  F 703 

Shafer,  G.  R. ,  M.  D 219 

Shaffer,  Christopher 351 

Siebens,  F.  P 214 

Slonneger,  John 241 

Smallwood,  J.  A 455 

Smith,  Christian 377 

Smith,  F.  E 524 

Smith.  H.  F 395 

Smith, L.T 582 

Smith,  R.  D 465 

Smith,  S.  W 422 

Smith,  William 363 

Snyder,  F.  M 705 

Soady,  F.  W 696 

Spaits,  J.  G.,  Jr 489 

Sparrow,  F.  G 653 

Speaker,  Camp 702 

Spear,  J .  W.,  M.  D 688 

Speckman,  Peter .512 

Speece.G.  W 472 

Stanbery,  William 697 

Starrett.E.  S 482 

Starz,  Frederick 518 

Starz,  G.  A 468 

Stevens,  P.  W 620 

Stoltz,  Hon.  John 570 

Stone,  C.  L 607 

Stout,  Jacob 336 

Stuart,  Alexander 425 

Stubbs,  Arthur 669 

Swaar,  H.M 585 

Sweitzer,  Peter 473 


Tammeus,  Wilke 580 

Tarbell,  Lewis 280 

Taylor.B.  W 648 

Taylor,  J.  H 471 

Taylor,  Joseph 438 

Taylor,  Zachary 63 


Terrell,  E.  D 507 

Terrell,  W.  K 532 

Thompson,  Abram 557 

Tomlin,  J.  T 544 

Tomm,  H.  A 262 

Town,  U.  L 494 

Trimble,  J.  E 603 

Tyler,  John 55 

Tyrrell,  Thomas 496 


U 


Ubben ,  Henry 293 

Ubben,  U.  A 259 

Unland,  Hon.  E.  F 476 

Urich,  Henry 474 


Vail,  J.  J 679 

Vail.R.  H 679 

Van  Boening,  A 568 

Van  Buren,  Martin  47 

Van  Horn,  Miles 660 

Van  Home,  Albert,  D.  D.  S.  .294 

Van  Orman,  O.  W 634 

Veerman,  D.  J 292 

Velde,  Habbe 367 

Velde,  John 25H 

Verry.E.  F 446 


W 


Waggoner,  William 610 

Walker,  George 370 

Walker,  William 557 

Wallace,  E.  A 248 


Wandschneider,  David 348 

Washington,  George 19 

Watkins,  J.  M. ,  M.  D 535 

Webb,  Francis 325 

Weimer,  Robert 360 

Weirick,  W.  H.,  M.  D 604 

Weiss,  Albert 439 

Wessling.G.  W 525 

Weyhrich,  Adam 565 

White,  D.  C 406 

White,  V.  M 252 

Wilson,  B.  F 575 

Wilson,  C.  L 420 

Wilson,  C.  W 568 

Wilson,  E.  A 626 

Wilson,  Hon.  E.  W 277 

Wilson,  J.  S 402 

Winkle,  C.  F 283 

Winn,  J.  M.,  M.  D 481 

Woerner,  Michael 462 

Wood,  John 155 

Wood.M.  T 233 

Woodrow,  W.  L 691 

Woodworth,  W.  S 298 

Woolf,  A.  E 220 

Woost.H.  G 282 

Worstall,  Edward 450 


Yates,  Richard 159 

Youle,  William,  Jr 445 

Youte,  William.Sr 613 

Young.H.M 514 


Zerwekh,  G.  J 260 

Ziegenbein,  Henry 567 


Adams,  John 22 

Adams,  John  Q 38 

Allen,  Lemuel 418 

Altgeld.John  P 186 

Arthur,  Chester  A 98 

Bale,  J.  H 594 

Barger,  K.  N  ,M.  D 516 

Bevendge,  John  L 170 

Bird,  A.  M.,  M.  D 578 

Bissell.  William  H ISO 

Blackburn,  G.  M.,  M.  D 328 

Bond ,  Shadrach 110 

Brown,  Daniel 398 

Buchanan,  James 74 

Burnhain,  Hon.  H.  C 286 

Campbell,  J.  M 316 

Campbell,  Mary  E 317 

Carlin,  Thomas 134 

Cleveland,  S.  Grover 102 

Coles,  Edward 114 

Conibear,  W.  H.,M.  D 266 

Cooper,  Mark 562 

Cross,  S.  B 572 

Culbertson,  E.  C 528 

Cullom,  Shelby  M 174 


Duncan,  Joseph 130 

Durham,  Lorenzo 338 

Edwards,  Ninian 118 

Ewing,  W.  L.  D 126 

Fifer,  Joseph  W 182 

Fillmore,  Millard 66 

Fisk,  E.  C 636 

Ford,  Thomas 138 

French,  A.  C 142 

Furrer,  Diebold 460 

Furrer,  George 552 

Garfleld,  James  A 94 

Grant,  U.  S 86 

Greeley,  G.  W 840 

Haines,  James 374 

Mainline,  Green 618 

Hamilton,  John  M 178 

Harris,  B.  H.,  M.  D 448 

Harris,  Rev.  W.  B 504 

Harrison,  Benjamin 106 

Harrison,  W.  H 50 

Hayes,  Rutherford  B 90 

Herget,  Hon.  John 216 

I  liiTmiy  MIIIS,  Enoch 442 

Hilyard.D.  W 006 


Hopping,  E.  N 436 

Hovey,D.  W 600 

Ingereoll,  J.  L 492 

Jackson,  Andrew 42 

Jefferson,  Thomas 26 

Johnson,  Andrew 82 

Krebaum,  Adolph 362 

Lacey,  Hon.  Lyman 202 

Lancaster,  John 296 

Lincoln,  Abraham 78 

Luppen,  Conrad 226 

Madison,  James 30 

Matteson ,  Joel  A 146 

McHose.  G.  E 386 

Meeker,  D.  B 510 

Minier,  Rev.  G.  W 236 

Monroe,  James 34 

Mooberry ,  J.  S 344 

Mooberry ,  S.  R 306 

Neikirk,  J.  A 410 

Neikirk,  Mrs.  J.  A 411 

Oglesby,  Richard  J 162 

Palmer,  John  M 166 

Paul,  J.  B.,  M.D 642 


Pawson,  Thomas 630 

Pierce,  Franklin 70 

Polk,  J.  K 58 

Pratt,  Edward 546 

Proctor,  Richard 624 

Reed,  Isaac 652 

Reynolds,  John 122 

Roelfs,  J.  A 256 

Schipper,  J.  F 246 

Shaffer,  Christopher 350 

Smallwood,  J.  A 454 

Stuart,  Alexander 424 

Swaar.J.  Y  584 

Taylor,  J.  H 470 

Taylor,  Zachary 6i 

Tyler,  John 54 

Van  Buren,  Martin .  46 

Washington,  George 18 

Watkins,  J.  M 534 

Winn,  J.  M.,  M.  D 480 

Wood,  John 154 

Yates,  Richard 158 

Youle,  William,  Sr 612 


Beckwith,  H.  C 429 

Bishop,  J.  H 487 

Bowser.E.J 497 

Brooner,  Peter 391 

Cogdal,  W.  H 485 


Dean,  James 521 

Hart,  J.  M  $Son 821 

Herbert,  James 379 

Hill,  Thomas 521 

Hodgson ,  J.  B 391 


Hofmann.  Jacob 403 

La  Kosh,  Mrs.  Rebecca 355 

Marshall,  J.  A 429 

Meisinger,  G.  G 367 

Meyer,  J.  L 367 


Muller.J.B 379 

Neikirk,  G.  W 485 

Tyrrell,  Mrs.  Mary 497 

Wilson, J.S 403 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD  OF  TAZE 


